


Barracks

by chayron



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-25
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-02-14 16:46:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 65
Words: 433,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2199405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chayron/pseuds/chayron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Due to a curious mix-up Goten is taken into an officer training school. While trying to understand what is happening, he stumbles into a series of strange events and the dots finally start connecting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> I dedicate this piece of fan fiction to Anzia, to the friend who has been with me during all these long years. Thank you for your support, ideas and love.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.  
> A/N 1: Goten is seventeen, and Trunks is eighteen years old (they will get older with time).  
> A/N 2: This fic is completely independent of my other fics.  
> A/N 3: Started: 10 2006  
> A/N 4: There will be some specific imaginary words in this fic. Officer ranks at Hataro Officer Training School [from the highest to the lowest]:  
> 1\. Taisa  
> 2\. Shaii  
> 3\. Shyu  
> 4\. Captain [Laureus Tanko]  
> 5\. Drill sergeant  
> 6\. First-in-command  
> 7\. Second-in-command  
> 8\. Savar [anyone attending any officer training school]
> 
> A/N 5: The Saiyan education:  
> 0\. Preparatory school (pupils 8-13 years old)  
> 1\. Paramilitary school (pupils 14-18). From there to --> boot camps (drafts/grunts) or:  
> 2\. Officer training school (savars 18-20). From there to --> military posts or:  
> 3\. Commissioned Officer Academy (ranks)
> 
> A/N 6: for non-native speakers: AWOL means absent without leave (leaving/running away from the military service without permission).

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by Redmarshin and Veronica

Part 1

Goten’s sleepy head jerked up as someone’s boot gave a painful kick to his thigh. He blinked his blurry eyes at the space in front of him, but whoever had kicked him had already walked away. Goten looked around. People were hustling around him, stuffing their belongings back into their bags and sacks. Goten felt that the train was slowing down. That must be the reason for the bruise forming on his thigh – just a friendly tap to tell him to get ready.

They had been traveling for four days on a train. The car was stuffed. There was hardly a place to put one’s foot. The stench and heat were unbearable, several small vents on the sides of the walls hardly helping the situation. Sweaty, overheated and tired bodies shouldered and elbowed each other in the mass to move from one point in the car to another.

During sleep-hours the car usually turned into one big bed with blankets strewn about where everyone intermingled. Arms, legs and tails got entangled, the owners not even bothering to figure out which belonged to whom as there simply was no space to sleep otherwise.

Goten had always been a light sleeper, and the first three days were a nightmare to him. On the fourth day after not getting any sleep, his body had just shut down on its own, finally letting him rest without hearing all that snoring, talking, or walking; the door opening and closing each time somebody went to the toilets; and the unceasing sound of the train hitting the railroad trusses. 

Yawning and shaking his head to clear it, Goten stood up and started collecting his belongings, which included his blanket, a book, a deck of cards and a bottle of water. Despite that he hadn’t expected to, he had found several men to play cards with. Even though he was the only third-class on the train - to say nothing of him being the youngest of all those present -, it didn’t really seem like he was being pushed around or sneered at. Actually, if he thought about it, he was singled out on the first day, as some of the men from his previous paramilitary school were among the crowd and knew who he was. But after a day of nonstop jolting on the rails, everybody soon lost interest in him. It was just too hot to care.

The brakes hit, and the curses were heard as the train stopped none too gently. The men grabbed blindly at whatever was the closest to them to keep themselves on their feet. Goten’s back hit the metallic floor as a bundle of men in front of him didn’t manage to keep their balance. Goten groaned as he was sandwiched between their bodies and the floor, the stuff in his rucksack digging into his back painfully.

The door finally opened, but instead of dashing into the fresh and brisk air, the men at the front hung near the entrance blinking until their eyes got used to the direct sunrays. Then they began to fall to the ground and roll down the trestle as the men from behind forced their way through. For a moment the car and its surroundings turned to chaos.

“Align! Get your asses moving! You imbeciles, stop lying around on the ground! What did I tell you?! -Align, damn sissies!”

The hits and kicks and curses followed and in two minutes all second-classes were drawn next to the car. The captain cast a look inside the car.

“You! What the hell are you doing in the car?! Hey!”

As the man lying on the floor of the car didn’t move, the captain sent the first-in-command to check that he wasn’t injured or dead.

“I can bet he’s only sleeping,” Ario snickered into his friend’s ear. “I have been trying to wake him up for ten minutes. You won’t believe the things the third-class gets himself into… He-”

“Silence in the rows!” the captain yelled.

Ario shut his mouth with a click and raised his head to look forward at nothing.

“You!” the first-in-command kicked Goten in the side. “The fucker’s just sleeping!” he shouted from the car to the captain in disbelief.

“Told you,” Ario snickered. 

Goten rubbed his side unhappily. He opened his eyes just in time to see a heavy boot smash into his head, then grabbed his bleeding nose, cursing in pain. He jumped to his feet, intending to teach his attacker a lesson but his eye caught several shiny pieces on the black uniform of the man in front of him. A first-in-command.

Goten changed gears quickly and saluted. “Sir!”

“Into the row, you worthless piece of trash!” the first-in-command bellowed. As Goten rushed past him, he tried to kick the boy on his behind but missed. At least the kid was fast.

“The school is fifty kilometers away,” said the captain before hopping into the jeep with his first-in-command who started the car and began driving.

The second-classes in the row met each others’ eyes then, with all their belongings, began running after the jeep.

Ten kilometers later, Goten was trotting at the very end of the band, his sides already marked by the shoves he had gotten after he had started wobbling and bumped into several teammates. The blood had finally stopped running from his nose, but he was hardly staying on his feet. His head throbbed and his vision was blurring from time to time. 

Goten started seriously contemplating dropping somewhere on the roadside, vomiting, then having a decent sleep; then, in the morning, trailing up after the party. He knew he would probably not survive going AWOL, but he was positive that he was going to drop dead on the spot anyway. A ki blast in the head would be less painful.

“Just a little bit more,” Ario sidled up to Goten. “I really doubt the fuckers will make us run all fifty damn kilometers…” 

Goten cast a hazy look at the second-class. Ario was one of those rare second-classes who knew him from paramilitary school but didn’t seem to mind having him tag along to officer training school. It was unheard off that a third-class would attend an officer training school and, in addition, Goten was a year younger than the rest of them. As a result, he was met with derisive glares and sharp tongues wherever he went. 

Actually, Goten himself wondered about the whole situation. He had almost fainted when he got the call-up papers. He had been completely positive that after finishing the paramilitary school he'd been attending, he would go to some boot-camp like all the other third-classes. For him to be ordered to one of the best officer training schools on Vegeta-sei was akin to a death sentence.

Holding the document in his trembling fingers, he had read it three times and decided that it must be a mistake. There was no way it had been addressed to him, even if Goten Bardock’s name was clearly written on the envelope. 

He had dialed the phone number that had been provided on the papers for those who needed further information. He had gotten an affirmative answer, that yes, Goten Bardock was indeed expected to present himself to Hataro Officer Training School. He had also been informed that those who disobeyed the order would be arrested and punished with death.

After he had hung up the phone, he stood for several minutes, doing nothing except staring at the wall. There really had to be some mistake. He could not be going there; not there to the place where his brother had died. 

With Gohan it had been the same. Despite being only a third-class, he had been sent to one of the officer training schools. He never came back. There had been some accident during training. The body had been sent back, but the circumstances had never been cleared.

But an order was an order, so Goten reported. Then, together with over fifty other pupils who had graduated from the same paramilitary school as him, and with the best marks, he was almost literally freighted into the train. 

And now, even as he was running after the second-classes, he still thought that it must be some mistake that he’d been sent here. It had been a horrible bureaucratic mistake when Gohan got sent, and now the same was happening to him. However, he had never been one to believe in coincidences. 

Ario’s hand stopped Goten before he could smash into the man who had been running in front of him. Because of his blurred vision and the fact that he had to concentrate so hard not to pass out, Goten hadn’t noticed that they had slowed down and soon stopped completely.

The roar of an engine soon reached their ears and after several minutes the transport showed up from behind a nearby hill. The truck approached them and the driver stopped. He was supposed to collect the newly enlisted savars from the train station, but was not surprised to find them twelve kilometers away in the wrong direction. The captain always did that to newbies.

Relieved, the men climbed into the truck. Goten squeezed himself into a corner and let himself black out. He woke up only after somebody had punched him on the shoulder.

Shielding his eyes from the bright sun, Goten stumbled out of the truck. After several kicks to his shins, he, together with the other men, aligned next to it. With his eyes closed, he was only vaguely aware of the buzz of the captain’s loud voice then five minutes of the second-in-command humming. He heard nothing, but at least had a half-hour of rest. 

Confused, Goten looked around after a sudden silence settled around him. Everyone appeared to be dismissed and walking in all directions possible. Goten caught up with Ario, who, with several more newly enlisted savars, was walking the opposite way of the majority of them.

“Where are we going?” Goten asked, shifting his heavy backpack to get it more comfortably situated on his back.

“I’m going to get my hair cut first,” Ario said, not stopping. “The bastard said that we already have barracks assigned, so there’s no point in running over there straightaway. Later I’m going to get blankets, uniforms and stuff.” He noticed Goten’s gaze shift from one group of savars to the other. “I suppose that some went to the toilets and the other half went to get something to eat in the canteen,” Ario commented before Goten could ask. “You should wash that face of yours to get the blood off and go to a doc here. I think that kick to your head was pretty harsh.”

“I think I’ll go to the barber’s first,” Goten decided. He thought he knew what the doctor would say anyway, and he doubted that he would make it to the barber’s after he dropped into his bunk. He would be out until tomorrow.

“When and where do we gather tomorrow?” Goten asked.

“The sirens will go off at five. We assemble in front of the main building, the one near the flag. They'll probably check the lists to see if everyone has arrived as ordered. Then we'll be given our schedules and tortured until breakfast. Breakfast is at seven. Didn’t you hear anything that pig said?”

“Not really,” Goten shook his head. He regretted it as his head protested with an intense pang of shooting pain.

“You’d better not to be late. He already caught you sleeping on the train,” Ario warned.

Gotten nodded. The last thing he needed was to get in trouble on the very first day of his service.

After five minutes they entered the barber’s. Goten groaned inwardly at the rows that were flooding the building. Another train must have arrived just a fraction earlier than his. He leaned on the wall near the entrance wondering whether he should go get his uniform first but then decided that it would be the same there.

In half an hour Goten was finally seated, a piece of some cloth was hastily wrapped around him, and his hair was gone in seconds. Patting his bald head and marveling at the feeling, Goten turned to look at the guy on his right who was crying after having his long mane cut. Goten turned to the left side where Ario seemed to be quite content with his shiny head and was looking at himself in a mirror grinning.

Goten left his seat and went to look for a doctor. He drifted around the enormous campus of the school for about half an hour until he saw a huge sign with a red droplet on one of the buildings. The med bay.

He could have asked someone to show him the way but most of the men he had passed had given him unfriendly looks. He had also seen several elites. Goten was glad that there was hardly anyone who knew his background here and that the second and third classes were differentiated only by their birth line and power level. He was sure that otherwise he wouldn’t have avoided trouble so easily. But on the other hand, he knew that the news of his status would quickly be spread by the second-classes who had arrived together with him.

Elites were the strongest and thus had become the richest of the three classes in Saiyan society. They had a white tail tip that was usually clearly shown off to boast their high position to everyone around them. Most elites looked down on the lower classes and rarely interacted with them unless it was to give orders. The third class was considered the lowest and seen merely as a labor force, and most of elites detested it. The second class stood in between the two and mostly handled bureaucratic issues.

Goten pushed the door open and entered a hall then turned to the reception area, where one old female and a young male were drinking tea and chatting. Goten sniffed the air and concluded that it was black tea. He walked over to the window and stated his problem.

The female looked him up and down and inspected his face where it was caked with blood. “It’s nothing serious. Come back tomorrow evening after we have gotten the registers of newly enlisted savars,” she said before shutting the pane in his face. She turned back to continue her conversation with the young assistant.

Goten shifted from one foot to another but as he was simply ignored, he went back to the door. Already outside he decided he had to try for supplies. He should simply have followed Ario to wherever the second-class had gone. Ario didn’t seem to mind having him around. But Goten didn’t really want that – he knew he might put the second-class in harm's way by hanging around him. However, other Saiyans mostly avoided Ario. He was built a bit more massively and was heavier than most Saiyans, which automatically made others careful with their words and behavior in his presence.

He didn’t know Ario well. They were from the same paramilitary school, but Ario was from a different group and class, and he had only seen the other Saiyan from afar. He had heard things, though. Ario had a cheerful and mild character but turned into a beast when annoyed. There were several rumored incidents concerning Ario’s fuck buddy, but after Ario had cracked a few skulls open, everybody kept their distance from both of them.

Goten wandered around the base for fifteen minutes until he saw some savars carrying blankets, boots, uniforms and other stuff from one of the buildings.

Goten entered the building and joined the queue that extended as far ahead of him as he could see. The lone was moving fast but it was still much slower than Goten would have liked. After forty minutes he finally reached the distribution point. He stated his name and sizes.

“Two uniform sets, size L. Boots 40, underwear. Two blankets, one pillow and linen!” the quartermaster shouted in the direction of the repository that was behind him. 

“Hell, you look even younger with your head shaved.”

Goten turned his head to see Ario’s friend busying himself with supplies, rifling through the items stacked on huge shelves and filling out the order.

“Here,” the rather short man put the huge pile onto the table in front of Goten. “Just take it and go. Don’t start rummaging through it now, or we both will be had,” he leaned to whisper into Goten’s ear. He straightened, winked at the younger man and ran off to fulfill another order.

Goten scooped the bundle into his arms and, hardly able to see over the high pile, found his way out of the building. Trying to balance the stuff he had on his arms and shoulders and not to drop anything was quite hard, and, in addition to that, Goten realized that he didn’t know which barracks were his. He should have listened to that captain’s prattle after all.

After breaking into a sweat and starting to pant under his burdensome load, Goten simply walked over to one of second-classes he found on his way and asked how he could find out to which barracks he was assigned. He was sent to one of the buildings that stood in the middle of the base.

Something was off with the smell, Goten decided as soon as he had stepped through the door. After walking several meters and taking a corner to his right, he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of no less than ten half-naked females in the hall. The bastard had sent him to the women's barracks!

“My bad,” Goten muttered, quickly retreating.

“Get him!” someone behind Goten shouted, and he heard the sound of feet approaching quickly.

Goten ran. He was not sure why they were after him but his best guess was that they thought he was some kind of pervert. Although how they had come to that conclusion… He cut the corner, the door was nearing fast, but not fast enough, and he was tackled before he reached it. The impact with the floor wasn’t painful at all because he landed face first into the bundle of clothes he had been carrying. 

Goten shouted in pain as his tail was grabbed and unwound from his waist. It was tugged up, and he quickly followed the lead, standing up and leaving his stuff scattered all around on the floor. 

“Look at what we have here,” said the elite female who had him by his tail. “I think you are searching for showers in the wrong building…” She snickered, yanking on Goten’s tail and earning another pain-filled cry. Then she dragged him back into the hall where they were met with enthusiastic shouts.

“Let me go!” Goten struggled. He yelped as he was struck. His vision went hazy again. Unable to stand the pain after his tail was squeezed again, he fell to his knees.

“I don’t think this straying cutie is in a position to make any requests, is he?” the elite mocked, earning several laughs from her friends. “Let’s give him some good experience just like he was looking for!”

Blows and kicks showered Goten’s body. At first Goten tried to defend himself but each tug at his tail would send him to the floor and leave him weak as a kitten and shouting in pain. In the end he just shielded his head and curled into a ball, hoping they would get bored and leave him alone.

“What the fuck are you doing, bitches?!”

The hall suddenly went silent. Goten’s tail slipped from its capturer’s grasp and fell limply to the ground, next to the unconscious and half-naked body.

“Sir!” the females saluted.

“Get the docs here! Now!” the shaii bellowed. “You,” he stabbed his finger in the direction of the female with yellow underwear, “get me a sheet of paper and a pen! You,” he kicked the nearest one who stood next to him, “gather his stuff and put it next to him!”

The shaii looked at the boy’s things as they were brought to his side. His sharp eye noticed that there were two blankets too many and the boots were those of better quality that were usually given to elites. The boy had someone to look out for him at the quartermaster’s, it seemed. Any other time he would have protested or punished the boy and the one who had helped him, but it seemed the boy had already gotten punished more than enough.

The shaii grabbed the notebook and the pen he was presented with by a panting female who had just come back. “Align, scum!” he yelled. “Name, surname, rank and number!” he shouted at the first female in the line. He put everything down. “You all get the latrine and kitchen duty for half a year! And if I hear of what happened here being spread beyond these walls, I’ll personally ensure that you never finish this school! Is that clear?!” he screamed.

“Yes, sir!” the females saluted.

When the shaii was already at the tenth female, he heard the sound of the door opening and soon two doctors rushed in. They ran to the boy and started examining him. Meanwhile the shaii finished writing down the names and surnames.

“We’ll need to take him to the sick-bay. He seems to have a concussion and his tail is broken,” one of the meds said after looking the boy over.

“Fine, take him and his stuff and inform his superiors that he won’t be able to attend tomorrow’s drill. I’ll report the incident to the Taisa myself,” the shaii said. His cold blue eyes snapped to the female whom he had seen holding the newbie’s tail. “Come here,” he beckoned her with his fingers. “Your tail,” he reached out his palm.

The female paled. She unwound her tail off her waist, took it in her hand and held out for the shaii. The loud scream echoed in the hall together with the loud snap. The shaii dropped the tail alongside the female, who now was on her knees, tears of pain streaming down her face. 

The shaii’s head snapped back to the hushed hall, lavender hair flying around his shoulders. “Dismissed!” he barked.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten’s eyes fluttered open. For several seconds he stayed completely still then looked around, confused. He was in a medical bay. There were five other men besides him. He was the only one awake it seemed.

His tail hurt. A loud groan left Goten’s mouth as the pain reminded him of recent events. He had been beaten up by a bunch of females… What a disgrace. Hiding his face in the pillow, he groaned again – the whole base would be talking about this nonstop. His life would be hell – no one would pass him without pouring salt into the wound.

Goten gathered that it was still early in the morning, and he wasn’t sure what he should do. But as soon as he decided to get up and go to the bathroom and at the same time get some information about what was going on, the door opened and a doc, with a nurse following him, entered the ward.

As Goten was the only one awake, the two males approached him first. The doctor asked how Goten felt, examined his tail then his head, ordered the nurse to dress the tail again then went to the others. Goten didn’t manage to get much information from them except that he had been here since yesterday and that his tail was broken and he had a light concussion.

He was told that very likely he would be released in the evening and that now he should use the opportunity to rest. Goten found the bathroom first, ate breakfast that consisted of some cereal, vegetables and tea then used the advice he had been given. He realized perfectly well he would need all of his strength to survive this school.

Goten got caught up on the sleep his body needed and slept almost until lunch, had his meal and went back to sleep again. At about six o’clock Goten was woken up by Ario rustling about next to his bed. Goten’s eyes blinked at the big Saiyan. To tell the truth, Goten was surprised to see the second-class here.

“Hey,” Ario waved his hand. “What the heck happened to you? At first I thought you had overslept but then I heard that you were at the sick-bay...”

Goten greeted Ario and sat up in the bed, the sheet sliding down his chest to reveal the white undershirt he was wearing. Goten gave the man a bitter smile. “I got beaten up.”

“Heck, already on your first day!” Ario patted himself on his bald head, disapproving. He was used to ruffling through his longish mane and still couldn’t get used to the feel of only skin instead. “Who was it?”

Goten shook his head. “It’s too embarrassing to talk about. Besides, the rumors will start flying soon enough. Believe them.”

Ario shrugged. “Fine, then.” He reclined tiredly into a nearby chair and stretched his legs out. “You don’t mind me taking these damn boots off, do you?” Not waiting for an answer, Ario started taking them off. “Got blisters all over my feet. Ahhh…” he exhaled blissfully, stretching his sore toes. “I gotta go to Toharu and get a bigger size later.”

“Toharu?”

“Ah, it seems I forgot to introduce you two. I somehow thought you knew him from school.” Ario yawned. “My boyfriend, the one I arrived together with. The lucky bastard got sent to help with distributing supplies. I think it’s because he has that deceiving goodie-goodie face,” he giggled. “He did give you better boots and more blankets, didn’t he?” he looked at Goten questioningly.

Goten scratched his bald head. Surprisingly, it seemed that Ario thought of Toharu as more than just a fuck buddy. “Ah, so that’s what that was all about… Actually I didn’t have time to check the supplies out. And now I have no idea where they are. Well, say thanks to Toharu anyway.”

Ario just nodded. “So what’s actually wrong with you?” he asked, wiggling his feet, enjoying the cool air around them.

“I guess I really did have a concussion. And in addition to that I got my tail broken. Otherwise it’s only a bunch of bruises. Nothing serious,” Goten answered.

“When are they going to release you?” Ario asked, starting to rock on the chair and threatening to topple over, and Goten wondered how the man had any energy left after the drill.

“I was promised to be released today,” Goten told him, “but it doesn’t seem to be happening. It seems that currently they have enough free space in the med-bay, and since I won't be able to attend drill for a few days anyway, it doesn’t really matter to them if I stay here or go to my barracks.”

Ario stayed another fifteen minutes. He related everything he had experienced during the first drill then cursed the drill sergeant for about ten minutes then wished Goten good luck and left, leaving a confused Goten stare at the closed door. Goten had been sure that the second-class had come to fish for gossip, and was quite surprised when the man didn’t pry any further.

Dinner arrived several minutes after Ario left and Goten dug in hungrily. The food was horrible: some mashed greenish-brown vegetables, stewed or boiled potatoes (Goten couldn’t tell which), and a tiny piece of meat of an unknown date. But Goten had eaten worse and wasn’t going to be picky about food now. His body was healing and required any nourishment it could get. Besides, he doubted that he would get anything better in the canteen.

After finishing his meal, Goten settled back to sleep, but was shaken out of his slumber by the same doctor who had checked on him that morning.

“You’re still here?” The doctor shook his head. “Go get your belongings and get the hell out of here. How do you think you'll attend the lectures tomorrow? Here,” he held out a piece of paper for a blinking Goten. “You are relieved from physical service for the next four days. Come here once a day to get your tail re-bandaged and no jumping or sudden moves or your head will start killing you again.”

Goten blinked once again at the door after it had shut behind the doctor’s back. He lowered his head to look at the sheet he was holding between his fingers. So he was to attend lessons but not drill. It was only logical.

Goten sighed and climbed out of the bed. He winced as his bandaged tail shifted causing pain. He waited for the pain to go away and then moved to the door. So now he had the difficult task of finding his clothes and the barracks he was assigned to…

Goten wandered through the corridors for some time until he found the same cubicle with the same old Saiyan female and her young assistant. Goten approached them and asked for his clothes. The female eyed him, but it seemed that without that bloody mess on his face she didn’t recognize him. Goten was sent to Room 122 where he found his clothes and all the other stuff he thought he would never see again. He was quite surprised that nobody had taken the blankets and boots.

Before leaving the hospital, Goten stopped at the same reception area to ask if they happened to know which barracks he was assigned to. The female motioned with her hand, indicating for him to go away, but the guy started searching for something under the table then slammed a huge book on the desk in front of Goten’s nose.

“When were you brought here? Name and surname?” he asked.

“Yesterday. Goten Bardock,” Goten leaned his pile of clothes on the wall as it was becoming annoying to keep his arms up and balance the whole thing. He watched the man leaf through the pages, his finger searching through the surnames. 

“Ah, here. Goten Bardock, a savar, third-class, enlisted yesterday. Squad seven. Under the command of captain Laureus Tanko. Barracks number three, room fifty-four,” he read. “Has a concussion and a broken tail.” The man’s head rose to Goten. “A third-class?” he cocked his head to his left shoulder. Then he turned to the female. “Give me a marker; Saira fucked up the records again.”

“Squad seven, Laureus Tanko, the third barracks, fifty-four,” Goten repeated in his head several times while watching the guy striking through the word “third-class” and writing “second-class” above it. “Thanks!” Goten nodded at him thankfully and turned to the door. 

The sky was still quite bright, the sun still up. It was already setting, but provided enough light for him to clearly see the numbers on the barracks and soon he was at the third barracks. He entered the building but before going to the second floor he stopped to read the notice-board that hung at the very entrance. 

Goten’s eyes quickly found his surname amongst the others and he found out that tomorrow at eight, he, with all others who were in squads 5, 6 and 7, was supposed to be at the fifth auditorium for a lecture about using arms versus ki-blasts on the battlefield. Then a lecture about the re-introduction of cold steel in a modern Saiyan army was to follow. And then another one about the development of ki-guns. Then they were supposed to go to the main yard and finish the day with drill sergeants drilling them to death. Goten thought about the piece of paper in his pocket and smiled - that didn’t include him.

He studied the notice-board for five more minutes then went to the stairs that led to the second floor. He found the room he was looking for, knocked and pressed on the handle with his foot. Maneuvering the pile of clothing on his arms carefully, he entered the room.

It was small, with four bunks and a table at the window. Several half-empty shelves were hung on the walls above the beds. Goten’s gaze settled on one of the three guys in the room. Here a smirk appeared on Goten’s face. It was the same guy who had sent him to the female barracks.

“Well, hello there,” Goten said, walking over to the free bunk and tossing his stuff on it.

The other two second-classes looked at their room-mate questioningly. The guy just shrugged and asked Goten if he had seen any boobs during his visit to the female barracks.

Goten shook his head in denial. He walked over to the guy. He knew it was pointless and silly and suicidal, but he was pissed – nobody walked away unscathed after playing such a prank on him. 

The other two guys jumped to their feet after Goten had punched their friend in the gut. Goten turned around, snarling, ready to pounce if any of them wanted a piece of him. He heard warning bells go off in his head as, after standing up, one of them appeared to be almost twice as big as he was.

“Hey, if you want your bunk back, just say so,” the bigger of the two snarled. “But don't come in here throwing punches or I’ll put you back in the hospital. You,” he motioned with his head to the guy Goten had punched in the gut. “Get your stuff off his bed!”

“I told you he’d know that you took his bunk!” the other snorted at the doubled over man.

Goten blinked and lowered his fists. Apparently there were numbers on the bunks or something. “Give my bunk back!” he turned back to the guy who bared his canines at him. But the guy's threatening demeanor subsided after his tower-sized roommate approached him with an expression of warning on his face.

“Fine, you fucker!” he spat and turned to start gathering his stuff.

“I’m Goten,” Goten nodded to the big Saiyan.

“Yeah, I know,” he rolled his eyes, turning to the bed where Goten had thrown his clothes. He pointed at the headboard of the bunk where a piece of paper with Goten’s name was stuck. “He switched the names. Wanted to have the bed at the window.”

Goten’s eyes shifted to the big guy’s bed where a note with the name "Daram" was stuck. Then he looked at the other bunk. “So…I suppose it’s nice to meet you, Daram and Kyon,” Goten scratched his bald head sheepishly.

The other two nodded and went back to their bunks. Daram plopped into his bunk and picked up the book he had been reading before Goten arrived. Kyon went to the table and switched the radio on. After Daram’s displeased look at Kyon because of the loud music, Kyon plugged in a headset and put it on. It became very clear who had the authority in the room.

Goten waited for the third one to gather his stuff then moved to his own bunk and plopped down on it. Yep, he definitely liked this place next to the window better. Goten peeled the sticker with the name “Roland” off the end of the bunk, walked over to Roland’s bunk, slapped the sticker on it, peeled off his own and came back to his bunk.

“And I want new sheets,” Goten pointed at Roland’s bed.

“You little…!” Roland growled.

“Shut up, Roland. You are irritating me,” Daram said from behind his book. “And he’s as tall as you.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten looked around the kitchen. He had followed Kyon there after Kyon said he wanted to smoke and Daram said that he would kill him if he smoked in the room.

“So what’s with Daram and Roland?” Goten asked after looking around. 

The kitchen was small, shabby and dirty with only two stoves at the wall. The walls were painted a light yellow, the color having faded to a disgusting shade after several years. There were no utensils around. The trash bin in the corner was overflowing and the three sinks were filled with cigarette butts and various scraps.

Kyon opened the only window, lit his cigarette and inhaled the smoke deeply. “Roland messed with Daram once and Daram is still pissed,” he exhaled loudly. “I don’t know the details – the same as you, I came to this base only a day ago - but that’s what everybody keeps saying.”

“Wait… Roland and Daram… Are they both second-years?” Goten asked.

“Yep,” Kyon nodded. “You should have known that by their long hair,” he commented, snickering. “But you were probably too busy punching that idiot in the gut.”

“Do you think Daram purposely arranged it so that Roland would be assigned to the same room as him?” Goten wondered.

“Definitely,” Kyon nodded. “No doubt about it. We gotta look out for trouble,” he spat through the window. “Those two will be at each other's throats until one of them kills the other. I heard they used to grapple quite a lot. Roland has suffered many broken bones at Daram's hands.”

I want to go back home or at least back to the hospital, Goten thought. After talking some more it appeared that Goten and Kyon were both assigned to the seventh squad.

The rest of the night passed more or less fine, except that Goten woke up five times to Roland’s snoring, which breached all noise limits. But at three o’clock in the morning, Daram’s left boot smashed into Roland’s open mouth, Roland turned to his other side, and Goten was finally able to sleep.

At five o’clock Goten heard the sirens go off, but just covered his head with his blanket and slept further while his roommates dressed and left the barracks.

TBC


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 1: Officer ranks at Hataro Officer Training School [from the highest to the lowest]:  
>  1\. Taisa  
>  2\. Shaii  
>  3\. Shyu  
>  4\. Captain [Laureus Tanko]  
>  5\. Drill sergeant  
>  6\. First-in-command  
>  7\. Second-in-command  
>  8\. savar [anyone attending any officer training school]
> 
> A/N 2: The Saiyan education:  
>  0\. Preparatory school (pupils 8-13 years old)  
>  1\. Paramilitary school (pupils 14-18). From there to --> boot camps (drafts/grunts) or:  
>  2\. Officer training school (savars 18 – 20). From there to --> military posts or:  
>  3\. Commissioned Officer Academy (ranks)
> 
> A/N 3: Now and for further chapters: If there are any mistakes left, it is not my beta-readers’ fault but mine because sometimes I’m just a bitch who resists grammar.
> 
> A/N 4: Here’s the map of the base: http://pics.livejournal.com/chayron/gallery/00001hxg

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by Redmarshin and kissychan1101

Part 2

Goten yelped and jumped in his bunk as pain shot through his left leg. His eyes quickly concentrated on the man in front of him, his second-in-command. Goten hopped off the bunk, planted his feet on the floor, and saluted. His tail got caught up between the blankets. Goten yelped in pain, dropped to his knees, and cursed loudly.

“You idiot! It’s half past five! Why aren’t you in the formation?!” the second-in-command’s yell broke through Goten’s pain-filled world.

“I was freed from physical activity, sir!” Goten wheezed, getting a hold of himself and climbing back to his feet.

“And who the fuck told you that you don’t need to report to your drill sergeant?” the second-in-command shouted. “Dress! Now!”

“Crap,” Goten muttered inaudibly while putting his uniform on. Not only didn't they let him sleep, but he was also going to be punished.

The second-in-command ushered Goten outside to the field, where his squad was already doing their push-ups and sweating heavily. The second-in-command pushed Goten over to the drill sergeant.

“Sir!” Goten saluted.

“So this is our sleeping beauty?” the sergeant snarled at Goten. “Goten Bardock,” he said, as he looked at the registration files in his hand. He put a tick next to Goten’s surname. “Someone fucked up the papers again,” he scrapped the third-class lettering next to Goten’s picture. “Fix it!” he barked at the second-in-command.

The drill sergeant turned his head to yell at Goten, who was happy to climb the social ladder so quickly. But, he had a sinking feeling he’d heavily hit the ground several days later. Goten ignored the series of curses and death wishes directed at him, then listened intently when the essential information came. 

“So, while the others will be training, you’ll have kitchen duty! Don’t fucking think that while the others will be sweating, you’ll be comfortably lying in a cradle, you sissy!” The sergeant smacked Goten in the face with the registration files. “Get the fuck over to the kitchen!” he snarled at Goten, who remained rooted to the spot.

“Sir!” Goten blinked at the angry face. “I don’t know where the kitchens are, sir!”

The sergeant cursed and smacked Goten again. “Bring this sissy to the kitchens!” he said to the second-in-command, and Goten understood that he had already gotten his nickname.

ooOoOoOoo

Resigned, Goten looked at the mountain of potatoes that waited for him. He had been na?ve to think that he would be allowed to simply rest and heal. He sighed, took a peeler in his hand, kicked an empty packet of noodles over the dirty floor and into the corner, sat down onto it, and bent to his task.

The kitchen was busy. People were running back and forth; pot lids were lifted and pots were stirred; vegetables, cereal and meat were chopped; food was poured into the pots to be fried; plates were rattled. It was hard to breathe in the kitchens. The heat and humidity from the stoves was not sucked out by the vents quickly enough. 

The smell there was not that of cooking food, but something organic and close to rotting. Goten was glad that he was sitting down, and the cloud of warm vapor and scents mostly floated above his head. Actually, the smells were very close to the one he remembered from his paramilitary school. He wondered if that odor was a required standard in every public eating-house.

There were five more guys who, like him, had been unfortunate enough to get themselves hurt one way or another, and had been sent to peel potatoes. One of them had a broken hand, but was quickly appointed to wash the peeled potatoes with his uninjured hand.

They talked about this and that, and shared stories of how they got kitchen duty. Goten had hardly noticed that an hour and a half passed by. He and the rest of the guys went to wash their hands, then turned to the canteen adjacent to the kitchen. They had their breakfast together with the rest of the savars. 

Goten decided that the chefs were purposely making the food inedible. All the ingredients that reached the kitchen seemed to be fine and good for use, but what came out of the kitchen... Gagging, Goten ate the disgusting mass and decided to steal some non-prepared food from the kitchen.

After breakfast, most of the savars hit the showers and got ready for that morning's lecture, but Goten went back to his room. His roommates still weren’t there. Goten walked over to the end-table and turned on the radio. He plopped onto his bunk. He wiggled and stretched his weary bones.

Goten’s sleepy eyes blinked open momentarily when he heard his door click shut. Then they flew open – he had fallen asleep! Goten jumped from his bunk, his breath caught in his lungs in disbelief and worry – he’d be skinned alive for this!

“Hey,” said Kyon. Kyon whipped his wet tail, splashing water off its fur and onto the opposite wall, where it ran in rivulets to the floor. He was just from the showers, his chest bare, a white fluffy towel wrapped around his waist. The smell of cheap soap, mixed with his natural scent, permeated the room.

Goten’s scared mind was faster than his eyes. He grabbed onto the thought that if Kyon was still here, it meant that he hadn’t overslept. His eyes fell onto the clock that was standing on the table, and confirmed that he still had fifteen minutes until the lectures started.

Goten fell back onto the bunk with a sigh of relief. He winced as his back hit the hard planks underneath.

“Got an extra notebook or something?” Kyon asked, as he walked over to his bed. He tossed the towel onto his bunk and walked over to their wardrobe to get a fresh pair of underwear. “I didn’t have it the previous time. I got yelled at and had to do two hundred push-ups. I forgot to get a new notebook again.”

Goten blushed and averted his eyes from Kyon’s round backside. “Yeah, I think I have,” he nodded. He got up to dig in his backpack. “Here,” he held out a thin exercise book. “Nice boxers,” he chuckled as Kyon walked over. The boxers were adorned by the frames of naked females and males in compromising positions.

“My mom,” Kyon laughed, taking the exercise book. “She likes that funny stuff.”

Goten was a little surprised but didn’t say anything. It was strange that a second-class knew who his mother was, and even managed to maintain a relationship with her.

“Where are Daram and Roland?” Goten asked.

“Heck knows. They have a different schedule than ours,” Kyon shrugged, as he pulled his pants up. He quickly flung the rest of his uniform on, and he and Goten left the room.

Goten had no idea where the fifth auditorium was, so he simply followed Kyon to one of the huge gray buildings. He jumped in surprise when someone suddenly slapped a hand on his back.

“Hey!” Ario grinned at him after Goten turned around. “So it seems you still have to attend the lectures?”

Kyon’s eyes slid over the man’s bulky figure. So far he had seen only one person – Daram – who had the same build as this man. It crossed Kyon's mind that Goten was adept at making friends with the right people. The boy is much worthier than he looks, he thought. 

“Yeah,” Goten nodded. “I was a na?ve fool to think I’d simply roll in my bunk. And I’ll peel potatoes each time you guys do some physical exercises.” Goten motioned at Kyon. “Ario, this is Kyon, my roommate.” Ario nodded at Kyon. “We attended the same paramilitary school.”

The three of them neared the building. A jam had formed while everyone was trying to get past the door and into the auditoriums.

“Toharu!” Ario shouted over the heads of other savars. “Hey!” he waved his hand after the other Saiyan turned around at the familiar voice. “Toharu, get us four seats! Toharu!”

Toharu’s eyes finally found Ario’s bald head over the other savars. “Stop yelling, moron!” Toharu shouted back. “I’ll see what I can do!” Accompanied by several amused chuckles around him, Toharu turned back to the auditorium's door.

Goten, Ario and Kyon finally swam through the door and into a long corridor, which then suddenly spilled all savars into a huge auditorium. Goten’s eyes caught a little disturbing scene at the very front of the auditorium: Toharu was arguing with several guys, their voices raised in anger as the curses flowed.

Ario plowed through the savars. He stood up behind Toharu, his dark gaze falling on the two opposite-standing men. “Sweetheart?” he asked.

“I got here first! Those places are mine!” Toharu continued waving his hands in anger, bristling, not paying attention to Ario.

“It doesn’t work like that…” one of his opponents muttered, his voice subdued. He looked at Ario’s bulky figure over Toharu's shoulder again. He wasn’t so sure that he wanted to oppose Toharu any more. He became even less sure when Goten and Kyon approached.

“Who said that?” Toharu growled. “I came, I saw, I put my behind on it, so it’s mine!” the short Saiyan declared.

Goten shrugged. Ignoring the childish spat, he hopped over the row of the desks where the four places were still free and sat down. He motioned for Kyon to do the same. Goten caught the angry looks of two guys and grinned back at them; like he gave a damn. Ario and Toharu soon followed his example and climbed over the tables to get their places.

The lecturer arrived shortly after, and the savars were condemned to a two-hour lecture about arms versus ki-blasts on the battlefield. Goten didn’t have a very good memory, but he could still remember most of the facts from paramilitary school. But the information he was getting here was more in-depth and of more practical appliance. He wasn’t surprised as, after two hours of non-stop scribbling into the notebooks, the instructor said that tomorrow they’d have practice using guns. The announcement aroused a wave of murmurs – Saiyans preferred not to use small arms. It was considered a disgrace.

After the lecture they had a short break, followed by another lecture about the re-introduction of cold-steel to the Saiyan Army. During the introductory history lesson, the savars were shown knives, daggers, ki-swords and other cold iron. Goten suddenly remembered that the firearms and cold-steel practice sessions had been posted on the message boards.

“Hell…” Toharu arched his back after they filed into the corridor to catch some fresh air. His vertebrae crackled, and he exhaled happily. “And the last lecture today…” His tail swished behind him to get the blood flowing. He sat down onto the windowsill, and waited for Ario to come back with something to drink.

Goten couldn’t help but smile, after he noticed Kyon’s eyes lock on Toharu. Toharu was nice to look at, and had the sexual appeal only a rare Saiyan could have – his body was smaller than that of most Saiyans. Somehow it even seemed delicate. Soft and big, Toharu’s eyes looked friendly and open; his full lips made the picture even nicer. Goten could only imagine how Toharu must have looked with his hair long.

With interest, Goten watched Toharu catch Kyon’s gaze. Toharu smiled back at Kyon, the very tip of Toharu’s tail curling up seductively. Kyon was pleased. Not one to waste time, he walked over to Toharu. Goten couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but Kyon’s face shone with excitement.

Toharu jumped off the windowsill and went to Ario, who returned bearing four cans of soft drinks. Toharu turned his head to wink at Kyon, and then his mouth was on Ario’s.

Goten heard Kyon curse and squirm uncomfortably. Goten thought that Kyon must have been blind not to see that Toharu and Ario were closer than fuck-buddies...or maybe Kyon decided to take that tiny chance he thought he had.

“What happened?” Ario asked, after they approached. Ario’s gaze swept over a furiously blushing Kyon.

“He was trying to get into my pants,” Toharu said, as he sipped from his can. He scrunched his pointy nose when the carbonation tickled it.

Kyon’s head shot up, his wide, shocked eyes concentrating on the two Saiyans opposite him. He couldn’t believe that Toharu had just simply said that. Ario was going to pulverize him!

Ario only chuckled. His lover always put others in situations like this. Toharu merely loved feeling wanted. He was sure that Kyon didn’t do much except wink or stare at Toharu, and Toharu himself put on a playful show – if there had been something serious, Toharu and Kyon would already be rolling on the floor, with Kyon getting the shit beaten out of him. 

Goten chuckled, amused by the whole scene. 

Ario made a mental note to watch Kyon carefully, and followed his lover back into the auditorium.

The development of ki-guns wasn’t Goten’s favorite subject. He tried taking notes, but then decided that he’d copy the notes from Kyon. He put his pen aside and relaxed. 

Goten murmured something under his nose as Toharu kicked him in the shin. He muttered again, after Kyon punched him in the side.

“Aiiii!” Goten screamed, as a heavy book smashed into his head. He shot to his feet and looked around through bleary eyes. His eyes slowly focused on his lecturer’s angry, flushed face. “Sir?” Goten saluted, blinking, still not quite gathering his wits.

“A thousand push-ups!” the lecturer screamed, pointing at Goten. “Now!” His teacher pointed to an empty corner near the front of the auditorium.

“Sir!” Ario stood up. “He’s suffering from concussion, sir! He’s always sleeping, sir!”

“Show him the fucking note,” Toharu hissed under his breath. As he nudged Goten in his side, he simultaneously flashed the officer a wide, innocent smile. Toharu's big sparkling eyes soothed the lecturer’s heart somewhat.

Goten fumbled in his pocket and produced the note for the lecturer. The man’s eyes slid quickly over the note, before he tossed it back to Goten. The note slapped against Goten's chest.

“Next time go to sleep in the last row!” he bellowed. “And you,” he finished, as he turned to Ario, “three hundred push-ups for speaking without permission!” Before turning his back, the officer cast his eyes over Toharu's innocent face again.

Goten watched Ario do his penance push-ups in the corner of the auditorium. It was clear that three hundred was only a warm-up for Ario – he got to two hundred and fifty without breaking a sweat. Goten sighed...he owed Ario three hundred push-ups. He wondered if Ario liked beer, whiskey or vodka. 

Goten turned his head to look at Toharu. He thought that Toharu might be angry with him, but it seemed that Toharu didn’t have time for that – his eyes were locked on Ario’s backside.

Goten turned back to idly follow the lecturer, who walked back and forth at the front of the auditorium. Bored, Goten let his mind drift. He thought back to a conversation he and Kyon shared this morning. Kyon had mentioned an officers' club. Maybe we should try for that today, Goten thought, that is, if we're all still alive after all this drilling.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten wiped the sweat from his forehead, his dirty hands leaving a wide muddy track on his brow. His chest was bare, his uniform wrapped around his waist, his tail lay on his uniform. It was unbearable in the kitchen. In the morning, the air didn't warm up right away; now, it was hot as hell.

Goten looked at his watch and sighed in disappointment; only ten minutes had passed since he last looked at it. It was only six P.M., and he still needed to sit here until seven o'clock tonight. He hoped that they wouldn’t have any night-training, or he’d have to come back to peel these damned potatoes again.

The other guys also seemed to be oppressed by heat, humidity and smell. They had been talkative at first, but then their words exhausted themselves. The only thing audible over the sound of clanging pot-tops, frying pans, and running feet was the sound of peelers scratching off potato skins.

But, all things must come to an end, and Goten was unbelievably glad about that. He washed his hands and, feeling as if he had gained twenty kilograms, left the kitchen and went to his barracks.

Potatoes, tomatoes, several wrapped meat cuts and onions fell onto the bunk when Goten lifted his uniform top. Soon there was a knock on his door, and the man from the kitchen Goten had been peeling potatoes with entered. He was carrying a pot he had pinched that morning, several potatoes, and a pile of cabbage leaves he “privatized” that evening.

Goten grinned at the guy. He got a knife from his backpack, and they both went into the mess. After cutting and getting everything into the pot, they noticed that they had forgotten salt. Goten ran off to get it. He hadn’t been too sure that he’d find the guy and the pot after he got back, but to his surprise Goten found the chap waiting for him.

Daram entered the room. “Where did you get real food?” Daram demanded as soon as the pleasant scent from the pot caught his nose. He looked at the two men, who had a steaming pot between them. They were stuffing their faces with something that smelled wonderful.

Goten raised his head from the pot and finished chewing. “We got some stuff from the kitchen.”

Daram approached the table and the pot, but then Goten’s friend started munching even faster and the food was gone in two seconds. Daram rolled his eyes and plopped onto his bunk.

“If an officer or one of the elites stopped you, and potatoes started rolling out of your ass, you’d never survive here…” he said. “All they need is one reason... and most of them don’t even need that…”

Goten gulped. “Seriously? It’s just a few damned potatoes...”

“Here people die for less. Where the hell do you think you are...in a beauty salon? It’s the fucking Army.” Daram stood up and started looking for his towel, intending to have a shower. “Hide that pot until after Roland has come and gone – that bitch will squeal on you in no time,” he said, as he walked towards the door. “And Kyon is also a sly fox; I wouldn’t trust him too much.”

“Who the heck is he?” Goten’s colleague in crime asked, blinking at the door. “Do you think he was serious?”

Goten licked his spoon clean and tossed it into the empty pot. “I think we need to hurry up and wash that pot,” he said. “And next time I’ll seriously think before endangering my life over something like potatoes.”

ooOoOoOoo

Kyon came back shortly after Goten’s comrade-in-pots left. Kyon silently sniffed the air, and a confused expression appeared on his face. He informed Goten that his friends had been looking for him in the canteen. Goten wondered what they wanted – but after seeing how carefully Kyon moved not to hurt his sprained muscles and hearing Kyon’s story about the torture they had gone through during tonight's drill, he discarded the thought of going to the officers' club.

Later, Goten and Kyon went to the showers. It was the first time Goten went there all day. They climbed down to the first floor to reach the showers that were shared by the two stores. After turning right, they passed the stairwell and went down a long shabby corridor to the very end. They approached a door nearly rotted by the humidity.

Goten stopped, confused, as Kyon held his hand out and pressed a finger to his lips. Kyon motioned with his head to the ajar door. Goten slowly approached the door and looked through the crack. His face blazed crimson. There were two guys making out. Concentrating on the sight, Goten didn’t even realize Kyon vanished from behind him.

Several seconds later, Goten heard a rustle from behind him and saw a couple of guys standing there. The first one motioned for Goten to get away from the crack, and when he did, they squeezed themselves to the door. Confused, Goten turned to look at Kyon who was gesticulating to and shushing another random passerby. The guy grinned excitedly, fumbled in his pockets, stuck a coin in Kyon’s hand and ran past Goten and to the door.

Several seconds passed. An abrupt shout came from the showers, and the show was finished. The laughing crowd burst through the door and surrounded the flushed and embarrassed pair. Goten passed them all and wordlessly turned to the most distant stall in the corner. He turned on the water, adjusted the temperature, tossed his clothes on the windowsill and started his shower.

ooOoOoOoo

Kyon dropped into his bunk, and slept like the dead as soon as they got back to their room. Goten and Daram followed his example.

Goten shifted in his sleep, disturbed, when Roland came back around midnight and slammed the door shut. The room was soon awash with the smell of alcohol.

“…the fuck?” Goten pried his eyes open as the door flew open again and shouts followed.

“Night training! Move, sissies! Into the yard, now!” 

“Second-years…” Daram yawned and turned over after the second-in-command tried to get him out of bed. Goten and Kyon quickly pulled their uniforms on. 

“I knew it would be a pain in the ass to live with first-years…” Roland groaned, pulling the cover on his ears to block the noise. “But no…someone had to fuck up the records and put us here with those two idiots…” he murmured.

“Shut up or I’ll throw you out for several laps around the base with them,” Daram said, letting out a loud yawn, falling asleep almost instantly.

ooOoOoOoo

The fifth, sixth and seventh squads of red-eyed men stared at their drill sergeant, who informed them of the obvious – there would be no peace this night. The sergeant’s mood worsened when Goten waved his proof of immunity in his face. The sergeant smacked Goten several times with his notebook. He also kicked Goten's behind several times for good measure as he sent him to the kitchen.

Goten pushed the kitchen door open and froze on the spot, as did the eight females that were there. Goten looked around for something heavy. Even if females were a rarity and had a different status in society, he was against being killed by the savages.

“We are here for kitchen duty, same as you,” the ringleader who had initiated the attack on Goten said. “Now why don't you put that hammer down, before I bash your skull in? This time the shaii won't be able to save your sorry ass if you don't.”

“We’ll see about that,” Goten moved forward, clenching a hammer that the cooks used for crushing bones. But he faltered when his eyes fell on the elite’s bandaged tail. It was broken in the same place as his. With his eyes he indicated her tail. “What’s this?”

The female just snorted, leaving Goten confused. Did someone do the same thing to this female? There were also no rumors. What the hell happened? She mentioned the shaii…was it the superior’s doing? Did he find him there in the female barracks? Did he punish them by sending them here? Did he break her tail? But why would the shaii help…? 

But they were all square now. They did not seem to be eager to get into another conflict. Fine with him. He was not the one to get into meaningless fights either. Goten’s look fell on the rest of the females. He wondered how long their kitchen duty was, and hoped it was long enough.

“So…” Goten tossed the hammer back onto the table. “You are second-years, right?”

The leader’s eyes slid over Goten. The elite flashed him a dirty look, but nodded. She recognized Goten’s question as a truce, sat back to where she had been sitting before, and continued peeling potatoes. Goten scratched his bald head and sat down a bit farther from the females.

Most of the females were elites, but there were also several second-classes, which meant that they were very skilled and had unique abilities.

Because of the contagion from Planet Yasei, females became a rarity on Vegeta-sei. The deadly virus worked fast; it spread with the help of one of the hormones produced by the female body. The virus wasn’t dangerous to the male population, but due to the dramatic decrease of females, the Saiyan population had begun to thin. 

To restore and increase the population – and also to keep the females safe – drastic measures were taken. Most of the female population were turned into reproduction machines. All third-classes, who were the most susceptible to the virus, were held indoors. They constantly received treatment and produced children. It was similar to a factory – it was a rare thing when a female knew her children. The records were all there, the children were given the surnames of their fathers, but most of them grew up in children’s homes or with their fathers. Most of them never saw their mothers again. 

Some of the lucky second-classes managed to escape the fate if they were gifted with such talents like programming, constructing, tactics, or operating war machines.

Elite females had it the easiest of all. They were equal to men and had the same rights. But as soon as they were useless to the military (as in, they got maimed or crippled), they became no better than a third-class rated female. 

The classes were never mixed unless it happened accidentally, but personal acts were prohibited. The perpetrators were usually punished, even executed. 

There were exceptions, though – in farther lands, where the power of the Capital weren’t that strong, the Saiyans led their lives as they used to lead them hundreds of years ago – they lived in families or packs.

Goten was born into one of those families. He didn’t know much about the early life of his mother, only that she eloped with his father from the building she was kept in – that much he had heard from his elder brother. The escape went smoothly, and Bardock’s surname was never mentioned, and it was that which kept them all safe.

Gohan was his parents' firstborn, then Goten arrived after that. Something went wrong during his birth, and his mother died, leaving his father to take care of two children. Goten knew that his father had never forgiven himself for their mother's death. He believed that if he hadn’t taken her from the Capital, she’d still be alive – there, they had much better means and she’d have never gotten into a situation like that.

Goten knew his father was right. But he also knew that – even though she knew that she’d surely die – his mother escaped with his father, anyway. Goten couldn’t imagine himself living a life like that, and he couldn’t imagine his mother even wanting that. He was almost too scared to even think about it, and every single day thanked whoever was in the high skies that he had been born male.

Goten’s gaze shifted to the females. Half of the females sat along the wall, the others opposite them, forming a circle of sorts. It seemed that female elites and second-classes held together. It was slightly strange, but the purpose of it was clear – solidarity was a good thing when one wanted to survive in a place like this. It was exactly the same tactics he was currently using.

ooOoOoOoo

“Oh God,” Kyon groaned, dropping onto his bunk, his raw muscles protesting against the sudden movement with all their might. “A monster...he's a monster...” he exhaled into his pillow before dozing off.

Goten woke up ten minutes later when the sirens went off. Mindlessly, he sat down and looked through the window. The sun was just rising through the thick mist, and as cold as it was when he walked back to the barracks thirty minutes prior. His tired mind did a primitive calculation, and he knew that he had slept for about one hour and fifty minutes overall.

“You look buggered,” Daram said to Goten, as he jumped into his uniform.

“Just fuck off…” Goten sighed. “Kyon, get up!” Goten called out to him in an effort to wake him up. He started shaking Kyon by his shoulders when he didn't respond to his shouts.

Kyon’s bloodshot eyes opened a crack to look at Goten. Goten simply dragged Kyon out of the bunk as his eyes closed again.

“Just kill me…” Kyon groaned, picking himself up from the floor. “No, break my tail. That way I could go peel potatoes and sit on my ass like you all day.”

“Move it...move it, you ladies, or you’ll be late,” Daram said, before he left the room. Roland followed him.

Goten and Kyon got in formation with barely any time to spare. Their drill sergeant gave them a murderous glare, and Kyon groaned under his breath, as he knew perfectly well he was going to get it for this. The rest of the squad didn’t look any better than Kyon did. There were some who could barely stand on their feet and swayed with each strong gust of wind.

When the mingle-mangle of savars started their usual morning run around the base, their voices squeaking like beaten rabbits, Goten’s eyes found Ario and Toharu. Although from different squads – Toharu was in the fifth and Ario in the sixth - the Saiyans had somehow managed to intermingle in the seventh squad. They were chatting away, both seemed unaffected by the night’s training. Toharu waved at him, and Goten waved back. He immediately felt better - he was glad that the two Saiyans were fine.

There were five additional Saiyans in the kitchen this morning. One of them had sprained his ankle during last night's training, another had his wrist broken by his roommate, the third had a concussion when he hit his head on a barrier he was supposed to climb over, and the next two were barely alive at all.

Goten’s hands were stained brown and yellow from all the peeling, and now his hands looked gangrenous. He wondered if the stain would ever wash off in this lifetime. 

While working, Goten listened to the guys talk about last night's training. It appeared that they had ran circles around the base and did push-ups and ran some more. Goten wondered when the battle simulations would begin, and when they would learn how to use night vision weapons.

They received preliminary training at his paramilitary school, but they weren’t given any weapons or mechanics. Running in circles around his school had also been a very important part of their daily lives, so Goten wasn’t afraid of that. He was good at running...and running away.

Two hours passed quickly, and Goten went to the canteen to have his breakfast. This time it was cereal that barely provided him basic nutrition. Goten took his bowl and went to look for Ario and Toharu. After passing several rows of tables he heard Toharu’s sonorous laugh somewhere on his left. He went in the direction, and soon found the two Saiyans seated next to each other. Goten was a bit surprised to see Kyon sitting at Ario's side. He wondered whose initiative it was.

“So, how did it go?” Goten asked, settling himself next to Toharu. He was rewarded with Toharu’s tired smile and a shrug.

“I’m finished. No more…” Kyon groaned. “The fucker is going to kill us!”

“Well, yeah, you look half-dead,” Ario agreed, sniffing his cereal suspiciously. He stirred it with his spoon. “What the heck is this?” he sniffed his bowl again. “How can you eat this?” he looked at Toharu then at Kyon. 

Toharu shrugged. “It’s better than dying of starvation. Just don’t breathe while eating,” he advised. “What the heck do they do with that food in the kitchen?” he asked, as he looked at Goten, who was trying to swallow his first spoon.

“Believe me – you don’t want to know.” Goten looked at his spoon closely, afraid that the frightening, stinking gray mass might attack him. Slowly, he mentally prepared himself to filch from the kitchens again.

ooOoOoOoo

Fatigue won, and the whole auditorium slept. Goten thankfully joined in. The lecturer was pissed, and tried to force the whole auditorium do push-ups. Toharu “accidentally” lost his shirt and ripped his trousers while doing them. The lecturer spent twenty minutes staring at Toharu’s ass. Meanwhile, the whole auditorium slept on the floor. At the end of the lecture Toharu demanded that the auditorium would at least buy him a drink for his self-sacrifice. No one heard him, because everyone was asleep.

The next lecture did not go as smoothly. Toharu was tired after doing push-ups and fell asleep first. He ended up doing five hundred more push-ups in front of the auditorium.

When the lectures finally ended, everyone went to the yard, and Goten went to the kitchen.

ooOoOoOoo

After kitchen duty, Goten filled his shirt with various goods. He was walking back to his barracks, when he thought he heard something suspicious. He walked over to the 4th barracks and looked around the corner. Three elites were beating a second-class. The scene was morbid. The helpless guy bounced like a doll from one elite to another, took all their punches and kicks, powerless to do anything.

Crap, crap, crap, Goten chanted in his head. Nobody had noticed him yet, and he considered silently sneaking past the gang – he had nothing to do with this, after all. He hadn't even met the guy they were working over. This was not his business. That half-conscious second-class lying on the asphalt and bleeding all over the place was not his problem. Not at all.

“Why don’t you just leave him? He’s already half-dead,” Goten addressed the three elites. He kept himself from flinching as three sets of eyes concentrated on him. The thought that he was a complete idiot crossed his mind, but was soon forgotten as one of the elites approached him. 

Goten was just in time to block a punch to his head. He jumped aside and raised his hands. “I don’t want any trouble,” he said, as he shook his head.

“You should have thought about that before interfering. You probably wanted us to show you what happens when you interfere with an elite's business.” The elite charged at Goten, sneering.

“Not really,” Goten drawled, and took a careful step back. He was in big trouble.

The elite’s leg shot out to kick Goten in the stomach but Goten swiftly avoided it. He successfully blocked the rest of the attacks, which surprised both Goten and his attacker.

The other two elites forgot the unconscious guy, and joined their friend to help teach Goten a lesson. Goten felt cornered. He had pissed off the elites. His back was nearing the hind wall of the 4th barracks. He knew he was helpless and cursed himself for his stupidity once again.

The unseen punch to Goten’s head made him see stars. He somehow managed to deflect the following kick, but one of the elites used that opportunity to ram his fist into Goten's stomach. The punch squashed the potatoes and tomatoes he carried. Goten yelped in pain and doubled over, gasping for air. The knee to his face left his nose bleeding; he collapsed onto the wall behind him.

“Oh, crap!”

Goten raised his bleary eyes to see Ario and Toharu standing at the corner. Goten spat out blood, and took his chance. He struck the nearest elite with a punch to the back of the head, while the guy glared at the second-classes. The elite cried out in pain and grabbed his head. Goten kicked him in the stomach, tossing him several meters away. The other two elites charged at him.

Goten jumped aside to avoid a kick to his head. He avoided the second elite's fist to the stomach.

“We’ll take these two on! Go get the other one!” Ario shouted, motioning with his head to the elite Goten had tossed to the ground earlier. Ario ran up to the elite that tried to punch Goten, jumped into the air, and kicked the elite with both feet. The elite slammed face-first into the wall.

Toharu sighed, passed the semi-conscious elite that Goten had made fly, and approached the elite trying to break Goten's skull. Toharu pushed Goten aside, ducked the fist that was aimed at his head, and rammed his foot into the elite’s chin. The blow sent the elite sprawling to his back on the asphalt. Goten blinked at the short Saiyan’s back.

Goten never expected that Ario would help him, and expected Toharu to join in even less, but he had no time to wonder. His opponent had already gotten his bearings back and was on his feet, intent on ending Goten's life. 

Goten thought about ki-blasts – he was rather good with them, but then remembered that it was strictly forbidden to raise ki in the base. It was allowed only during training and emergencies. Any powering up would get him severely punished or even expelled. Expelled would be good, but punished…? Wait, did he really want to get expelled? What would he do after afterwards, if he got expelled? 

He had no time for this.

Goten ducked a high kick and swept his opponent off his feet at the same time. Then he dropped to his side and elbowed him in the gut, eliciting a grunt of pain from his opponent. A swift kick to the elite’s temple took care of the matter. Leaving the man unconscious, Goten ran to the other four grappling men.

Ario tried to kick the elite but missed, and got punched in the gut for his trouble. He was just not fast enough to catch up with the elite. This was where second-class, third-class, and elites differed – in speed and power. Nonetheless, Toharu seemed to be good at predicting his opponent’s moves. Goten passed Ario, who grabbed at his stomach and fell to his knees. Goten jumped to the side to avoid an elite’s kick. 

Distracted by his lover’s painful cry, Toharu was almost knocked out himself. At the last second, he managed to duck the fist aimed at his head and retaliate with a punch of his own.

From the side, Goten kicked the elite in the stomach, then kneed him in the chin. There was a loud crack, as he dislocated the elite's jaw. Goten punched the side of the elite's head, and jumped aside to avoid his kick. Goten's own kick caught the elite in the midsection, and tossed him several meters away. From the corner of his eye, Goten saw Ario and Toharu beat the crap out of the third elite between them.

From the pavement the elite blinked at Goten’s boot above his head.

“Move, and I’ll crush your head,” Goten warned after the elite squirmed. “I swear I’ll splash your fucking brains all over the macadam,” he said through gritted teeth.

The elite eyed the sole of Goten's boot for several seconds, then nodded.

“If I hear that you reported this...if you spread rumors through the base...if you ever approach us or this guy ever again...I will hunt you three down, and kill you. Anywhere, anytime – I’ll cut you open and make salami out of your entrails. Got it?”

Goten waited for the elite to nod, then smashed his booted foot into his head, knocking him out.

“I think we are in big trouble,” he said, after turning to Ario and Toharu. They stood behind him, watching him with unreadable expressions on their faces, the unconscious and bloodied elite at their feet. Goten could hardly believe that these two second-classes were more than enough to take care of one elite. Usually it took at least five. “They are gonna kill us…”

“You owe us a drink,” was all that Ario could say, as he rubbed his abused gut. “Something’s running from your stomach…” he eyed Goten’s uniform in alarm.

Goten looked at the tomato juice running down his trousers and chuckled, brushing at his bloodied nose with his palm. He wiped it on his uniform. He was alive, but he was going to spend this day with an empty stomach.

“Thanks,” Goten nodded to Ario and Toharu.

“I think we’ve hindered more than helped. We are really going to get for this,” Toharu said. “How do you think…will they break our tails first, or kill us outright?” he mused, walking over to the unconscious elite. He wiped his dirty boots on the elite’s clothes.

Ario just shrugged.

They looked at the staggering second-class who had finally regained consciousness, and managed to find his feet. Goten turned in the direction of the officers' club.

“Aren’t you going to take him to sickbay?” Ario asked.

“Who...him?” Goten turned back to look at the dazed second-class. The second-class gaped at them, his gaze flitting between the three elites lying unconscious on the asphalt, and them. Goten shrugged. “Heck no, I don’t even know him.”

The three of them turned in the direction of the club.

“I told you that this third-class gets himself into the stupidest situations possible,” Ario said to Toharu.

Toharu shook his head. “He can’t be a third-class.”

“You saw with your own eyes that, despite Goten’s power and speed, he’s an idiot. Who the fuck else would have interfered with three elites to save a guy he's just met?” Ario muttered, knowing perfectly well that Toharu was right.

“The same goes for you…” Toharu nudged him in the side.

“And why the heck did YOU interfere?” Ario chuckled. “Although it’s nice to know that you are concerned for my ass.”

“That’s right, sweetheart. It’s because your ass is the place you do most of your thinking with,” Toharu said, punching him in the side.

TBC


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 1: Officer ranks at Hataro Officer Training School [from the highest to the lowest]:  
>  1\. Taisa  
>  2\. Shaii [Trunks Vegeta]  
>  3\. Shyu  
>  4\. Captain [Laureus Tanko]  
>  5\. Drill sergeant  
>  6\. First-in-command  
>  7\. Second-in-command  
>  8\. savar [anyone attending any officer training school]
> 
> A/N 2: The Saiyan education:  
>  0\. Preparatory school (pupils 8-13 years old)  
>  1\. Paramilitary school (pupils 14-18). From there to --> boot camps (drafts/grunts) or:  
>  2\. Officer training school (savars 18 – 20). From there to --> military posts or:  
>  3\. Commissioned Officer Academy (ranks)
> 
> A/N 3: The swords used here are taken from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by kissychan1101, Christine and Veronica ^_^

Part 3

“Shaii, sir?” 

The shaii raised his eyes from the report he had been writing. He cast a look at his subordinate, who had just entered the room. “Problems?” the shaii asked, going back to his paperwork.

The shyu squirmed as the temperature in the room dropped five degrees. Ever since he had been caught stealing cigars from the shaii’s room, he had lost the favor of his superior.

“Sir, there’s a strange issue with one freshman’s records,” he tried tentatively.

The shaii’s blue-eyed stare pierced right through the shyu’s skull, and the temperature in the room fell another ten degrees closer to the freezing-point. “Records, you say?” the shaii repeated, lowering his head to his report again. “Who the hell do you think I am...a secretary?”

The shyu gulped loudly. “Yes, sir, um…ah...I mean...no, sir! Usually I wouldn’t bother you with such a mere trifle, sir. But, sir, would you take a look? Sir?” the shyu asked hopefully. He was about to start biting on his nails and tearing his hair out, as the shaii was plainly ignoring him.

“Take a seat,” the shaii said. “I’ll take a look after I finish this.”

Suddenly it was warm in the room again. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir,” the shyu nodded, looking for a place to sit down. He settled on a chair by the door. For some time he fidgeted with a pile of documents he had in his hands, then raised his head to watch the lavender-haired man work. 

The shaii was more than ten years younger than the shyu, but long ago everyone noticed that the shaii’s character and temper had nothing to do with his age. Most people turned into wallpaper when the shaii passed. It was not that the shaii was violent or ferocious. Quite the opposite – he was a calm and reasonable man. But he was well known for his social status, power, and occasional temper tantrums when highly displeased or provoked. The punishments were severe; they were rarely physical, but more psychological in nature. The shaii knew how to make any Saiyan’s life a living hell by pulling just the right strings. In addition to all that, there was that piercing, blue-eyed stare that was so uncommon in Saiyan society...eyes that sent chills down everyone’s spine.

The shaii was the youngest man ever to have reached such a high position so fast. It was commonly thought that it was because of his bloodline that he had advanced so quickly, but the ones who knew him well knew different. The shaii had worked hard to get the position he was in now, and people knew that he was ambitious enough not to stop there.

“Well?” the shaii pushed his finished report aside and held out his hand for the papers the shyu held. “What's wrong with that newbie?” He took the documents as the shyu approached.

“His registration documents show that he’s a third-class,” the shyu explained, while the shaii leafed through the papers. He nodded at the shaii’s incredulous look. “It’s true. His medical records indicate he’s a second-class.” He leaned closer to the desk, and pointed out the crossed-out words on the hospital registration abstract. “His drill-sergeant’s list said the same, so I thought it was a simple error. I called his previous paramilitary school, and they confirmed that he’s a third-class. When I dug deeper and called his prep school, they said the same. This guy is a third-class...” 

The shaii took the document in his hand. He tapped the photo of a spiky-haired guy. “Hey, this is the one who got his tail broken. And yesterday in officers’ club… he owes me five credits, the bastard,” he drawled. He riffled through the papers then settled on the abstract from the hospital. “Ah, crap. I forgot to write a report about that,” he sighed, leaning back in his chair.

“It doesn’t seem that he changed the records himself,” the shaii said, after he finished reading the information he had on Goten Bardock. “Our operatives must have simply thought this to be a typographical error and changed the records themselves.”

He frowned and looked up at the shyu. “Listen, do not report his case any further. I’ll report this when I think it’s necessary. Now, get me all information you can find about him – his activities, his friends, his friends’ activities – everything,” he said, as he handed the documents back to the shyu.

“Yes, sir!” the shyu saluted, as he marched to the door.

“And one more thing,” the shaii said. “If you wanted those cigars so badly, you should have simply asked.”

The shyu’s face turned red but he forced himself to turn around. “Sir…may I speak freely, sir?”

The shaii nodded.

“I’m very sorry for that…ehh… I took one to try it out. I have never…” he flustered, feeling like a fool and not really understanding why he was trying to explain himself. Making excuses was making him look even more stupid.

The shaii chuckled and gave a dismissing wave to the flushed shyu. “Doesn’t really matter,” he chuckled again at the shyu’s relieved face. “Just ask next time.”

The shyu pressed his fist to his chest, bowed his head and turned to the door.

“And you did look nice while smoking it,” the shaii said to the shyu’s back. “Until you choked on the smoke, that is,” he added, and chuckled at the man’s red ears and how he scurried out of the room.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten, Toharu, Ario and Kyon sat in the canteen eating their lunch. At least some of them were eating.

“Toharu, are you going to eat that?” Ario looked at Toharu’s plate, where he repeatedly stabbed a boiled potato. It was evident Toharu had no appetite.

Toharu raised his eyes to meet Ario’s hungry look. Ario’s strong, big build required much more nutrition than Toharu’s compact figure.

Toharu sighed, put his fork down, and pushed his plate over to Ario. “Said the man who was complaining about food earlier…” He rubbed his aching forehead. He had been tortured all day by an enormous hangover.

“I wasn’t hungry, then,” Ario grinned, munching Toharu’s leftovers. “But you are worrying me – you should eat more.” 

“You just filched his plate, and you are telling him to eat more…” Kyon commented, looking at his own plate suspiciously. He fished out a strange looking leaf and sniffed at it. He put it back on his plate.

“When he starts playing with his food, it means he isn’t going to eat another bite,” Ario shrugged.

“I don’t play with my food,” Toharu protested.

“You were building a castle, with a carrot on the top instead of a flagpole,” Goten noted from the opposite side of the table. His nose was puffy and scratched from yesterday’s fight, his eyes were black and blue. Despite that, he felt fine.

Toharu pursed his lips in an unhappy pout. “It’s because I’ve been trying to figure something out – how we’re gonna get our asses out of the mess we have gotten ourselves into.” Toharu’s pout turned into a serious frown. “To speak frankly – we are dead. Shut up,” he pointed his index finger at Ario’s open mouth as he began to say something. “Three elites, each of them will have at least five buddies...that makes it over fifteen. Yep,” he nodded, “we are dead.” 

“So it’s true?” Kyon looked at the three of them, his eyes examining Goten’s bruised and swollen face.

“What’s true?” Toharu asked, while drawing in a puddle of tea left by someone’s mug. He tried to draw a deer, then snarled at the table when the lines just melted away.

“That you three beat up three elites?”

“Ah,” Ario said, putting his spoon down, suddenly having lost his appetite. 

“Gh?!” Goten choked on his tea, splashing half of it on his uniform and the table. He had never expected the news to hit the base so fast.

“Only three?” Toharu rolled his eyes derisively. “Why not make it ten or twenty? Think, think,” he said, looking at Kyon and knocking on Kyon’s bald head with his knuckles. “How could have we beaten three elites?” He pointed at himself then at Goten and Ario. “Us – beat three elites?!” He shook his head in disbelief. “It’s absolutely impossible! Just two weeks ago I got beaten by a prep school kid! I won’t even start about Ario! Even I could beat him!” He punched Ario in the shoulder to prove his point.

“Damn it! That hurts, asshole!” Ario growled at him.

“See? And I barely touched him!”

Kyon blinked. “No. But…I heard-”

“See?” Toharu repeated insistently, flashing a blinding smile at him, his innocent eyes wide. “And who is spreading those rumors about us?”

“One second-class from the tenth squad.” Confused, Kyon blinked again as Toharu’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “He said he was attacked and then…well, when he came round he saw you three and the elites were...”

After Ario and Toharu glared at him in unison, Goten swore that he would never, ever go around saving unconscious second-classes again.

“Ah, that second-class!” Toharu slammed his palm on the table as if he had suddenly remembered. The puddle of Goten’s tea splashed merrily all over the table. “Yeah, yeah. We were just walking to our barracks minding our own business when we saw a guy stumble and fall. He hit his head pretty hard and had been out for several seconds. After he came round he started mumbling about some elites or something. We told him to go to sickbay, but he didn’t want to. I think he had a screw loose,” Toharu twirled a finger at his temple.

Kyon chuckled and nodded in agreement. He knew that it was a load of bullshit – why would the second class’s body be so black and blue after hitting his head on the asphalt? Somebody had worked Goten over pretty well too, and what was that about fifteen elites? But the trio wasn’t going to talk, so he wasn’t going to push it. It pissed him off royally, though.

“Tomorrow is my last day in the kitchen,” Goten sighed. “I’m not sure if I’m sad or happy…”

Kyon thought that Goten must be mad. He would give nearly everything to have kitchen duty instead of drilling for the rest of his service here.

“Quit playing with that muck,” Ario motioned at Toharu’s wet tea-painting. 

Toharu just looked at him sideways. “I’m depressed. And I have a hangover. Don’t start, or there won’t be any sex for the next two weeks.”

Ario turned his attention back to his plate and continued eating, his appetite renewed. As usual, nothing could spoil a Saiyan’s appetite longer than five minutes.

“And how was the officers’ club?” Kyon asked. “Goten came back sloshed, so I didn’t have an opportunity to ask. And how the hell did you have any energy left to even walk to it?” he looked at Toharu and Ario.

“I wasn’t sloshed!” Goten denied. “I was just very tired.”

Ario raised an eyebrow at Goten. “Really? Toharu had to carry you to your room.”

Goten’s eyes became the size of saucers. “Seriously? I don’t remember a thing…”

“Neither do I,” Toharu shrugged. “I never remember anything I do while drunk. You are lucky I carried you to your barracks and not into…I dunno…could have been female barracks.”

Goten flinched.

“Damned perv,” Ario snickered. “As if you would last two weeks without sex!”

“And where were you, hero, at the time?” Toharu snickered back.

Ario squirmed in his seat. “I passed out at the club, and they kicked me out when they closed.”

Toharu burst out laughing. “Heh, there go your promises…” Then he pursed his lips. “But why the hell did I bring Goten to his room and leave you in the club? Why wasn’t it the other way around?”

“You tell me,” Ario chuckled. “You probably planned to come back and then forgot. Actually, where did you wake up?”

Toharu blinked. Slowly, very slowly he remembered waking at the sound of sirens as the sun hit his eyes, his head hurting like mad. He turned his face to Ario, his face red with suppressed laughter. “I was lying in the middle of the field, surrounded by blaring sirens, and the savars were gathering into rows all around me. So I suppose that’s why I had no problems with moving around – I just stood up and raised my hand to say that I was present,” he laughed.

“You are not drinking anymore. No, seriously,” Ario shook his head. “Each time, each fucking time you do something like this!”

“It’s not my damned fault I have a low tolerance,” Toharu said, unable to stop laughing.

“Oh, your tolerance is just fine. To tell you the truth, it’s much better than mine,” Ario snickered. “It’s that it makes you do weird things after that.”

Goten wanted to hear what those weird things were but the siren went off and Toharu, along with Ario and Kyon, ran to the door headlong in order not to be late for the formation. Goten returned to the kitchen. This time he had been appointed to wash the dishes.

Actually he had been sloshed yesterday. And badly. There was one thing he did in the officers’ club. It was an accident really. Had he known…well… His memory of his time in the club was hazy, but he could still remember some parts.

\-----------

_Goten left the table in search of a lavatory. When he came back, Toharu and Ario had already gone somewhere, and left his mug of beer unattended. Goten presumed that they either went to dance or to make out. He sighed and reached out for his mug. He blinked as some longhaired guy suddenly plopped next to him and grabbed his mug._

_“You are about to drink my beer,” Goten informed the purple-haired stranger. He leaned to the guy and gave him an unfriendly look._

_The guy merely looked at him over the top of the mug, and took a deep draught. Goten frowned._

_“Didn’t you hear what I said?” he hissed. “That drink is mine!”_

_“Fuck off,” the man said and gave him an indifferent blue-eyed look._

_Anger boiled inside Goten. He stood up slowly. He wasn’t going to be pushed around by some half-breed asshole._

_“Outside,” Goten said, motioning with his head to where he thought the door was. He was ready to tear the guy to pieces, when the guy looked at him again._

_“I’m glad you are better,” the stranger finally said. “Here, buy yourself another,” he said after he dug in his pocket and tossed the money on the table._

_Goten looked at the rattling coins then raised his head to give the purple-haired guy the most angered look he managed to muster. But before he could grab him by the front of his shirt, a man appeared next to them both. He saluted the purple-haired man._

_“Shaii Vegeta, sir! We have visitors from Ahira base, and taisa is asking for your attendance, sir!” the man reported._

_“Ah, shit,” the shaii cursed. “And here I was expecting to relax a bit. Tell him that I’ll be there in a minute; I’ll just put my uniform on,” he said to the man who saluted and quickly marched out of the club._

_Silently, with his mouth tightly shut, Goten sank back into his seat. He watched the shaii finish his drink in several gulps, stand up and leave. Goten sat there and stared at the several coins the shaii had left on the table, picked them up and went to the bar to buy himself another one. After getting it, he started walking back when he heard someone shouting his name._

_“Hey, Goten! Where have you been?”_

_With his mug filled, Goten turned to look at Toharu and Ario who were sitting at the table. Goten felt himself go pale. Oh shit. The two were waving at him, and there was his damn mug with beer standing on the table. He had mixed up the tables earlier – Toharu and Ario had been sitting at the opposite end of the club than he had been before. The prince had just bought him a drink._

ooOoOoOoo

The shaii ransacked the hills of files the shyu had brought him at the end of the day. Three minutes later he had everything sorted out before his eyes. For the fifth time he took Goten Bardock’s register in his hand. It consisted of hoards of papers, most of them being witnesses’ reports.  
Father –Kakarott Bardock, third-class, private soldier.  
Mother – unknown.  
Class – third.  
Age – 17.  
Height – 1.70m.  
Weight – 75kg.  
Hair color – black.  
Eye color – brown.  
Defects - none.  
Residence – Yasan.  
Older brother – Gohan Bardock, third-class. Died at age 16 at Hyon Officer Training School. Cause of Death – an accident during training.

The shaii blinked at the papers. The brother also went to an officer training school? Shaking his head, the shaii continued reading the data.

Goten started attending Yasan Preparatory School when he was only seven years old, whereas other pupils entered at the age of eight. Because of this, he finished preparatory school at the age of twelve, a year younger than other pupils. After preparatory school, upon the many recommendations from his professors, Goten entered Liutek Paramilitary School.

After one year at paramilitary school Goten was taken into custody for getting into a fight with an elite from the same grade. He came out of that experience with a broken arm and leg. He was released from the custody after it was proven that the elite had been the first to attack.

The shaii flipped through the attached witnesses’ reports and skimmed them quickly. Some of them stated that Goten attacked the elite for no reason; other reports asserted that the elite had been terrorizing four classmates for a few months. One of those classmates had been Goten. The shaii pushed the reports aside, and took up Goten’s biography again.

Two months later Goten was taken into custody for taking part in the beatings of three second-class freshmen, freshly transferred from Kagano Paramilitary School. All told, there were three broken ribs and extensive medical treatment for the lot of them before they were released. Goten paid a fine for breaking the classroom door and destroying a painting.

The shaii rustled through the papers again and found the witnesses’ reports. All of them had solidly declared that the second-classes had tried to establish a new hierarchy at school and started with a few third-classes. One of them appeared to be Goten. Grinning, the shaii lowered the reports back to the table.

Five months later, Goten spent a few days in custody again for a gang attack on the previous elite and his friend from the same grade. It all ended with a fine for a demolished wall and a row of destroyed toilets. 

The prince shuffled the papers in his hand. Some of the reports claimed that Goten had formed a gang, and ambushed the elite and his friend with no less than ten people. Other reports said that the elite and his friends had tried to take their revenge on Goten and a few people who knew Goten came to his rescue.

A month later, Goten was taken into custody for getting into a fight with five second-classes and two elites. He spent two months in a hospital because of multiple injuries. After six months he was taken into custody for a gang attack on the same five second-classes and two elites. 

And finally, he finished Liutek Paramilitary School at the head of his class, received commendations from almost all lecturers, and was admitted to Hataro Officer Training School.

The shaii turned the papers over several times but that was it – no further explanations as to why or how. The documentation seemed to be fine with all the stamps and signatures of the superintendent and the secretary. Except that it was not fine...nowhere near fine. Goten Bardock shouldn’t be here, and from all places where he should be, one could also think of jail.

The shaii took another sheaf of papers with Kakarott Bardock’s photo paper-clipped to the front of it. Goten Bardock looked nearly the same as his father, only younger. 

Kakarott Bardock,   
Class – third.  
Occupation – private soldier.   
Age – 45.   
Height – 1.90m.   
Weight – 95kg.   
Hair color – black.   
Eye color – brown.   
Defects: innate migraine – no special treatment needed.   
Residence – Yasan.   
Mate – unknown.   
Father – Alysum Bardock.   
Mother – unknown.   
Offspring: Gohan, male, third-class, deceased - cause – an accident during training; Goten, male, third-class, 17 years old, a savar at Hataro Officer Training School.

The shaii skipped the information about Kakarott’s education and stopped at the list of about a hundred accomplished companies and missions. Those were nothing minor, but still…the man had brilliant survival skills. Were he at least a second-class, by this time he would have already been a captain.

The shaii pushed the papers to the side and took a look at the other registers. The most interesting was that of Toharu Amatachinna’s. The short, longhaired and handsome youth that looked from the picture with big innocent eyes seemed to be an incarnation of gentleness and mildness. Sure. Toharu had been expelled from his first preparatory school for setting it on fire while drunk. He had almost died from alcohol poisoning and spent a month in hospital. Then he had made a public announcement at school accepting his fault and asking for forgiveness but his expulsion had not been revoked and had to change his prep school. After finishing it, he started attending Horian Paramilitary School.

Toharu was a five-time martial arts champion of extramural preparatory and paramilitary schools competitions. There were no further incidents and no records about Toharu for two years after getting into the paramilitary school except his achievements in martial arts. Problems started when his father had to move, and Toharu changed his paramilitary school and started attending Liutek Paramilitary School. Once, he was taken into custody for beating his teacher almost to death. He later accused the teacher of sexual harassment. He was taken into custody three times for getting into fights with other pupils, and every time he was released after investigations had showed that others were at fault. 

The shaii looked at the dates and realized that it was about the same time Ario Krameran had been transferred to Liutek Paramilitary School and started attending the same class as Toharu. After that Toharu seemed to keep himself at a low profile again.

Ario Krameran would have been a normal savar if not for the fact that he was a son of the taisa at Kolmera base, Daison Krameran. Very few people didn’t know the man. Ario was also a three-time champion of extramural ki-fighting competition when he attended preparatory and paramilitary school.

The shaii scratched his chin, interested. It seemed that Ario and Toharu met at one of those competitions. They were in different categories, but they had noticed each other. Later Ario had transferred himself into the same paramilitary school as Toharu, and even into the same class – it must have been a piece of cake with such an influential father as Ario’s. All in all, Ario was the type who knew what he wanted and made every effort to get it.

After that Ario’s profile expanded, and incidents went from being almost non-existent to an almost everyday occurrence. Toharu may have kept a low profile, but Ario was taken into custody about ten times. There were numerous incidents involving broken bones, loose jaws, missing teeth and cracked skulls. Each time he was released from custody without any penalties or questioning. The youth clearly had been using his father’s influence.

The shaii crossed his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. What the heck was going on? A third-class with the longest list of attacks on elites and second-classes he had ever seen had been accepted into an officer training school and had been accommodated with two second-years. One was a guy with a little brother’s complex, and the other a veiled masochist. The third…already in prep school, Kyon had been well known for his calm, calculated character and had never gotten into any fights. All things considered, theirs was not a room – it was an oasis.

Toharu and Ario. Those two were able to take on at least the third of the base on their own...except elites, of course. Either Goten was a damn lucky guy or a genius. Perhaps he just had no idea about what was going on around him. The guy had accidentally walked in on a bunch of females and had his tail broken. Then he had been reported for stealing food from the kitchen and his credit card was debited a hundred credits, which no one had informed him of yet. Poor guy. And just today there were three complaints filed from the three elites Goten Bardock, Toharu Amatachinna and Ario Krameran had beat up and threatened. The complaint was going to be processed in several hours. Those three idiots were going to get it, hard and painfully; perhaps only Ario would get away unscathed. But after the rumors started spreading about Goten being a third-class…

The shaii stared at the ceiling, particularly interested in the largest of the many stains there. He rocked back and forth in his chair cheerfully, and wondered if he should do something about those three idiots.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten was dreaming about potatoes. He was in the kitchen. He was peeling potatoes, but the heaps didn’t lessen, the opposite – they kept growing and growing. Goten was peeling and peeling. The foul smell from pots was making his eyes water and his throat hurt. And still he peeled. But finally the pile started lessening, and he saw boots amongst the potatoes. Those were Gohan’s, the ones he had seen Gohan wear when he came back from the officer school and had been staying at home for several days.

He gazed at the boots and wondered how Gohan had appeared under the pile. Had they been playing hide-and-seek? He put his peeler aside and started digging Gohan out. But it had appeared that there were only his military boots. Goten pulled them out from under the potatoes and sat down on the kitchen floor while holding them in his hands and looking at them.

Where had Gohan gone to?

ooOoOoOoo

Goten was woken up by the sirens. He sat up in the bed and watched his roommates scurry around, dressing. He didn’t feel scared or worried, just a little chilly. He had those dreams again, the same kind as those since the day his father said that Gohan had died.

As their father was always busy with missions, he was mostly raised by his brother. Gohan was more of a parent to him than their real father was. He had realized that only later, several months after Gohan’s death. It was then when he started picking the fights with elites. Elites were the ones who had killed his brother. Month after month, he had suffered silently, grinding his teeth like everyone else. After his brother’s death, something had snapped inside him. Hate, anger and wrong had pent up, and he let it all out. He had not even cared if he was killed or excluded from the paramilitary school. He just knew that he didn’t want to put up with all that shit anymore. Actually he had expected he’d be kicked out.

But somehow it always calmed down, and he had found himself amongst guys who had insensibly gathered around him during his misdemeanors and considered him the leader. It hadn’t been a gang as defined by everyone else, it had been only a bunch of idiots who had been hanging around with him. Goten hadn’t even been aware of that and hadn’t cared about any of them. He had just done what he wanted to do... So the time had passed, and then he got that letter telling him that he had to go to Hataro Officer Training School.

His world was turned upside down once again. And somehow, he was relieved and scared at the same time. He may have gone into a different officer's school, but he was following Gohan. He didn’t think that he was getting any closer to the truth of his brother’s death, but somehow it made his conscience lighter. His brother had done so much for him, meant so much to him, and...

Was he feeling guilty because his brother had died and he – not worthy of his brother’s breath – still went on living? Was he glad to be sent to the place where his brother had died? Did he want to die? Was he greedy and selfish to want to die in the same way his brother had died?

Yes.

He had figured the answers out on the evening when he, Toharu, and Ario beat the crap out of those three elites. He wasn’t really scared, wasn’t really afraid that the three would kill him. When Toharu and Ario showed up, he didn’t really have any other option except fighting the elites. He alone was fine. He owed his life to no one, not even to his father, but those two…

And…and who was he to even dare compare himself to his brother? Who was he to just simply let himself be stupidly killed by the same bastards who had killed his brother? And who was he to risk his life after his brother raised him with so much care?

He wasn’t sure why he understood that, and why it suddenly became all clear to him. It happened after he met Ario and Toharu, when he realized he did not want for them to be hurt in that fight. He had the “gang” at the paramilitary school, the guys who cared for him. But he didn’t accept them then, wasn’t ready to accept anyone into his brother’s place. Why those two were able to break through, and why did he let them? 

Or maybe it was simply enough of grievance, and his soul just wanted to let it go. Maybe time really cured all wounds? But he swore to himself one thing – no matter how much time it would take, no matter whom he would have to move from their warm seats – he was going to turn this fucking planet upside down to solve his brother’s death. For that, he had to stay alive.

ooOoOoOoo

“Shaii Vegeta, sir?” the shyu stuck his head into the room after knocking. He stepped in. The shaii was cleaning his desk from piles of papers and getting ready for his long awaited day off.

The shyu walked over to the table after the shaii motioned for him to come over. The shyu’s fingers tightened on the papers he was carrying. He hated to be a messenger with bad news.

“Sir, one of the lecturers got sick. The doctors think that it’s a deadly disease,” the shyu started.

The shaii nodded, unconcerned. He tossed his uniform onto the chair and started looking for his denim jacket. The shyu turned to stare through the window as his superior started taking his trousers off.

“So about that lecturer,” the shyu cleared his throat at the shaii’s blue boxers. 

“Do I know him?”

“No, sir, not personally. He has been newly transferred here.” The shyu cleared his voice. “There’s no one who can replace him. The lecture is about the swords and there’s supposed to be some practice after the theory. And as sir is almost the only one in the base who has at least some idea about swords…”

By the time the shyu finished, the shaii’s glare had turned lethal. Blue ice locked the shyu’s legs and he could feel his teeth chattering in cold. 

The shaii inhaled deeply. “Just let them do more running around the base,” he said slowly, his voice indicating it would be not wise to continue this topic.

“Ehhh…” the shyu’s teeth chattered. “It’s not really possible, sir. The schedule is tight and until we find someone to replace him, and we presume it would take about a week or even more. And later they will have the examination, so…if it were only theory, but it’s also practice…ehhh…” He stepped away from that blue frost.

The shaii slowly walked over to his desk and sat down. A low growl was heard from his throat. “What fucking squads are those?”

“Weeell,” the shyu stepped backwards even further. “All ten of them… First come the 5th, 6th and 7th squads… Then they have practice and then they go off with their drill sergeant, and then the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th squads come, and then the 8th, 9th and 10th…”

The shaii gave a searching look at the shyu. “So basically, you are telling me that I will have to baby-sit all those fucking squads for a month?!” he yelled. “This isn’t in my job description!” he groaned, closing his eyes. “Whose fucking order is that?!

“The taisa’s…”

“Ah. Crap,” the shaii said. “So when do I start?”

ooOoOoOoo

The whole auditorium went silent as – instead of their usual lecturer – a lavender-haired guy walked through the door. He wore a black denim jacket, torn blue jeans, and carried a huge sword on his back. In dead silence the guy climbed down the short stairs, leaned the sword on the wall and stood in front of the auditorium. The whole auditorium startled as the heavy book was slammed down onto the table.

Goten jumped to his feet and saluted first. From their seats, Toharu, Ario and Kyon raised their heads to look at him as if he were mad. Goten thought that he had noticed a short smirk on the shaii’s lips that was directed at him.

“Stand up!” the lavender-haired guy yelled. “Godfuckingdammit, you worthless bunch of losers! Because of your stupid lesson and your even stupider lecturer, I had to quit my day off and come to this stinking class to beat some shit into your heads!” The storming blue eyes swept through the auditorium. “And I fucking hate it!”

The auditorium stared. The pony-tailed guy was no older than them. Besides, he was a half-breed.

“Where is the salute to your superior?!” the guy yelled at the auditorium.

Goten cleared his voice. “Shaii Vegeta, sir!” He straightened even more. “With all respect, sir! You have forgotten to introduce yourself and you are wearing no uniform, sir.”

The lavender-haired guy looked down at his clothes. “Ah, crap. I knew I forgot something.” He cursed. “I’m Shaii Vegeta!” He jabbed his thumb at his chest. “Anyway, you worthless piece of rot!” he proceeded with yelling. “If I don’t see you salute now, each of you will spend this day cleaning the lavatories and digging trenches with no food for three days!” 

The auditorium turned completely mute then the scuffling of feet was heard and all hands rose as one to their chests, and the heads were bowed. “Sir!” the voices rang as one.

“Sit the fuck down, now!” the prince barked. He took a list of the savars. He began to take roll-call. 

“What the hell!?” he cursed five minutes later. “This will take half an hour! You!” he stuck his index finger at Toharu. “Check if everyone is present!” he tossed the list to Amatachinna who saluted the shaii, jumped over his desk and got to the task.

“So,” the shaii turned his attention back to the auditorium. “As far I have been informed, you lot, are supposed to learn about swords and have practice,” he said. “Now, does anyone know what this sword is called?” he pointed at the sword he had leaned on the wall earlier.

The savars’ heads turned to the sword. Some of them have seen the illustrations of the sword in their course-books at paramilitary schools but none of them remembered the name. Knees started trembling and sweat was running down the backs as the prince’s blue gaze was sliding over the auditorium looking for a victim.

“You!” the shaii stabbed his finger at Goten who startled in his seat, his eyes widening. “What is the sword called?”

Oh shit, Goten thought, I knew he was going to ask me!

Goten jumped to his feet. “It’s the Buster Sword, sir! It’s a two handed sword with two-sided edge. It requires much strength, skill and power to use one...and because of that, Buster Swords are rarely used. If wielded by an experienced warrior, however, it’s a lethal weapon.”

“Its rather impractical size makes it difficult to use it in closed spaces. There’s a specific thing about this kind of swords: the blade is set from other seven blades that are connected to the carcass that transits into the hilt. The blades can be used separate as each of them has its own handle. They are quite convenient and more practical to use in closed spaces and when the strength and power isn’t required only speed is needed. Arranged, all seven of them, they can be used to create a ki field with an explosive power, which for some races, with a lesser ki than ours, is a very convenient thing to do,” Goten finished, giving a quick bow.

The auditorium didn’t even dare blink. From Goten, their eyes and heads turned to the prince who now knew that Goten really had the best notes from his class – it was no cheat. But maybe it was just a simple luck…

“Very good,” the shaii nodded, and Goten almost fainted in relief. “Now… I see you know quite a lot. And which sword is your favorite?”

Goten swallowed loudly. “My favorite…?” He almost squeaked as the shaii’s impatient gaze locked on him. “The Masamune, sir!” 

“Really?” the prince rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingertip while walking over closer to Goten. “And what’s so special about it?”

“Well, I like the very long blade. They are very effective in a battle, especially against big-sized units and its cutting range is very big. It’s quite difficult to use it indoors, however. They are not commonly used because it requires greater strength and skill to wield properly, and there are other swords that are more practical to use. But if a warrior is skilled, it is a deadly weapon. It leaves no room to approach the wielder within a five-meter radius.”

“Actually, it is named after a sword-smith praised for the quality and even mystical virtue of his katana blades… Ehhh…” Goten scratched his head, not sure what he should say more.

“You really like swords, don’t you?” the prince asked him.

That was a trap. Goten thought thoroughly what his answer should be. If he confirmed that he loved swords, he would set the whole auditorium against himself, if he lied…

“Sit down,” the shaii motioned to Goten who wondered if it had been a rhetorical question or the shaii had just wanted to make him sweat. Either way, he considered himself lucky that the prince didn’t seem to want to obliterate his life on the base…only to make it difficult.

TBC


	4. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 1: Officer ranks at Hataro Officer Training School [from the highest to the lowest]:  
>  1\. Taisa  
>  2\. Shaii [Trunks Vegeta]  
>  3\. Shyu  
>  4\. Captain [Laureus Tanko]  
> 5\. Drill sergeant  
>  6\. First-in-command  
>  7\. Second-in-command  
>  8\. savar [anyone attending any officer training school]
> 
> A/N 2: The Saiyan education:  
>  0\. Preparatory school (pupils 8-13 years old)  
>  1\. Paramilitary school (pupils 14-18). From there to --> boot camps (drafts/grunts) or:  
>  2\. Officer training school (savars 18 – 20). From there to --> military posts or:  
>  3\. Commissioned Officer Academy (ranks)

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), looked over by Christine

Part 4

The lecture went smoothly and in complete silence, where the savars were afraid to even sneeze, and after they were finished with the theory, their new lecturer took them all to the yard for practice. Goten had a very bad feeling about this. The feeling only increased when he saw a huge pile of swords lying about on a spread cover. The rays of the sun were playing on the sharpened edges which were glaring at a hundred and thirty-five savars threateningly.

“I thought they would be wooden ones or something,” Toharu muttered with a voice filled with dread. He and Ario had somehow appeared behind Goten. “I have never held a sword in my life. What if I cut someone up? Or someone cuts me up? Don’t I have enough trouble as it is?”

“Will you stop whining? I have been telling you not to skip the classes! You yourself are at fault,” Ario sighed from Goten’s other side. “No, seriously, I hate your hangovers!”

“But I hate swords!” Toharu groaned after taking a look at the pile of swords again. “Why the hell do we need sword training at all? Ki-blasts work just fine!”

“Gods, will you shut up?” Ario grunted.

Goten couldn’t figure out how the two always managed to end up in the seventh squad together with him and no one noticed that.

The shaii, still in his denim jacket and ragged blue jeans, his lavender hair tied up in a ponytail, stood opposite the three squads with the Masamune in his hand. The enormously long blade was as long as the prince. 

The prince’s unconventional looks baffled many. One would always doubt if he even had something in common with the Saiyan race, but the prince did have a tail. It wasn’t brown, though. It was of the same color as his hair, which was just plainly weird and disturbing. Usually, half-breeds were looked down upon. Not in this case, though, when one knew that it took only one wrong look or comment and one could have his ass tossed out of the school or to be simply cut in half. Whatever he looked like, a prince was a prince after all.

The prince was the result of a treaty from an alliance with the Earth. His father and the most influential leader of the Earth contracted nineteen years ago, which resulted in a son. The prince was raised on Vegeta-sei, rarely seeing his mother who was busy on Earth; a marriage of convenience didn’t suggest anything else. The prince wasn’t on very friendly terms with his father either. He got along better with his grandfather than his father. And that mattered a great deal, because his grandfather was the king of Vegeta-sei.

Blue, big eyes were rifling through the three squads, taking in over a hundred savars. 

“Now, I know that, you lot, hate swords. But you, dumb-heads, should know that many of the races we are currently not on very nice terms with, like using ki dampening equipment. So let’s say, in the middle of a battlefield and you can’t gather your ki and can’t blast any of the bastards who are attacking you, therefore you grab a sword or a gun that was left by a random pile of corpses lying around. Fists are all cool and nice but they don’t do much against latest armors. 

“So now, when you grab a sword, you should at least know how to hold it. I expect that all of you have already learned that at your prep schools. So we’ll come straight to several moves. But before that I want to give you a demonstration of the efficiency at sword-fighting,” the blue eyes swept over the rows, looking for a victim again.

Trying to become nonexistent, Goten hunched and lowered his eyes. This time Goten’s trained radar of trouble was screaming at him and demanding for him to run the hell out of the rows. The prince was going to beat the debt out of him. He should have never ever gone to that officers club. His life now was screwed. And there were two years of this to follow… Goten groaned inaudibly.

Despite his efforts to become nonexistent, Goten could feel the prince’s eyes descend on him and he, against his own will, raised his head to meet that blue gaze.

“Yep, you, sword expert,” the prince pointed at Goten. “Come here,” he beckoned Goten with his finger. “If I have to have a spar with someone, I’d prefer not to kill them in one blow,” he said.

Goten left the ranks and stood against the shaii whose lavender eyebrows rose questioningly as Goten started fumbling within his pockets.

“Sir,” Goten produced the same note he had gotten from the hospital and held it against the shaii’s nose. “I’m excused from physical activity until tomorrow, sir,” he clarified.

The shaii’s clear eyes took in the note indifferently then dropped back to Goten. The knowing smile that appeared on the shaii’s face sent shivers down the younger male’s spine. The prince leaned to Goten’s ear. “You seemed pretty healthy to have been able to beat up those three elites… Now, if you don’t pick up that fucking sword, you’ll be exempted from all physical activity for the rest of your life because I’ll just simply cut your legs off. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!” Goten saluted and ran off to the pile of swords. He had been prepared to say something about his tail not having healed completely, but feared that saying that might result in him spending a year or two tailless.

“Do you think the prince intends to kill him?” Toharu drawled. “Why the hell is he picking on Goten? Should we get worried? Do you think Goten at least knows how to hold a sword? Hey, are you listening to me?” he turned to Ario.

“You are really making me nervous,” Ario grunted out, wishing for Toharu to shut up.

All three squads watched Goten ransack the pile, then Goten picked the Buster Sword. He would have preferred the Masamune, but it seemed that there was only one and was already held by the shaii. Testing, Goten weighed the huge and wide sword in his hand then swirled the sword by its hilt several times. He wasn’t very adept in fighting with this kind of sword, but he had held it several times. His brother had a big collection of swords and they used to spar together. He liked it. After his brother had passed away, not fearing the common opinion about swords, Goten made sword-fighting his hobby. There weren’t many he could train with, but there always were a few enthusiasts who sought him out themselves.

Goten walked over to the shaii, who meanwhile had taken his jacket off, tossed it aside onto the asphalt and stood in his fighting stance. The two of them were almost of the same height, Goten a bit shorter because younger and the shaii shorter than an average Saiyan because of his genes. 

As expected, the prince attacked first. Goten blocked the blade with his, diverted it aside and counterattacked.

The Masamune’s long blade and its wide cutting range were going to be a problem, but Goten had known that beforehand. The prince was wielding the weapon like a real expert and now Goten’s only chance to at least catch up with him was with speed and agility against the longer seconds that took to wield that much longer weapon. Besides, the Buster Sword weighed more, which increased its crushing ability but required more of his strength and he knew that if the fight lasted too long, he would get tired all too soon.

The metal clashed and sparks spilled all around the fighting men. The prince whipped his sword around and Goten jumped aside to avoid it, at the same time, lashing out at the shaii’s left side. The shaii drew his arm back to block Goten’s blade behind his back, quickly turned around and was just in time to block it once more as Goten charged at his head. 

The brat was serious, the shaii noted, and he fought like a professional. The speed…no third-class had such speed. The kid was almost at par with him. He got a little worried as Goten suddenly separated his sword to get two blades and his attacks became even more efficient. The brat appeared to be also able to fight with both hands… Who the hell had taught him that? He wasn’t even supposed to know how to hold this kind of sword!

Toharu’s eyes widened as both swordsmen started going at an amazing speed, the swords clashing, the metal straining against metal. He was hardly able to follow the two and the rest of the second-classes just stared against themselves catching only glimpses of the sweeping action.

Goten ducked, rolled over, and his boot swept the shaii off his feet. One of Goten’s blades slashed at the ground where the prince’s head had been just a millisecond ago. The shaii jumped to his feet and blew several lavender hair strands which had gotten loose from his ponytail off his eyes. Slowly, the two men circled each other.

Crossing his blades against him, Goten stopped the Masamune’s attack to seize the blade with two of his. He quickly lowered the shaii’s sword to the ground. Goten’s foot struck the shaii on his chest with a loud thud and the blow tossed him several meters aside, leaving the Masamune next to Goten who kicked it aside and charged back at the prince.

The shaii jumped to his feet, flipped over to avoid Goten’s blade and decided that he had had enough of this. While Goten was chasing him through the field, the shaii had finally reached the Masamune again. Goten paid for his mistake immediately. He yelped when the shaii’s sword clashed against his with such strength that it made his hand numb. The prince’s speed had increased, too. Goten gnashed his teeth in anger realizing that he had only been toyed with.

Goten ducked the sword that swept above his head, but the next second it knocked the blade off from his left hand. He blocked the Masamune with his right, but the sheer force of the blow sent him staggering back. He blocked the next attack again but his sword was too slow to deflect the next one.

The shaii retracted his sword from Goten’s with ki charged arm that had blocked the blade. There was a slight cut in the uniform and a thin streak of blood was running down it, the droplets splashing against the asphalt hissing with heat. The man’s wide eyes met his, and the shaii immediately regained his presence of mind. Even if he had been sure that Goten would be able to block his sword as he did, he knew he had gone too far in the fervor of the fight.

“You okay?” the shaii leaned over Goten who had dropped his sword to the ground but was still emanating a strong ki field around him, the air around them growing hotter with each passing second. 

The least Shaii Vegeta Trunks expected was a punch to his face. It was not enough to knock him off his feet, but it was enough to make him stagger back and drop to one knee.

Stunned into inability to move, the prince stared up at Goten’s furious visage and watched all color slowly drain from the boy’s face as his mind caught up with whom he had hit. For a moment there Goten seemed to be sure he was going to be cut in half.

The shaii’s hand cupped his jaw to check if nothing was broken then the prince stood up and smacked his hand cheerfully on Goten’s shoulder. “We’ll do this someday again – it was fun,” he said and went to pick up his jacket lying at a distance. He stopped on his way and turned around. “Oh, you’ll be punished for powering up without permission.”

Goten dropped his ki almost to zero. The squads still staring at him in deadly silence, he started removing his jacket to check his wound. After taking a look at it, it appeared that it wasn’t anything big, just a stripe of cut skin, which was already healing. Goten thought about the medical bay but deciding that it would be useless, started to take off his undershirt.

“You fucking idiot, I can’t believe you hit the prince! Are you fucking suicidal?! What did he say? What did he say? –Is he gonna expel you? Kill you?”

Entangled in his undershirt, Goten turned his head to look at Toharu. “He said I would be punished for raising my ki. What is the punishment for raising one’s ki?” He continued to struggle with his undershirt.

Toharu froze in the same position as he had been standing in earlier, his mouth still open after spilling questions at Goten. Beside him, Ario stood looking at Goten with saucer-sized eyes.

“What?” Goten asked after finally getting his undershirt off. Bare-chested, he started wrapping it around his wounded arm.

Toharu closed his mouth slowly. He blinked once, twice. “For raising your ki?” he blinked for the third time.

“It’s a fine of a thousand credits and ten days of the kitchen duty,” Ario drawled. “But seriously… Is that all? You only get ten days of kitchen duty and a fine for almost punching the prince’s lamps out?”

“Amatachinna and Krameran, get back into the fucking formation!” the shaii barked from the opposite side of the field. 

“Yes, sir!”

“Goten, you’ll join as soon as you take care of that arm of yours!” The shaii looked in the direction the two aforementioned Saiyans were heading in. “You, two idiots, do not belong to the seventh squad! You are gonna get it if I see you switching places again!”

“He remembers our surnames… And even the squads we belong to. Why?” Ario drawled under his breath while walking back to his squad.

“He had better kept all of that to himself,” Toharu muttered after seeing several gazes concentrate on him in disbelief. He could already hear the soft whistle of the fertile wind in the savars’ brains as they were asking themselves if he really was THAT Toharu Amatachinna who was five times the champion of martial arts in prep and paramilitary schools. Earlier, his surname, pronounced among over hundreds of others had not sounded exceptional, and the savars who knew did not pay much attention to him, now all of that went to waste. 

Toharu went back to the fifth squad and Ario came back to the sixth. The shaii noticed that it came to all three squads as a surprise that Amatachinna and Krameran were in different squads. Unbelievable.

His undershirt snuggly wrapped around his arm, Goten returned to the seventh squad and watched the shaii demonstrate the most primitive movements and techniques while the men repeated them. Goten shortly wondered what he should do because he found it ridiculous to repeat all that which he had already known when he was eight years old. Then his eyes met the shaii’s again and the older man motioned with his head to the men around him. Missing the meaning, Goten looked around him, but then realized that the prince was telling him to teach his comrades. 

Goten wanted to get paid for the extra job, but knew better and kept his mouth shut. Besides, he knew that it would be he the one who would pay the price for daring to meddle with the prince. He wasn’t happy about it. But in reality there was nothing he could do. Silently, he had already resigned to two years of this.

The shaii watched Goten showing patiently to one member of his squad how to block the attack from the left side for the fifth time. The guy was hopeless with a sword and it seemed that he would rather injure himself than learn something useful. Finally, Goten left the man and went to the other who was more successful.

The prince thought that he was going to die – a month with these guys would drive him mad. Sadly, Goten had no warrant for teaching other people or at least some document proving that he was capable of sword fighting. That would be so convenient…

“You’ve cut me!” a sudden Toharu’s yell coming from the fifth squad shook the base. “I said not to wave it about, you moron! I may be bad at this, but you are a real loser! Why the fuck wave it around if you hold it for the first time in your life?! I’m gonna get you pay for my uniform, you asshole! And why-”

“Toharu Amatachinna, shut the fuck up!”

“Yes, sir!” Toharu saluted scowling, being sure that the shaii couldn’t see that from afar.

“Shaii Vegeta, sir?” Goten’s voice rang through the air. He blinked, unsure as the prince’s eyes shot to him. He was going to get it for this but his life was already screwed one way or another. “May I suggest using wooden swords or simple sticks for a start? Otherwise they’ll just cut themselves up. Umm…” he kept himself from stepping back as the prince’s eyes darkened.

“Positive,” the shaii nodded. “Now get them from the second armory!” He turned away to mumble under his breath about how fucked up the whole training was and how he had expected them to be at least of average level and how screwed up the preparatory school system was.

Goten looked around. He had no idea where the second armory was. Neither did he know where the first was, for that matter. Seeing indecision in Goten’s eyes, Kyon sneaked up to him.

“Go all the way past the first barracks and med bay, turn right and go all the way to the last building. It will be the second armory,” he muttered.

“Thanks,” Goten nodded and set off.

Soon Goten brought an armful of wooden swords. There were not enough of them, far from it, so they had to take turns but the men felt much more assured and the real training started, the yelps and winces flowing around. Toharu soon had his head swollen, Ario had almost killed his opponent and Kyon was running around the squads to avoid crossing the swords. Goten wondered if today they would learn anything useful.

The training finally ended, everyone was dismissed and went in the direction of the canteen. Kyon, Ario and Toharu caught up with Goten.

“That was quite a sight!” Kyon commented. “I don’t really like swords, but that fight was something to behold. And punching the prince… Hell, you’ll be famous now. Or infamous…”

Goten just grunted something out.

Ario and Toharu just followed Goten silently. They had many questions but preferred to talk with Goten alone. Considering Goten would talk at all.

Their eyes snapped to Goten as the younger man swayed. Toharu’s hand shot to catch Goten by his arm to prevent him from smashing face first onto the asphalt. Goten collapsed to his knees.

“Hey, hey,” Toharu shook the pale, dazed man.

Goten raised his blurry eyes to look at the swimming faces before him. He winced and grabbed his head as the aching increased. Screeching noises fell all around him, making him nauseous. His universe exploded with the unbearable pain behind his eyes. 

Ario shook the unresponsive man fruitlessly then simply scooped him off the asphalt and turned to the medical bay.

ooOoOoOoo

His head was killing him again. Goten groaned and raised his hand to rub at his forehead. He massaged his temples to at least reduce some of the pain. His efforts were futile, the pressing behind his eyes only increased and he felt himself slipping out of consciousness again.

When he came to, the pain was still there, but Gohan was visiting him. His brother was sitting at his bed and looking at him. 

Goten blinked, trying to shift the white mist from his eyes to better see Gohan’s face. He couldn’t tell if Gohan was smiling or frowning at him. Gohan was saying something, but through the humming in his ears, Goten wasn’t able to hear anything. Goten reached his hand for his brother, motioning to come closer. But then he realized that nothing was coming out from his mouth. He could feel his lips moving but there was no sound. Or maybe there was but he couldn’t hear anything.

Then Gohan started fading, his contours being swallowed by the white mist around them. Goten felt himself panic and the pressure in his head increased. He extended his arm to try to grab Gohan. The fabric in his hand felt real, warmed by flesh and Goten felt calmer even when pain exploded into stars behind his eyes.

ooOoOoOoo

The shaii glared at the seventh squad after calling out the surname Bardock nobody responded.

“Hikaru!” the prince turned to Kyon who this time was sitting in the second row together with Toharu and Ario. “Where’s that accursed roommate of yours?”

“Sir!” Kyon jumped to his feet. “He’s at the medical bay, sir!”

The prince didn’t miss the blank looks Toharu and Ario gave him. Confused, the shaii, looked at the list of surnames again. He surely hadn’t wounded the man that badly. Maybe those elites again…? His blue-eyed gaze rose back to Kyon again. 

“What happened to him?”

“He collapsed yesterday and is still unconscious, sir!”

The shaii nodded shortly then started the lecture.

ooOoOoOoo

The shaii rocked his chair back and forth while thinking. Goten being sent to medical bay was disturbing him. He raised his head as the shyu entered the office.

“They are here, sir,” the shyu said, giving a quick bow. He moved away from the door and let in the three elites after the shaii had nodded. Then the shyu left the office and closed the door behind him.

“Sir,” the three elites saluted.

“Sit down,” the shaii motioned at the empty chairs against his table. “I called you out because of your complaint against Goten Bardock, Toharu Amatachinna and Ario Krameran.” He stood up and brought the same documents to the elites who had sat down. 

“I withheld the demand to punish these men and I urge you to withdraw your complaints against them,” the shaii said after the elites took the documents.

“On which basis, sir?” one of the elites asked.

“The basis is that I know that you three are at fault and I’m not going to discuss it any further,” the shaii shrugged. He came back to sit at his table. “Dismissed.”

The elites stared at him. Then the same man who had questioned slowly got to his feet. “There’s no way we’d withdraw the charges, “sir”,” he sneered at the honorific. “And if you don’t like something, “sir”, you’d better talk with Fuujima Horuisa. And I’m sure as hell will make you explain yourself to him!” he smirked.

“Ah, and it might be your daddy?” the shaii smiled. He stood up, too. He was in a very bad mood today and the elites trying to mess around with him made him want to strangle them. 

His face emanating the vibes of a pouncing tiger, the shaii walked over to the three men. “Horuisa, do you always run to your daddy when your pants are full?” he looked at the elite who had threatened him.

“You are so dead, you half-breed!” the elite yelled. “You won’t even get to blink as you’ll be out! And I’ll make sure that you’d never get any job in the government! What’s your fucking surname?!”

“Vegeta. Care to fuck with me?” the prince grinned unpleasantly.

The three elites went pale. There was a quick swish of air and Horuisa found himself stuck halfway in a wall, his vision going blank for several seconds and there was the taste of blood in his mouth. 

“Let me give a piece of advice, newbies,” the shaii went back to his chair and sat down, leaning back. “Always, always check before threatening someone. As for “half-breed”…” the prince looked at Horuisa who was gathering himself from the floor, his nose broken and bleeding heavily, the plaster crumbling around him. “You are eliminated from Hataro Officer Training School. And if I ever hear about you again, I’ll fuck up your life in general.” He gave the same smile that struck as a lightning.

“You two will be accused of giving spurious evidence,” he turned to the other two elites. “Hell, and to think that I wanted to do this calmly and nicely…” He shook his head. “Get the hell out of here.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” 

The elites were gone in a second. The shaii leaned over the list of all ten squads of the first-years and crossed Horuisa’s surname out.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten sat up in his bed carefully and looked around. He was at the medical bay again, alone; the other five beds were empty. He had no idea how he had gotten here, but he could presume. He could remember his fight with the prince, but he also remembered that he hadn’t been injured badly.

His excruciating migraine attacks were very rare, but he had had them for as long as he could remember. Everyone in his family had them: his father and Gohan, too. His recent concussion and then quite a lot of physical exercise while battling the prince must have triggered it again.

It was evening outside, the last sunrays fading, retreating back through the window to leave the ward surrounded by shadows. Exhaling loudly, Goten leaned on the iron headboard. Then he turned to look at his bandaged arm. He started unwrapping the bandages. As expected, there was not a scratch underneath. There were only several curdled blood streaks crisscrossing the skin. He healed fast, even in comparison to other Saiyans. 

Goten tossed the bandages onto the chair that stood next to his bed then he leaned back on the headboard again. His head didn’t hurt anymore and he felt fine, except for being hungry.

Goten wondered how much time had passed. He raised his head at the noise behind the door then saw the medic who had previously treated him enter the ward. The man looked at him, retrieved a notebook from his pocket, walked over to the bed and sat down on the nearby chair.

“You seem to love it here…” The doctor pulled out a pen from another pocket. “Any idea what it was?”

Goten shrugged.

“It was some kind of very strong migraine attack. I checked your data and it seems that your father had the same. Why isn’t it on your case-history?” the doctor asked. “Shall I report it to your authorities or will you talk?”

“I have them from time to time,” Goten said resignedly. “They are very rare and as it has never happened that I’d lose consciousness during school, I have never been sent to the doctors for a thorough check.”

“Actually, it’s perfectly seen on the pattern of your brain waves,” the doctor said, putting his notebook and pen away into the seemingly endless pockets of his white robe. “Either somebody was too lazy to put it down or there’s another reason. How much did you pay to keep it off your records?”

“I didn’t know this and I have no idea why somebody would do it,” Goten said. He was surprised. He had always thought that nobody knew about it because he didn’t tell anyone. But now he was getting accused. Not to mention this was very suspicious.

The doctor gave him a very skeptical look but then only shrugged. “Do you feel any pain or any other obvious discomfort?” he asked.

Goten shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I think I can simply go back to my barracks – after it passes, it doesn’t repeat for quite a while. Can I get something to eat?” he asked. 

The doctor nodded. He got up from the chair and turned to the door. Goten’s voice stopped him before he reached out for the door handle. 

“Has…has anybody visited me while I was out of it?” 

The doctor turned back to him. “You should ask at the reception.”

“Ah. Okay. Thanks,” Goten nodded.

After eating his meal, Goten left the medical bay and went straight for his barracks. He had to do the laundry and he wasn’t sure what to do with the uniform that had gotten cut during the fight with the prince. Very likely he would be told to sew it up or buy a new one and when was he supposed to start kitchen duty?

Goten opened the door to his room and was met by surprised Kyon’s eyes. 

“Hey,” Goten nodded, walking over to his bed and dumping his slashed jacket on it. He plopped onto his bunk and started taking his boots off.

Kyon dropped his pen onto the letter he had been writing. “Gods, Goten, you should be at the med bay. Toharu said you’d still been unconscious when he visited you.” He got up from the chair and approached Goten who now was digging in the closet for his clothes.

“I’m fine. And where are Roland and Daram?” Goten asked, taking a new set of uniform.

“They aren’t back yet. Actually they will be away for quite some time – five squads of second-years went away for field maneuvers. I think Daram said something about a week of them.” Kyon stood besides Goten, watching the younger male fold the clothes.

Images of swamps, mosquitoes, trenches and heavy backpacks swam in Goten’s head. He frowned at the pile of clothes he had gathered on Daram’s bed. 

“Do you have a sewing kit?”

“Huh? Oh. Yeah,” Kyon nodded. “Do you want to sew the cut up sleeve?”

Goten nodded. Trust Kyon to have everything. The guy was a walking treasure. Goten could bet he also had an apron, woolen slipper-socks, a warm sweater and a mop. Just in case.

Thanking for the sewing kit and scooping up his clothes from Daram’s bed, he turned to Kyon to say that he was off to the showers and shot through the door.

Kyon stared at the door for several seconds then came back to writing the letter to his mother:

_Hey Mom,_  
How are you doing? How is Kiahu? Hug that that little nuisance for me and tell him that I miss him. Soon I’ll get paid, so I’ll send you some money.  
I’m doing fine. I’m a bit sore and haven’t had a decent sleep in quite some time, but otherwise everything is OK. I’m being careful around here, so please don’t worry about me. Two years won’t take long to pass and I’ll come back, just as I have promised you two.  
My roommates are being weirdos as usual, but Daram and Roland went off to the training in a swamp, so it’s peaceful here. Currently I’m being alone with Goten who has just come back from the med bay. He seems to be okay, even though he has spent several days there. During the time he has spent at this base, he has never done any training. I thought he’d just drop out of the school during the very first exam or stamina test, but after what I have recently witnessed, I don’t think so anymore.  
I know previously I said that Goten was a passive, peaceful and a quite clumsy guy, but it’s becoming clear that it isn’t so. I’ve overheard some things and besides, several days ago he and the Prince (it appeared that in our base there’s Vegeta Trunks working as a shaii!) had a swordfight to demonstrate the efficiency of it. There is no way Goten is a second-class. I don’t know what’s going on around here, but things are getting really interesting. Yeah, I know, I’ll try to keep out of it. Whatever it is.  
Well, I think that’s all. Hope to hear from you soon.   
Bye,  
Kyon

_P.S. Just don’t think of sending any packets with food or boxers! The food gets eaten even before it reaches me and I’m getting weird looks from guys while wearing those boxers; Goten has been looking at me as if I have a couple of screws loose. If you want to send something, send some books or something that can’t be eaten or sold and isn’t popular here._

ooOoOoOoo

In the showers, Goten scrubbed his skin clean off blood and sweat. He slowly rubbed the special shampoo into his tail, washed it off. His tail was nearly healed now, one more day and it was going to be like new. He wanted to wash his hair but then remembered that he had only short stubs, so, being too lazy to bother, used the same shampoo for his hair, too.

He still wasn’t that used to seeing himself with only stubs instead of his usual spikes. Shaving his hair had made him look even younger. He didn’t particularly like this. It just made him look more vulnerable than most and attracted unwanted attention.

After quickly drying himself off with a towel, he dressed in his new uniform. He came back to his room to gather the rest of his dirty clothes for washing. Kyon had told him that the only Laundromats were near officers club but those were controlled by elites who took additional payment from those who wanted to use them. Deciding that his life was difficult enough as it was, Goten returned to the showers. Once back there, he took one of the basins lying around. He blinked at a chain that rattled across the broken and dirty tiles while he was dragging the basin towards the tap in one of the corners. It was chained to one of the water pipes.

Figures.

Goten pushed the basin back across the tiles and under the window where it was lighter than in the rest of the showers and filled the basin with water. Except for the jacket, he chucked his dirty clothes into it then threw in a bar of soap after them. After that, he turned the jacket inside out and took the sewing kit. He would have preferred to do this in his room, but he presumed that, after seeing his pitiful attempts at sewing, Kyon would offer to do it for him. And it was already enough that he had borrowed the sewing kit from the guy. He did not like to feel indebted.

No one came in while Goten was sewing the sleeve, and Goten considered himself lucky. He lifted the jacket to inspect his work. It did not look that good. The fabric near the seam was somewhat shriveled and crumpled. Will have to do. To buy a new one would be a waste. Goten threw the jacket into the basin with the other clothes.

After staring at the basin for a few seconds, he started taking his uniform off. He had washed clothes with his hands only a few times in his life. He figured he would not stay dry.

Once his clean clothes were safe on the windowsill, bare-chested, only in his underwear, he straddled the basin and started washing. He decided that in case he were told that his sewing did not meet any standards, the jacket would make a fine cloth – he had wanted to wash his room since he had set his foot in there – not only did it have an unpleasant smell of a hundred socks unwashed, it was also infested with some life form that was continuously biting him during the night.

He was halfway done when first visitors to the showers started gathering. He received a few curious glances but nobody paid him much attention, thus Goten was done with his laundry and carried his dripping clothes back upstairs into his room. The room was empty, Kyon away to possibly post the letter he had been writing previously. Goten hung his clothes on chairs and table to dry and opened the window to air the room. He hoped that it was really a week the second-year training was going to last, because if Roland returned, he would find his clothes scattered all over the ground.

TBC


	5. Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings. 
> 
> A/N 1: Officer ranks at Hataro Officer Training School [from the highest to the lowest]:  
> 1\. Taisa  
> 2\. Shaii [Vegeta Trunks]  
> 3\. Shyu  
> 4\. Captain [Tanko Laureus]  
> 5\. Drill sergeant  
> 6\. First-in-command  
> 7\. Second-in-command  
> 8\. Savar [anyone attending any officer training school]
> 
> A/N 2: The Saiyan education:  
> 0\. Preparatory school (pupils 8-13 years old)  
> 1\. Paramilitary school (pupils 14-18). From there to --> boot camps (drafts/grunts) or:  
> 2\. Officer training school (savars 18 – 20). From there to --> military posts or:  
> 3\. Commissioned Officer Academy (ranks)

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by Greenputt

Part 5

That evening, as the sun began to set, Goten left for the kitchen. Maybe he could have waited for someone to come and tell him when and how he was supposed to carry out his kitchen duty but, from personal experience, he knew that the price of personal visits by higher ranking officers was a lot of shouting, a few kicks and punches.

Just two buildings away, the kitchen was only a quick walk. Since Goten had come to the base, his life had been hectic and he had not had much time to look around. In comparison to even a week ago, now he oriented himself well enough and needed no additional help to find any required building.

The base had been built about twenty years ago or more. The buildings looked old and were mostly one or two floors high. Goten guessed that, like most training camps and military schools, it was built by Nectarines. Their architecture was undistinguished and rather rough, but was durable enough to withstand hundreds of years. Just like the race itself, which, unlike many others, managed to survive countless wars with Vegeta-sei. Even slavery did not seem to bend their will.

Most Saiyan buildings were built using the manpower of other races and their technology. Nearly all of the technology Saiyans possessed had at some point belonged to someone else. Even now, the most distinguished scholars on Vegeta-sei were not Saiyans, but those of others races. The Saiyan policy was to input as less effort as possible and to overtake what others had put much effort into. Due to this policy, Vegeta-sei and its colonies spent as much time at war as at peace. Consequently, military and munitions industry were the most important fields on Vegeta-sei.

In Hataro Officer School there were about a thousand people. It was like a small village in the middle of a desert. The nearest settlement was about two hundred kilometers away. Vegeta-sei always lacked fresh-water, especially in this part of the planet. In places which were near the oceans or seas Saiyans distilled water from them. In the base they gained water by pumping it out of the ground. The water was stored in a water tower where it was heated by the constantly blazing sun and under the ground, in a huge cistern. The boring was about a hundred meters deep. 

Trains did not reach here either. Fifty kilometers away from the base there was a small station at which trains stopped. All the food provisions and post were delivered from there. Very likely it was to prevent savars taking off easily. Walking fifty kilometers took much longer, stealing a tank destroyer, bashing through the gates and then trying to reach the station was also pointless as all machinery had satellite tracking devises. Flying would be an even worse idea, as anyone with a scouter would be able to pick up a ki signature.

Goten had often wondered why the twenty groups of first and second-years were called squads. Here, in School, a so-called squad consisted of forty-five savars. Usually, a squad was no more than fifteen people. On the other hand, without a doubt, even forty-five of newbie savars would never surpass a regular squad.

Twenty groups, with an average of forty-five savars in each made nine hundred people. An additional hundred was the officers and doctors working here. From nine hundred savars about a hundred were females and about fifty others were elites. There were six barracks. The officers, elites and females had their separate barracks. The rest of savars were randomly distributed among other three barracks. Goten did not know how elites lived but he doubted that they lived four persons a room.

The base was surrounded by barbed wire; seven guard towers equipped with automatic defense system were situated along the wire fence. At one end of the base there was a garage, and a huge aerospace center where savars were introduced to various planes and spaceships, and the ones having the required abilities were trained there. Naturally, it had a spaceship hangar and a launch pod. During training, the dishes in the nearby kitchen rattled and the sound was deafening. It also had its own armory where, Goten figured, air missiles and similar weapons associated with aircraft were kept.

Next to the aerospace center there stood the aforementioned kitchens, a warehouse and three barracks: the fourth, the third and the second with a nearby water tower. The base was split in the middle by a wide asphalt road where daily training took place. On the other side of the road, opposite the aerospace, there were the first barracks. Right behind it was the med-bay. The next building was a training hall. Originally, it had been built for savars to be able to carry on their training in case of a sandstorm but after starting to use a protective shield around the base, the inside walls of the training hall were lined with ki absorbing material, thus it was used for learning to manage one’s ki. Yet these few weeks he had spent in School had been solely dedicated to building up savars’ stamina and their sense of self-worthlessness, thus Goten had not been in there yet.

The fifth barracks, with Laundromats behind them, stood on the other side of the training hall. These barracks were intended only for women and Goten was sure he would always remember them with bitterness. Then followed a large one-storey building of officers’ club named Matilda. A part of this building housed a barber’s as well.

The officers’ club was not really an officers’ club, as Goten had already experienced. It was just called such as the prices there were so high that usually only officers could afford to go there to drink or eat. In fact, Matilda was a burly Saiyan’s private business, who worked day and night in his bar with the help of two waiters and a chef. 

The sixth, officer barracks, were right next to Matilda. Even their doors faced each other; everything for the officers’ convenience. One could also say the same about the auditoriums, which were facing another side of the officers’ barracks and were only a few meters away from them. In the same large two-storey building with the auditoriums there was a library and the most important building in the base – the headquarters where the taisa, shaii and the rest of administrative force of the base worked.

The second armory was behind the auditoriums’ building. There were always two guards situated at the door. This was from where Goten had fetched the wooden swords. Only officers were allowed to enter it or one needed a written permission. At the time Goten was not sure he would be allowed to take swords, but as soon as the guards heard that he needed wooden ones, he was allowed to take them and one of the guards brought them to Goten from the armory. 

Goten entered the kitchen, greeted the females who had come first and were hard at work, a few buckets already filled with water and peeled potatoes. With a sigh he observed mountains of potatoes by the wall and found a spare peeler. After spotting a piece of carton lying about on the floor, he kicked it closer to the females and sat down on it. During the time that had been spent together in the kitchen, a mutual agreement had been reached and there was no bitterness left. They weren’t friends, but could lead a decent conversation and share a few anecdotes.

“So what did you do this time, golden boy?” the leader asked.

Goten raised his head to give the elite a look. But he had to agree that the sarcasm was well-placed. His luck sucked. It seemed that she did not know the latest events although a few other females gave him knowing gazes. Indeed, it seemed he was becoming infamous. Damn it all to hell.

“I raised my ki during practice.”

“Darn. It’s a fine of a thousand credits, isn’t it?” the elite sympathized with him.

“Yeah,” Goten nodded. “I’m not sure I even have that much.”

“Sucks to be you. Really.”

Goten sighed. He saw one of the females lean over to the leader and start to whisper something in her ear. The elite’s eyebrows started rising then she turned to look at Goten. A few seconds later she cleared her throat.

“Well, keeping in mind whom you hit, a thousand credits is nothing more than a fart. Your luck isn’t that bad, it seems.”

Goten offered her a short smile and continued peeling potatoes. There was nothing he could think of to say. If wanted, the shaii could have broken all the bones in his body, put him into a regeneration tank, let him heal and then broken his bones again. Nonetheless, Goten was sure that the prince had an even better idea in mind.

“I bet he is working on it,” Goten muttered.

The elite leered at him. “You sure think you’re the center of the world. I doubt he has time for that.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten waited for a few days but nothing happened. He became inclined to think that the elite had been right and he was over thinking this. If the prince had had any grudge against him, he would have already paid back. Unless this was the shaii’s revenge – right when his excuse from physical activity ended!

Huffing, Goten splashed his way through mud. It was two o’clock in the morning, it was pitch-dark, it was raining buckets, the wind was cold as hell and here they were running a third circle around the base. He could not see, but could perfectly feel that he was covered in mud from head to toe. As soon as the rain would wash it away, he would slip or someone would push him and he would roll over the ground, would be stepped and stumbled on and cause another avalanche of wet dirty bodies rolling all over the mud. It was even in their mouth and ears. Because of the pouring rain, boots splashing through the mud, it being in his ears and the constant rumble in the sky, he was not even able to hear what the drill sergeant was shouting at them. Something about this being the last circle, then them getting hot food, feather-soft beds, and a hot chick.

Well, of course, it was only in his imagination.

Ten circles later, panting, cold forgotten, Goten stood in one of the rows that had formed according to the drill sergeant’s command. Through the howl of winds he was screaming something which, in best case, was heard only by the first row of savars. The bastard was wearing a waterproof cloak. Then why not swimming pool goggles? The weather was just perfect for a swim.

When the first row moved and all heads turned to watch what they were doing, Goten understood that nobody else had heard anything either. The first row was doing more running, towards the obstacle course. At least some light started to appear from the east and they were able to cross rows of tires without twisting their limbs and necks. Then came barbed wire. Goten figured that if someone had pushed him hard, he would have slipped right under and through the whole sector of it. Probably. Another thing that he figured was that very likely he would just have had chunks of meat torn out of him. Just like he could hear uniforms tearing all around him.

The walls that came later posed no trouble for him and soon he stood in the front row that had finished first. It consisted mostly of elites. The drill sergeant marched forwards and backwards along the length of the row. His eyes set on Goten who straightened immediately. He seemed to study Goten for a few seconds.

“Damn, but you still piss me off, sissy!” the drill sergeant stated before turning his attention to other savars finishing the obstacle course.

The nightly rendezvous was finally over and savars were dismissed. Goten and Kyon ran straight for the showers and it appeared that they were right to do so as a few seconds later they were filled with hustling and elbowing bodies.

Goten did not even remember how he had reached the second floor. When he woke up to the sirens blaring three hours later, he was only aware of his and Kyon’s wet and muddy uniforms scattered all over the floor. He was tired and grumpy. He shook Kyon a few times until he got up, then they dressed in their second set of uniforms and rushed to the field.

From all that bad weather during the night the only thing that was left were large puddles on the asphalt reflecting the jolly morning sun. Goten cursed softly and shielded his bloodshot eyes. It probably rained no more than two or three times a year here, and the assholes thought it very exciting to make them soak in the rain and mud. Just a beauty procedure apparently. Goten cursed again and trotted up to one of the rows. 

A minute later the drill sergeant started inspection. Five people were missing after the night’s harsh training, which obviously improved his mood. He started checking the rows. Goten used the opportunity for a snooze.

“What the hell is this?!”

“Sir?” Goten straightened to all of his potential, his vertebra creaking. Without moving his head, his eyes followed the drill sergeant’s gaze, which appeared to be fixed on his left arm. The spot of interest was the sleeve.

“It’s a seam, sir!” Goten yelled out, saluting.

“I can fucking see that!” the drill sergeant yelled at him. “But it’s not a seam! It’s a damn ditch!”

Goten had no idea what to say without pissing the officer off, thus continued saluting and staring right in front of him. Well, true, his needlework was horrible, but it was not as if he could help it. The drill sergeant grunted out a few more comments then just let him off without telling him to buy a new uniform. That was good because Goten was not sure he had enough money, and the payday was still a week and a half away.

The rest of the day did not bring much excitement. The lessons were spent trying to get at least a wink of sleep and constantly failing because of lecturers shouting at them. When the lessons were finally over, he suffered another bout of drilling. When it was finally over, he returned to his room, gathered his and Kyon’s dirty clothes from the floor, checked his wallet for small change and went to the Laundromats.

There was a huge queue at the building. The victims of the night training. It was the first time Goten went to do the laundry here, and he was quite worried about what Kyon had warned him about earlier. He looked at the meandering queue again. An idea that it would be much faster if he washed the clothes with his hands in the showers crossed his mind and he went with it. But before he could leave, some ruckus in front of the queue caught his attention.

“Thirty credits?! Are you freakin’ insane?!” someone shouted.

Five elites turned to Goten who had just walked over to the door leading to the laundry. Trying to exude friendly vibes, Goten blinked at them. They looked at the wet and muddy clothes in his arms. Goten looked at the guy who was discontent at how the things were handled here. It was an undistinguished second-class newbie, his hair just starting to grow back.

“Thirty credits?” Goten repeated, drawling. “Isn’t that a bit too much?”

“Then fifty credits, asshole!” the elite who stood closest to the door with his hands in his pockets said. “And you won’t leave until you pay,” he winked at Goten.

“Fifty credits?!” Goten choked. “I only have five.”

“You have no right to collect any money!” the same second-class guy shouted. “The entrance is for free!” he added with a righteous conviction.

The elites grinned at him. “Was, now it isn’t.”

“I’ll write a complaint on all of you!” the second-class threatened.

Oh boy, Goten thought. Two meters around the second-class emptied in a blink. It was still not enough as he smashed into people behind him, all of them falling to the ground like tenpins. One of the elites lowered his foot. “Now see, everyone, this is not the right approach,” he tsked.

“No, it really isn’t,” Goten shook his head. “But this one is.”

Goten’s kick in the elite’s stomach took him by surprise and made him heave up his lunch. Goten’s punch found the widened left eye of the elite next to him. 

“Guys, get them! They are only five and there’s about fifty of us!” Goten shouted. “Let’s beat the crap out of them and get the money back!”

A stunned silence followed, during which the sounds of the doubled over elite having a strong disagreement with his lunch were heard. The second elite was shaking his head and trying to get up from the asphalt. A few seconds later shouts and battle-cries shook the laundry.

Exactly three minutes later Goten bent down to the ground to take his scattered clothes. There were many clothes lying around, so it took him some time to find what was his. But when he found his jacket, he was not happy – a sleeve had been nearly torn off during the fight. At least it was his, not Kyon’s uniform. Goten cursed loudly. Holding his mutilated clothes in his arms, he straightened and looked around. The five elites, their pockets already empty, and seventeen second-classes were lying on the asphalt unconscious. Goten scratched the short stubs on his head. He shouldn’t have started that - Ario and Toharu had really been better at this and he hadn’t expected to have a third of them to be simply splattered around.

Goten looked at the ones who were either standing or dragging their friends back into the barracks or to the med bay. There were only several of them left, the rest had fled so as not to get caught after beating up the elites, and others – not as wise as the rest – went into the laundry to wash their clothes. This was going to spread like the smell of rotting meat. Was he really that fucked up in the head to entangle himself in such things? At first there were three elites hunting for him, now an additional five. Ah well, some of them here or there, his life was finished anyway.

Goten clutched the clothes in his arms and fled. To go back to his room, even the barracks, would have been a bad idea thus he turned in the only direction that was available to him – the first barracks. He went to the showers, took the last tub left and set to washing. 

The shower was bustling. Besides the ones having a shower, there were at least five guys who had returned from the incident at the Laundromats and now were washing their clothes with their hands just as Goten did. It was not that their looks were not friendly, far from it, but Goten found it irritating that it seemed that the guys found something amusing in their situation. Technically, he had not exactly been the first to start the fight. He could always say that he was defending that brainless second-class idiot, but… Ah hell, whom was he kidding; he was the first to start the mess. He was going to peel potatoes for the rest of his life.

After washing his and Kyon’s clothes, he easily found Ario’s room since he knew the number. He was surprised to see Toharu sitting on one of the four beds. He was alone in the room. It was plain, just as Goten’s. But it seemed a little tidier. Goten put his washing in the corner by the door and went to sit down on the bed opposite to Toharu’s.

“I live here, you know,” Toharu chuckled after noticing his surprise.

Goten was somewhat taken aback. He had no idea the two lived together. How was this possible? “You two asked to be accommodated together?” he wondered.

“No,” Toharu shook his head. “One of Ario’s roommates suddenly decided,” he made the quotation-marks with his fingers, grinning, “that he didn’t want to live here. And then, for some reason, my roommates wrote a declaration demanding I be kicked out of their room ‘cause I was a perverted sadistic bastard and they could not live a single more day with me. And then it appeared that we could easily just switch places, me and Ario’s roommate that is.” Toharu grinned again.

Goten grinned back but wondered how much of what Toharu’s roommates wrote was pretended and what was true. And Ario had probably just beaten the hell out of his roommate to convince him to change rooms. It would not be that surprising.

“So how do you like it here?” Goten asked.

Toharu shrugged. “Well, it’s fine, I guess. My previous roommates were nicer, though. Besides, one of them was a total hottie!”

“Really?” Ario asked, entering the room. He dropped a large bag onto the bed next to Toharu. The smell of food permeated the room.

“Yeah, remember the one with big puppy eyes, the one who smiled at me all the time?” Toharu picked up the bag and started ransacking through it, apples, potatoes and carrots spilling from it. “He would have done anything for a night with me.”

“Ah, that one,” Ario nodded. “I did a favor for the guy. You really fucked up things there.”

Toharu chuckled then exclaimed happily at the sight of two cans of beer in the bag. He tossed one to Ario. “It’s not my fault he is such a lousy drinker,” he said opening the other can. He offered it for Goten but when he refused, he took a sip. “I was just trying to get him relaxed.”

“Well, if somebody got me stinking drunk, and then I woke up naked and tied up to the flagpole in the middle of the training field, with the view to the headquarters…” Ario muttered, taking a good sip.

Toharu’s head shot up. “What?!” he gapped at Ario.

“Let me add that he was tied up in turtle bondage. Yep, as far as the rumors go, you and your roommates all got drunk, roamed through the base, and then got that cunning idea to tie that poor guy to the flagpole. Well, you know how you get after you have had a bit too much to drink…” Ario sighed. 

Goten’s breath caught in his throat as he envisioned the situation: an early morning, the sun already in the sky, the sirens go off and the guy wakes up. He discovers he is tied to the flagpole in the middle of the still empty field. At first the guy doesn’t understand what is going on then panics and starts struggling to get free to no avail. Then he realizes he is not tied up in a common way… After less than ten minutes savars start gathering for their morning drill and he is still tied up to the flag. Now Goten knew exactly what Ario had meant by saying that Toharu was a dangerous drunk. He was glad the previous time Toharu had just dragged him to his room. It could have ended up much worse. It could have been him instead of that poor guy.

“Oh fuck,” Goten commented.

“That’s putting it mildly,” Toharu said matter-of-factly. He took a swig from his can. “I don’t remember a thing. I know I woke up in my bunk with a horrible headache, but… And I just thought he didn’t talk to me because of the alcohol poisoning he had later. Fuuuuuck…” he groaned, shaking his head. Then he took another swig from his can. “I’ll go apologize or something…” Toharu rubbed his face with his free hand.

Ario patted Toharu on his baldish head. “Sweetheart, I don’t think he’ll want to see your face for quite a while.” Then he decided that he liked the feeling of short re-growing hair and continued to pat until Toharu swatted at his hand. 

“I like your head like this,” Ario chuckled.

“I thought you said you loved my hair long?” Toharu snickered, slapping at Ario’s hand again as he reached out to his head once more.

“Well, sure I did. But variety is good, right?” Ario grinned, patting Toharu’s head again.

For the last three minutes Goten had been inspecting Toharu’s uniform. Just as him, Ario and Toharu had the night’s training, but Toharu’s uniform seemed spotless. “Toharu, did you tell that guy who cut up your jacket to buy you a new one?”

“The hell I need him to buy me a jacket! I took a new set from the warehouse. One of the officers was very helpful.”

“That’s my Toharu!” Ario patted him on the head. “Can get anything with a wiggle of his ass.”

“For fuck’s sake, will you quit with this petting?!” Toharu smacked at him.

Goten observed the bag with food next to Toharu. These were not just random tomatoes or potatoes under someone’s shirt. “Where did you get the food from?” he asked.

“I buy it from one of the chefs in the kitchen,” Ario said. “Have to make sure my woman eats well,” he grinned.

“Were I in your shoes, I’d restrain myself. Just in case you might find your family jewels scattered all over the floor,” Toharu warned him. He took a last swig from his can and tossed it across the room into the bin. It rebounded off the heap of trash and landed in the middle of the room.

“Scary,” Ario commented his eyes following the rolling can. It stopped and Ario lost interest in it. He huffed loudly.

Goten suddenly got the feeling that he was intruding on them. They were alone in the room, other roommates absent. Besides, this constant bantering reminded him of flirting. 

“Am I intruding?” he asked.

“Nah,” Toharu waved off. “I’m about to start having my period anyway. For some two weeks,” he added glaring at Ario.

“Oh, c’mon!” Ario threw his hands up, the beer in his can churning audibly. “It was just an innocent joke!” He gasped and pressed the can to his mouth to slurp off the froth that appeared.

From the way Ario reacted Goten understood that Toharu must have already practiced this kind of control over Ario at least one or two times.

When he left, it was about nine o’clock in the evening. Ario and Toharu had shared a meal with him and he would have been content if not for the thought nagging at the back of head about the incident at the Laundromats. Another thing was that he was somewhat bitter. Maybe not bitter, more likely what he felt was a bit of discontent and jealousy or maybe everything at once. It had been somewhat challenging and tiring to be with Ario and Toharu while the two were the constant inhabitants off their lovey-dovey world.

Once in his room, Goten greeted Kyon who was lying on his bunk and reading a book. After asking whether anyone had been looking for him and reassured that no one had come into the room Goten ransacked his wardrobe until he found a rope. He tied one end to the handle of the window then secured the other end on the knob of the wardrobe. After stretching it out long the whole room he hung out the clothes to dry. 

“I presume that the laundry was out of order?” Kyon drawled. “You needn’t have bothered; I could have washed my clothes myself.”

“No bother at all,” Goten shrugged.

“What happened to your jacket?” Kyon asked, indicating the torn dangling sleeve.

“I was a bit too enthusiastic while washing.”

Kyon turned to look at Goten who picked his way through the clothes then lay down on his bunk, with one leg crossed over the other and his hands placed behind his head. The Saiyan looked completely relaxed. One would never say he had just instigated the beating up of five elites. Kyon scratched the tip of his nose.

“Then I suppose I’ll treat you to something,” Kyon chuckled.

Goten’s right eye opened. This was an appealing idea. What Toharu had cooked was mostly vegetable stew with a tiny morsel of meat in it. “Really? That would be nice. I love roast pork.” He grinned.

“Well, modesty probably is not one of your good qualities,” Kyon chuckled again, nodding. He got up from his bunk.

“Life’s too short for that,” Goten shrugged. Especially with about ten elites hunting for you, his mind supplied. “Actually, what would you think if tomorrow I washed the floor?” he asked. “There’s really a bad smell in here.”

“Oh, I’m all for it,” Kyon nodded. “I thought about a few flowers and curtains. Don’t you think the windows would look much better? And it would be much cozier here.”

Goten had to turn away before answering, otherwise he would have burst out laughing. Trust Kyon to say something like this. He was going to go along with Kyon, just so he would be able to see Daram’s and Roland’s faces after their return.

ooOoOoOoo

The next day was dedicated to washing. After the lessons Goten could be found in his room, bare to his waist, trying to wash off the spots of the floor that had been there since time immemorial. After he had noticed a lot of fleas jumping across the floor, he had added some more washing liquid into the water. He did not know who had lived here earlier but he had fished out half a rotten pizza from under his bed, five condoms from under Daram’s bed, a stack of pornography from under Kyon’s bed (he suspected that it was actually Kyon’s thus returned it where found) and about ten dirty socks from under Roland’s bed. The top drawers of the wardrobes also proved to be stacked with similar goods. It took him two hours to clean it all, but when he was done, the room was hardly recognizable.

After he was done with the room, he stripped his bed and went to the laundry. He was worried but luckily there were no elites at the laundry. It was almost empty, only several savars leaning against the walls and waiting for their laundry to be done. Goten soon figured out that one only needed insert several credits into the slot on a washing-machine, throw the clothes into it and set the mode wanted. Then one could leave the clothes to wash, but he was also aware of possibility of someone stealing the clothes. So he presumed that the only ones who have left their clothes to wash without supervision were elites. Elites were the ones who could find anyone after stealing their clothes. Besides, it was not that easy to use elites’ uniforms and clothes – as the elites were mostly bulkier and got things made of better material – one could not expect people not to notice it.

Goten stuffed the sheets into one of the washing machines, closed the door, turned it on and hopped on top of it. He grinned and playfully saluted one of the guys who was staring at him curiously.

“It should be a good massage,” Goten chuckled. “Either that or I’ll get electrocuted.”

The guy chuckled, too. He frowned. “Hey, you are the one who fought the prince with a sword!” 

Goten sighed inwardly as suddenly he became the most interesting thing in the laundry and the rest of the savars turned to stare at him.

“That was quite some fight…” one of the guys drawled.

Goten shrugged, nodding modestly. “Yeah, such luck for a beginner! Unbelievable!” He shook his head. “I had never held a sword in my hands before. To think I’d ever last a minute against the shaii! I think I was pretty cool, eh?” he winked at them.

Some guys gave him confused stares then some of them broke into knowing grins, others were just left staring at him mistrustfully. Goten hoped there would be no reminisces about another feat of his – the laundry.

“You just look at this. Hasn’t everyone of you been sure that swords are for losers? What’s with that attitude now?”

The clamor fell silent and Goten turned to look at a quite tall and big second-class several washing machines away from him. Goten shrugged, leaning his back comfortably on the wall behind him. He waited for a few seconds but it seemed that the guy’s goal wasn’t to get into a conflict and the others around him didn’t seem to be keen on provoking him either.

“Hell, it’s a first class massage, guys,” Goten said in an unsteady voice after several minutes when the washing machine started twirling and tumbling of his clothes. It was making his vision blurry. “I bet it will have an even greater effect than strong drinks from Matilda.”

“Are you sure it’s better than in Matilda? I was planning on inviting you there.” 

Goten turned his head to the side. He blinked his blurry eyes at the same savar who had previously commented on sword-fighting. He wasn’t that sure but he thought he could remember seeing the guy around, although he hadn’t stuck out earlier. Or maybe it had been someone else. “I thought you hated losers…” Goten drawled, not sure what the guy wanted from him.

“I never said you were one.” 

“Whoohoo! And the atmosphere gets heated!”

Every man in the laundry turned to look at the doorway where Toharu appeared. “Our Goten has just gotten out of the med bay and has already found himself a girlfriend! It seems I worried needlessly.” The short Saiyan was grinning while walking over to Goten. Ario was following him closely with a resigned look on his face.

“Yo!” Toharu smacked Goten on his shoulder after he had slid off the washing machine to face him. “So, you gonna include this lad into our circuits to officers’ club?” he asked, motioning with his head at the tall Saiyan who was still frowning at Toharu for being called a “girlfriend”.

“Don’t force yourself on him, Toharu,” Ario muttered. “Maybe they want some time alone.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “It’s the first time I’ve seen him.”

Toharu grinned at Goten’s newly found friend who looked somewhat dejected after Goten’s words. Toharu’s index finger jumped high into the air. “That can’t be a reason, and you know it,” he winked at Goten.

Goten scratched his head. What the hell was this situation? Everybody was looking at him with obvious expectation but he could not figure out what was expected from him. He looked at Toharu. “Huh?”

“Don’t you “huh” me!” Toharu snapped at him. “This guy here has just invited you on a date! You’re going or what?”

“Oh.” Goten looked at his suitor. “I’m going. If you’re paying,” he added. The tall Saiyan blinked at him, and Goten waved his hands about, realizing he had been misunderstood. “It’s that I checked and there are two credits left on my card. I can’t even buy a mug of beer. I promise to return the money.”

The guy’s mood improved noticeably. “No problem.” He stretched out his hand. “Ranvera Aika.”

Goten shook his hand. “Goten. Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, I know, we are from the same squad,” Ranvera nodded. “Besides, you’ve become quite famous. Especially after helping to liberate the laundry,” he laughed.

Goten groaned. It sounded even worse when others said it. “So we can go after it finishes wa-”

“Bardock? Goten Bardock?”

Everyone turned to the door where the first-in-command appeared.

“Yes, sir?” Goten squeaked out.

“The shaii wants to see you. Now,” he added when Goten threw a quick look at his sheets in the washing machine.

“We’ll look after your clothes,” Ario said.

ooOoOoOoo

The shaii looked at the young man of average height in front of him. There was already considerable stubble of re-growing hair on his head. The shaii walked closer to him. Goten straightened. The shaii was under the impression that Goten wanted to walk backwards and to mold into the wall behind. He noticed a seam on Goten’s left sleeve. The youth was awful at needlework.

“So tell me, Bardock,” the shaii said, “what happened yesterday at the Laundromats?”

“Sir?” Goten’s eyes looked at him questioningly. “Laundromats? Yesterday?”

“You can stop playing innocent. I had it under surveillance because of complaints about extortion. There were video cameras all over the place.”

“Oh.” Goten looked impressed. Then he looked horrified. “Money extortion?! That’s dangerous! Thank you for warning me, sir! Now I’ll know not to go there.”

The prince stood back. Goten’s eyes returned to staring at the opposite wall in front of him. He took a few steps back in order to look at Goten from a bigger distance. 

The savar did not look any more sensible. 

“Sir?”

“Yes?” the prince answered.

“May I request a new jacket, sir?”

Turning away to hide his smile, the shaii walked back to his desk. “You know that we don’t waste money here,” he said calmly after getting comfortable in his seat. “But I am very interested to hear what happened to your old one.”

“Old ones, sir.”

“Old ones?”

“Yes, sir. One was cut by the Masamune, another was torn yesterday.”

“I see. And, naturally, it happened yesterday at the Laundromats where you weren’t present?”

“Exactly, sir.”

“A jacket, you say…” The shaii rocked with his chair. “Aren’t you worried the slightest bit?” he wondered.

“I’m very worried, sir,” Goten nodded, agreeing. “My drill sergeant is not going to like it if I turn up with a torn jacket. He wasn’t too happy about my needlework, either, sir.” He risked a glance at the shaii’s face. It did not seem that purple-hair was angry.

“I did not lie about the video cameras.”

“Very good, sir.”

The shaii scratched his chin. “I suppose you can go,” he said, motioning at the door with his hand. He chuckled inwardly at the wave of relief that passed over Goten’s face.

“What about my jacket, sir?”

“There was a lot of money lying around. Just go to the warehouse and buy yourself a new one.”

“Never seen any money, sir.”

The shaii grinned. “You may go.”

Goten saluted and left the room. The shaii drummed his fingers on the desk idly. He could not figure out the youth. Goten acted like an idiot with a lot of common sense. For example, differently than others, he did not take the money from the elites. The ones who had taken it had been charged with stealing. Technically, Goten did not even start the fight first – in the recording it looked as if he had been defending that second-class. And what followed later was just like an elementary self-defense. Elementary for an elite, not a third-class. 

The shaii drummed on the desk with his fingers again and was left wondering about it all.

TBC


	6. Part 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 1: Officer ranks at Hataro Officer Training School [from the highest to the lowest]:  
>  1\. Taisa [Andera Gendian]  
>  2\. Shaii [Trunks Vegeta]  
>  3\. Shyu  
>  4\. Captain [Laureus Tanko]  
>  5\. Drill sergeant  
>  6\. First-in-command  
>  7\. Second-in-command  
>  8\. savar [anyone attending any officer training school]
> 
> A/N 2: The Saiyan education:  
>  0\. Preparatory school (pupils 8-13 years old)  
>  1\. Paramilitary school (pupils 14-18). From there to --> boot camps (drafts/grunts) or:  
>  2\. Officer training school (savars 18 – 20). From there to --> military posts or:  
>  3\. Commissioned Officer Academy (ranks)

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), the first two scenes beta-read by Ayakaishi Fei, the rest looked over by chris’cut.

Part 6

A knock on the door breached the silence. After permitting the entrance, Andera Gendian raised his head. Seeing that it was the shaii, he lowered the documents he had been reading on the table. 

“Sir,” the shaii saluted.

The superior officer nodded then motioned at the chair opposite his desk. “Sit down. Take a look at these,” he said and pushed a bunch of documents across his desk after the lavender-haired youth had seated himself.

From time to time the School organized survival training and sport contests among other schools and bases, and usually they discussed the organization and realization of events with all staff representatives. Therefore the prince wondered why the taisa had personally invited him to familiarize himself with these documents.

Seeing that the prince had continued to read the documents past the first page, the taisa cleared his throat. “Does Horuisa’s surname ring a bell?”

The shaii stared at him for a few seconds then dropped the documents into his lap and rubbed his face with his hands. To believe it a coincidence would be na?ve. A moment later, he leafed through the documents back to the first page. Longdam’s Officer Training School. Even if he knew what he would find there, his eyes took in the list of head-officers. He found Horuisa Fuujima’s surname and name in the first row. The man was a shaii.

“So he really does run to his daddy when his pants are full.”

The taisa drummed his fingers on the desk. “I doubt it was the boy’s initiative. His son was expelled, and it is no wonder that Fuujima took the matters into his hands. Your ranks are equal thus you should be prepared for a surprise during the games.”

The prince stood up. “I’m sorry for the trouble,” he apologized with a bow of his head.

“No worries, no worries,” the taisa waved off. “I was about to apply to Alandero base looking for an opportunity to arrange a few friendly sport games but Longdam saved me the trouble.”

Guiltily, the shaii shifted from one foot to another. He raised the documents. “Can I take them for a thorough look?”

“Yes, of course, just tell the secretary to make twenty copies of it. Tell him to bring me the original back. We’ll gather to decide whether to accept the proposal or not tomorrow after all of the head officers have acquainted themselves with it.”

“Yes, sir,” the prince saluted.

ooOoOoOoo

Standing at attention for morning inspection was hellish; Goten wished he knew a way to squat down while staying standing. There were many rows of savars, but it was apparent as the drill sergeant came closer that his route was leading him inexorably towards Goten. Goten was sure this was going to become every morning’s routine.

“Ah,” the drill sergeant drawled, his eyes set on Goten’s sleeve, “take a look, everyone, we have another demonstration of unrivaled needlework again.”

Forty-five savars’ heads turned towards Goten.

“Silence in the rows!” the drill sergeant bellowed to calm down the bouts of suppressed laughter and giggles. He motioned with his head. “This time it’s the right sleeve, I see.” 

“Yes, sir,” Goten confirmed.

“Let me ask you, Bardock. What are you doing with your uniforms?”

“I’m using them according to their purpose, sir!”

The drill sergeant opened his mouth again but then closed it. To ask what their purpose was would have been pointless. Everyone knew what their purpose was. He gave Goten an appraising look then dug his finger through the seams into the hole.

“It seems to me that we have a different understanding of what their purpose is,” he growled out, ripping off the sleeve again. “Tomorrow I want to see you in a new uniform! Now thirty laps around the base!”

“Yes, sir!” Goten saluted, already jogging in place.

While running his first circle, Goten was puzzling his head over where he was going to get a new uniform. He had no money. His father had given him a bit over a thousand credits for a start. This was plenty, but not when you got a fine of a thousand credits for raising your ki. He could probably just ask his father to transfer some more money, but that did not feel right. It was his, not his father’s problem. He would have to somehow survive a week until they were paid.

Kyon was about the same size. Or should he just borrow the money and buy the damn thing?

Thirty circles proved to be quite a difficulty. Goten looked around for a shaded spot. Panting, he leaned against the outer wall of the med bay. From afar, he could hear commands being hollered. Goten squinted at the sizzling sun above. There were worlds where the sun wasn’t as scorching. Becoming a spaceship pilot would open ways to visiting many of them. The qualifications tests were going to start in two weeks’ time. This was probably one of those times when he really wanted to take part in something.

Goten swallowed. His throat felt as if it was on fire. What he wouldn’t give for a gulp of water. Still two circles to go. He had been running for a little more than two hours already. He pushed himself off the wall and continued running. When he made a turn and started nearing the headquarters, he heard someone shouting his surname. He turned his head to see two officers watching him from afar through an open window. Although he could not make out their faces, one of them was easy to identify with the purple blob around his head.

“Ten more laps for stopping earlier!”

“Yes, sir!” Goten saluted. “You godmotherfucking piece of a sergeant,” he cursed under his breath, glaring at them from the corner of his eye.

The drill sergeant watched Goten’s receding back. “I think he has just cursed at me.” He hoisted himself over the windowsill. “Additional five laps, seamstress!” he shouted.

“He’ll be late for his lessons,” the shaii noted.

“Who the heck cares,” the sergeant snorted, pulling himself back into the study. “He’s got more strength than brains anyway. This is what I meant, sir. Thirty laps is just a picnic to him. It is doubtful he’s a second-class.”

The shaii walked back to his desk and sat down. His mouth wanted to say that Goten was actually a third-class but decided against it and he merely shrugged in response instead. Things were already getting out of hand and he didn’t want to complicate the matter any further.

“There are a few very gifted second-classes among us,” the shaii said. 

The drill sergeant gave his superior a skeptical look. “There indeed are, sir, but Goten Bardock is not one of them,” he insisted. “The lad is no second-class. The most likely version is that he is a half-breed – a very successful one at that.”

The prince nodded. This was what he had checked first. The documents indicated that he was a pure third-class – his parents were both third-classes. According to which, Goten was nothing more and nothing less – just a third-class. However, documentation was not always the most accurate source of truth.

“Yes, I’ll immediately look into this matter. Thank you for informing me.”

The drill sergeant saluted and left the room. The prince ruffled through his hair then leaned back into the chair, sighing. Then his eyes caught a part of the document from Longdam base. He rolled his eyes upwards to stare at the ceiling and started rocking with his chair. First, he was going to deal with the idiot family. Goten could wait.

ooOoOoOoo

“Godmotherfuckingcocksuckingasshole,” Goten groaned, falling into his bunk. He had been late for first two lessons. He came in the middle of the second one, the lecturer giving him a nasty look. Goten was almost certain that the lecturer was going to remember his face during exams. Then, during the drill after the lessons, the sergeant continued to give him menacing stares. He managed to survive all that but was now left with an hour before his kitchen duty and had yet to do something about a new uniform.

“Kyon?”

“Yeah?” Kyon asked, without raising his head from a book he was reading.

“Can you lend me your uniform?”

“No can do.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I have a horrible premonition that as soon as I lend it to you something bad will happen to it.”

“I see. You have a point here. Can you lend me some money to buy one?”

“Sorry to disappoint you but I don’t have enough money to buy one.”

“Ah shit.”

“Maybe you should ask Ario with Toharu, or your fuck buddy.”

“Ranvera is not my fuck buddy.”

“You could still ask him money.”

Goten sighed. “What are you reading there?”

“A recipe book.”

“We have no food.”

“One can never know when a deer would drop from the sky.”

Goten chuckled. “Well, yes, I’ve noticed that you’re ready for all transmutations of fortune.”

Finally, Kyon raised his head to give him a meaningful look. “I have six brothers and two sisters. Nobody ever asks me if I am ready or not.”

“Oh. And you are the eldest, of course?”

Kyon nodded. “Yeah.”

Goten smiled; it was obvious. Then his thoughts returned to his uniforms. Now his only remaining options were Toharu and Ario. Well, yes, he could ask Ranvera but that meant he would be indebted. Although he would also be indebted to Toharu or Ario, should he ask either of them, borrowing money from Ranvera involved a somewhat different kind of “pay back” and not entirely restricted to monetary means. This was such a pain in the ass.

“So he is not your fuck buddy?”

“Huh?” Goten blinked, his thoughts resurfacing from his preoccupation with uniforms. “No,” he shook his head, “not yet.” He grinned. “All we did was just have a few friendly drinks.”

“Not yet? Then you’re going to make him one?”

Goten was somewhat taken aback by the insistent questioning. “N-no, I don’t think so,” he said truthfully.

“So you are not interested in him?”

“Mm…” Goten shrugged. “We just had a few drinks, that’s all.”

“He’s serious about getting into your pants. It won’t always end with only a few friendly drinks with him.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “That’s… Even if it won’t, what concern is it to you?”

“I’m asking if you’re interested in him. If you’re not, I’d take my chances.”

“Your chances? With him?”

Kyon snorted, “No, with you, idiot.”

Goten gave him a surprised look, fighting down the blush that threatened to appear on his face. “Oh. Well, you know – finders keepers. And I think he found me first.”

Amused, Kyon shook his head. “Heck, you’re a damn tease.”

Goten laughed. “So, let’s discuss that uniform question again.”

“You what? …Would prostitute yourself for a uniform?”

“That’s a suggestion worth consideration but no, I just thought I could invite you to _Matilda_ or something. An exchange, you know?”

“And it wouldn’t be a date, right?”

Goten chuckled. “Right.”

“I really never would have thought you were such a player. And to think you don’t even have the money to pay for drinks!”

“I’d borrow some.”

“Then borrow some for a uniform.”

Goten whined, flailing with his hands dramatically, “Aw, c’mon, give me a break.” He ducked the recipe book that Kyon threw at him.

“Alright, take that uniform, but if you ruin it…”

“…I’ll buy you a new one,” Goten finished for him. “Thanks! You’re my favorite roommate!”

Kyon rolled his eyes. “Oh spare me. And pass me the book, will you?”

Goten took the book that had landed behind him on his pillow. He raised it above his head. Then he changed his mind and chucked it at Kyon.

Kyon caught it. He gave Goten a searching look. “I thought you’d make me come and get it. What, afraid that a little scramble might end in a few compromising positions?”

Goten’s facial expression became somewhat sly. He widened his eyes to feign surprise. “No way! …A few compromising positions would add some variety to my dull life. But you’ve already lent me the uniform. Why bother, then? Let’s save those compromising positions for later.”

Kyon rolled his eyes again at the cheap play. He watched Goten scrambling out of the bed. “Going to change uniforms now?”

“No. This one’s,” Goten tugged at his nearly torn off sleeve, “perfect for peeling potatoes. Like work clothes, you know.”

Kyon opened his book again to the recipe he had been going through. “Sure.” He raised his head at the click of the door closing behind Goten. “Damn cock-teaser,” he muttered before resuming his reading.

The staff already knew Goten thus nobody paid much attention to him when he swept past long metallic tables and stopped at the corner where potatoes had already been readied for troublemakers of today or, in some cases, from earlier. A few people used to be extremely curious as to why he kept coming over and over and asked what he had done. After he had explained that it was because of such boring reasons as having health problems then powering up without permission, everyone lost interest in him again. And Goten was just fine with being ignored.

This time Goten was first to get to the kitchen. He found a piece of cellophane lying about, sat down on it and got to work. From time to time, he would raise his head to watch the staff cleaning up tables and ovens for the night. The females arrived ten minutes later. They greeted quite warmly, gathered around him and then, while peeling potatoes, started sharing the latest gossips and news. 

“Ah, so this is why you don’t seem to mind kitchen duty so much…”

Goten raised his head and saw Ranvera standing in the middle of the empty kitchen; the staff had left ten minutes ago. He was carrying his laptop. For some reason Ranvera hardly ever parted with it except during drills or in the showers. “What are you doing here?” Goten wondered.

Ranvera cast his eyes over the eight females who were blatantly ignoring him. Five of them were elites. He was not sure how he should behave. “I thought you might be bored and would appreciate to have someone to talk to.”

Goten was somewhat uneasy. “I always appreciate everyone I can have a nice chat with.”

“So it seems, so it seems,” Ranvera nodded, taking in the females again. “Hello.”

“Watcha staring so pissedly at?” the ringleader growled at the second-class. “He’s all yours for all I care.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Ranvera chuckled, determined to avoid a conflict. “Then you won’t mind if I join you?”

The elite’s eyes were telling him that she would, and quite seriously. At a loss, he looked at Goten. The younger male’s lips stretched into an amused smile. “Don’t mind her. She’s a softie inside. She just broke my tail because she was sure I was peeping at her girls in the showers.”

Ranvera’s breath caught in his throat. “Broke your tail?!”

For a moment it looked as if the elite would want to smack Goten upside the head. Then she just snorted. “Yeah, sit down, lover boy,” she addressed Ranvera, shifting to make some space. She grinned at him and patted the space on the floor next to her. 

Ranvera gave her a polite smile. “I think I’ll just sit down near Goten.” 

The elite shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

As her eyes left him, Ranvera breathed a sigh of relief. Goten chuckled. He moved over closer to the wall and winked secretly at the elite. She grinned back at him. One was forced to be nasty to be able to survive in the environment where all other beings were only horny men ruled by their dicks. They had to be put in their place before they got out of hand, or pants.

Once sitting on the floor, Ranvera opened his laptop.

“Any porn by chance?” one of the females asked.

Ranvera raised his head to look at her. “Any particular interests?” he finally asked as nine pairs of eyes peered eagerly at the screen of his laptop.

She shrugged. “Not particularly. Just well-hung.”

Goten could hardly suppress his laughter. Ranvera cleared his throat and switched his attention back to the screen. “I’ll see what I can find.”

Goten stretched his neck to watch Ranvera browsing through his files. He exclaimed, “Whoa! Quite a collection you have here!”

Ranvera turned the laptop sideways from him and hunched over the screen. 

“Are those your private stock?” Goten teased.

The older male did not look up. “So did you buy a uniform?”

Goten’s peeler faltered at the question then he sighed. “So you heard about that too.” He finished peeling a potato and tossed it into a bucket with water. Then he leaned closer to the pile of potatoes to grab a few more.

“Well, yes,” Ranvera nodded, “we are in the same squad after all. Besides, with Sergeant’s yelling carrying across the entire field, you can be sure that everyone within a mile radius of him has also heard.”

“Yeah,” Goten agreed, “that’s about right probably. But as I don’t have enough money to buy a uniform, I borrowed one from Kyon.”

“Kyon?” Ranvera’s eyes concentrated on one certain file; it seemed he found what he had been looking for. But even though his eyes did not leave the screen, Goten sensed the older male’s interest was not on the file but rather in his roommate. He groaned mentally – the last thing he needed was a catfight between two friends he was neither attracted to.

“My roommate, about the same build as me. Oh right, you probably don’t know him. He’s in the same squad as us. Kyon Hikaru.”

“I see. That was nice of him. You probably get along pretty well with your roommates, don’t you?”

“Well,” Goten drawled, “with the majority of them.”

Ranvera chuckled. “The majority being two of them? What’s wrong with the third?”

“Let’s say on the very first day he triggered a series of unfortunate events during which I had my tail broken.”

Ranvera’s eyebrows rose. “Yes, I see how this would make you cross with him.” He leaned closer to Goten. “Listen,” he whispered, “are we really going to watch porn here?”

Goten shrugged, his face perfectly innocent. “But that’s what the lady wanted.”

“Doesn’t anyone come to supervise you?”

“Used to when we started, now they don’t. We just have to be done with this pile,” with his peeler, he motioned to the stack behind him, “of potatoes by about twelve o’clock and return the key to the provost marshal in the headquarters. How we do that, is our problem.”

“I see.” Ranvera looked around at the females. He sniffed the air. He leaned towards Goten’s left ear again. “But they…doesn’t it disturb you already, their scents?” he whispered softly. “Don’t you want to just flatten a few of them on their backs?”

From the corner of his eyes, Goten looked at the elite female that was sitting next to him. “Not really. I got used to it.” Though the female hardly showed any reaction, Goten knew that despite Ranvera trying to keep it down, she must have heard. He concentrated back on the potato in his hands. “Besides, I dare you to try. I’d be interested to see how you manage to gather your broken limbs afterwards.”

The effect on Ranvera was opposite from what Goten had expected. The older male grinned at him shrewdly. “This porn might help create a mutual interest.”

“Yes,” Goten nodded, “an interest in mutually beating the crap out of you.”

The elite female at Goten’s side sniggered approvingly.

“You are no fun,” Ranvera muttered, moving away from Goten. “Where’s your spirit?”

“My spirit is safely zipped up in my pants.”

Ranvera sighed. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

“Hey, where’s our porn?” the ringleader demanded. “You’re taking awfully long.”

“Yes, yes, ma’am, showing it already.” He looked around the kitchen then stood up and walked over to the table further. He put his laptop on it. There was an electric outlet at the wall and he plugged his laptop in as he suspected that he might be in need of more power than his laptop battery had to offer. He clicked on the movie to start it and began regulating the volume.

“Hey, I can’t see a thing from here.”

“It will strain my neck!”

Goten took in the complaining audience. All eight women had formed a semicircle with him sitting at the center. All of them were immensely interested in Ranvera’s collection. He sighed. Five of them were elites, and three second-classes. They didn’t know that he was a third-class, so maybe he could finally get laid? He sighed again. Who was he kidding? He would not do that to them. But damn…this was getting frustrating. One night he had tried jerking off in his room but then had become aware of Kyon’s bed creaking in tune with his. They had come almost simultaneously and since then he had never tried to masturbate in the room. The only place left for that were the showers. The entire situation was annoying him.

“Why don’t we take a few benches from the canteen?” Goten suggested.

The suggestion was met enthusiastically, Ranvera hit the pause, and a few females went to get benches. The door that led to the canteen from outside was always locked for the night, but the ones from the kitchen never were. There was nothing much to steal actually, only tables, benches and curtains. 

Once two benches were brought, they sat down to watch the movie. It was about a Saiyan male who had just recently moved to one of the Saiyan colonies. It seemed that it actually had a plot, even if it had lasted only first five minutes before he began making contacts with local women.

“Ye gods,” Goten exclaimed. “That’s one heck of a dick!”

“Shhh!” someone shushed him. 

Pants and gasps started wafting from the laptop. The lead actor leaned to whisper into the actress ear. 

“What’s he saying, what’s he saying?”

“I think he said she has a good pussy.”

“Eww.”

“Why? She really has a good pussy. You just look at the color! …Never seen a blue pussy in my life!”

“That’s because she’s an Almander, idiot!”

“Shh!”

“She’s not an Almander. I think she’s a Nectarine.”

“Nectarines have yellowish skin, you idiot.”

The ringleader’s head snapped to Goten and Ranvera. “Will you two shut the fuck up?!”

Goten and Ranvera hushed. Goten tried to continue peeling potatoes then his eyes went to the laptop again. His hair stood on end.

“What the hell is with this pose?!”

“Well, you see, Nectarines are very flexible. I heard they can even relocate some of their bones.”

“I told you she’s not a Nectarine!”

“But she’s not an Almander either.”

“Oh my god!”

“Ouch. That must have hurt.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” the elite ringleader groaned. “Then put something on with men fucking men!”

“Nah,” Goten shook his head. “Let’s finish this one. It’s very…educational.”

“Go study math, golden boy, if it’s education you’re after!”

“Oooh, Goten, I could educate you lots,” Ranvera’s voice rumbled in pretended passion. 

“Shhh!”

They hushed. Several minutes later Goten felt he was getting into it. Ranvera also seemed to be empathizing with the main actor. The women had forgotten potatoes. A few of them were glancing at him and Ranvera. The scent of arousal was floating in the air. It doubtlessly had more influence on stirring him and Ranvera up than the movie. 

Engrossed in the movie they were watching, nobody noticed the door to the kitchen slowly swinging open. Through a crack, three pairs of eyes peeped. Abruptly, the door was flung open with a wham. 

“Oh my god! They’re watching porn! Watching porn and nobody invited me!” Toharu screamed in rage at such a betrayal. He lowered his foot and threw both his hands above his head, swinging the bags he had been carrying. The sound of bottles rattling could be heard. “I can’t believe this! And here we thought you were bored out of your mind! Watching porn and having all these females for yourself! You devious bastard!”

“Who’s that?” the ring-leader pointed at Toharu.

The same second-class female who wanted to watch porn clapped her hands excitedly. “Who the heck cares; he’s got booze!”

The ringleader threw her a look. “Riiight,” she drawled. 

“Crap! Hit the pause, hit the pause, someone!”

“Shit!”

“Not to worry, we’ll just rewind.”

“Move, sweetheart, don’t hog the spotlight,” Ario said pushing Toharu out of the doorway. He was also carrying a bag. “Hi,” he nodded.

“Hello,” Kyon greeted. He smelled the air then took in the audience. His eyes concentrated on Goten then on Ranvera beside him. Goten waved at him.

With a peeler, he pointed at Kyon. “This is my roommate, Kyon. Those two, Toharu and Ario, are friends.”

“That’s quite a large support group you have here, golden boy,” the ringleader commented. Her gaze slid over the bags Toharu and Ario were carrying. She motioned with her head, “So what’s in there?”

“Booze!” Toharu jingled the bags to prove his words. “Right from _Matilda_!”

“How did you get it? …They sell only a bottle per savar.”

Toharu’s bright grin almost blinded her. “I have my resources.”

“Okay,” Kyon grabbed a bag from Toharu’s hand. “Who wants a drink?” Without waiting for any answer, he walked over to the circle. He started taking bottles out of the bag. “Wine anyone? Twelve credits. You can pay later without interest,” he offered, after looking at the label. He took out a few other bottles. “Rum? Twenty credits. Whiskey? Beer?” He started distributing the liquors and soon every female had something to suit her taste. Meanwhile Toharu and Ario had brought one more bench from the canteen and seated themselves.

Kyon held out a bottle for Goten who was sitting speechless, unable to believe what was happening around him. “I know you prefer whiskey. My treat,” he added as Goten seemed to hesitate.

Goten took the bottle. “Thanks, Kyon.” This wasn’t going to end well. His trained trouble radar was beeping rather loudly in his head. It started wailing like a siren as Kyon started wedging into the rather tiny space next to him, making the elite female who had been sitting beside move sideways. Luckily for Kyon she didn’t protest much and in no time Goten found himself squeezed in between Ranvera and Kyon. He started unscrewing his whiskey. This was going to be a long night. He had to somehow make sure these busybodies left the kitchen before twelve o’clock.

“Cheers,” Kyon clicked their bottles together as soon as Goten unscrewed the cap.

Ranvera watched them drink then laughed silently to himself and took a swig out of his bottle. He remembered Kyon’s face. Mostly probably because he had seen Kyon hanging around Goten quite a few times. Ranvera motioned at his laptop on the table. “Let the movie play further.”

Goten lowered the bottle down to the floor and grabbed a few potatoes. The movie went on. 

“So what’s been happening so far?” Toharu asked, getting comfortable next to Ario.

“A lot of fucking!” the ringleader snapped at him. “It’s porn, for gods’ sake! What else did you expect to be happening?”

Toharu shrugged and saluted her with his bottle. “Lots of fucking’s just fine with me.”

“Hey, you should work on those potatoes faster or you won’t be done until morning,” Ranvera warned. “Goten here,” he wrapped his arm over the younger Saiyan’s shoulders playfully, “won’t manage to do it all by himself even if I have great belief in him.”

“We’re working, working,” came mumblings from the females.

Goten suppressed a sigh. Ranvera’s arm stayed on his shoulders like glued. He leaned forward to grab his whiskey. The arm slid off his shoulders then down his back and settled on his waist. Goten leaned back and took a few gulps. Finders keepers, right? Nonetheless, he wished Ranvera had stuck to his plan on creating the mutual interest between him and the females. But, as most of them were elites, the older male probably thought he had more chances with him than with any of the females.

“Hey, guys,” Goten interrupted gasps and pants wafting from the laptop. He waved with his bottle in the air. “If we want to keep this up, you’d better offer some help because we know how porn and booze work. This includes all loving friends of mine.”

“Oh, man,” Toharu whined, but stood up anyway and went to the door where a box filled with peelers was standing. “They surely have stocked up on these,” he muttered. “Pity.” He returned carrying four peelers and distributed them to Ario, Kyon, and Ranvera.

The movie went on for another half-hour. The atmosphere was getting thick. But Goten was relieved to see that even if slowly, the work was getting done. He did not want to get another two months of kitchen duty. He was buzzed himself. He found he did not mind Ranvera’s hand slipping under his jacket and slightly stroking his back. It felt surprisingly very pleasant. The ending of the movie was also nice, the main character returning to Vegeta-sei with his newly found mate.

The audience demanded more and Ranvera played another one. Ranvera had probably decided that the atmosphere had heated up enough but at the same time was relaxed because this time it was about a woman who had been notified that her mate had died in battle and found herself a new partner. But then it appeared that her mate wasn’t dead, so now she had sex with both of them. Sometimes at once. Then the men developed feelings for each other but they also loved the female.

About ten minutes into the movie, Ranvera’s hand slid from under Goten’s jacket to gently fondle his tail, which was wrapped around his waist. Goten’s happy smile faltered and his head turned to the older man. Ranvera motioned for him to look around. Of course, Goten had noticed that the females were restless, with the three of them with bulging pants. And the scents…the kitchen was filled with pheromones. Toharu and Ario were missing but Goten could hear them in the canteen, right behind the door. There was no doubt as to what they were doing. Goten considered this and decided that he felt a little envious of them. Finally, he shrugged and the hand on his tail continued its petting while he went on peeling potatoes.

Because the attention he received felt blissfully relaxing, Goten leaned contentedly against Ranvera. This outcome, where Goten was just smiling ecstatically and somehow was giving an impression that he wanted to curl up into a ball right on the bench and purr, somewhat surprised Ranvera. Apparently, intoxication worked on Goten differently than he had expected. While Goten appeared to be fond of physical contact, the alcohol seemed to make him more placid rather than horny. Ranvera checked the bottle of whiskey Goten was drinking. More than a half was missing. This was going to take just a little bit more effort than he had expected. At least Kyon wasn’t interfering and was just – even if mournfully and with occasional glares thrown at him – drinking his tequila.

The door from the canteen opened as both Toharu and Ario reentered the kitchen. Another gust of pheromones spread into the kitchen, making the savars stare at the pair. A second later, everyone’s heads turned back to the screen. Ario and Toharu took their places on the bench but a few minutes later Toharu stood up.

“Is there something edible here?” he asked. “I always get hungry after a good fuck.”

“And this is a piece of information I would have perfectly done without!” the leader snapped at him. She took a swig from her bottle. Toharu tried to decipher the name of what she was drinking but it was too far and the lettering was too small. It was transparent, though. “Damn males, can’t sit still even for ten minutes!” She belched loudly. “Always looking where to stick their-”

“The fridge is over there,” Goten interrupted the rant. “But it’s locked.” He suddenly became aware of Kyon closely watching what Ranvera’s hand was doing to his tail. This felt somehow…hot. Goten blinked at the unexpected discovery in his tastes.

“You mean this one?” Toharu knocked with his knuckles on the white door. He took in the bulging lock in his palm, gauging its weight. Any thought was cut short when his fuzzy mind lost to the growling stomach. “Ario, babe, come here,” Toharu called.

“What, do you want me to kick it in?”

“No, idiot. I can kick it in myself. Give me your belt,” he held out his hand.

“Toharu, you’re drunk and we both know that whatever you’re going to do is not a good idea,” Ario said.

“I’m not in the least bit drunk!” Toharu denied quite vehemently. “Now give me the damn belt or no sex for two weeks and I mean it!”

“Here, sweetheart,” Ario bared his teeth in a sarcastic grin. “Anything else? Maybe the last shirt off my back? My boots? My heart to trample on?”

“Oh, shut up, you drunkard!” Toharu took the belt and started fusing at the lock. “Here we go,” he said a minute later taking the lock off the door. Then he tossed the belt back for Ario.

Ranvera blinked at the short Saiyan. He wondered if Toharu did safes. There was something he wanted to get from the safe in the headquarters. From his first impression of that safe, he presumed he would be able to crack the programmed lock in about three minutes but there was also a mechanical lock to consider. He was not that good with substantial things.

“Why the hell did you need my belt when you yourself have one?” Ario wondered while threading his belt through the loops.

Toharu turned around to face his lover and pointed with his index finger at Ario’s chest. “Because I’m sexually harassing you.”

Ario’s eyebrows wiggled playfully. “I see. I like being sexually harassed by you. The more the better. Harass me more!”

Their voices disappeared into the walk-in refrigerator. In a few moments they appeared carrying a cooled chicken and two loaves of bread. Toharu kicked the door shut.

“Hey, Kyon,” he called. “I think I remember seeing you reading a cookbook. What about this?” he raised the chicken and dangled it in the air. “There’re also plenty of vegetables and sauces. Nobody will ever notice that we took this scrawny chick.”

Intrigued, Kyon walked over to Toharu. “Just today I read an interesting recipe with chicken and carrots and-”

“Eww,” Toharu scrunched his nose, “please no carrots.”

“Maybe potatoes, then?” Kyon suggested. “Oh yes! Potatoes and a lemon! We have plenty of peeled potatoes already! It will take only a sec!” Eager, he went after the two Saiyans to the stove then the clangs and knocks followed as they were searching for the right utensils.

A little alarmed, Goten raised his hand to stop them. “Hey, hey, guys! Isn’t this a bit too much?” They were nearly done with potatoes already and one of the females was already cleaning up and gathering potato skins into a bucket but still... 

“Aw, c’mon, leave them,” Ranvera waved it off dismissively. “We still have more than an hour left. Nobody will ever know.” With his head he motioned at the fridge. “There are probably hundreds of those chickens in there.” 

Goten was torn between letting them do what they wanted and kicking them out. Considering they came to make sure he was not lonely, and even brought booze, kicking them out seemed a heartless thing to do. “You think?” he asked Ranvera.

Somewhat impatient, Ranvera resumed to pet Goten’s tail. There were just too many distractions tonight. All he had wanted was to just spend a nice calm evening with Goten. “Yes, I’m pretty sure,” he said. Well, in case anything happened, it was Toharu and Ario who broke into the fridge. And Kyon who cooked the damn thing. And it probably would be Goten who would eat it. Ranvera groaned mentally.

“Yes, yes, I’m pretty sure,” he confirmed impatiently.

Toharu was having a blast. He had always liked partying. And he had always been keen on eating palatable foods and watching porn, too. He had just had sex and also found someone to cook his food for him. He was really having a blast tonight, now if he could just figure out where they kept cooking oil… 

Ario chopped the chicken into smaller chunks then washed potatoes and carrots. Rapturous, he watched Kyon slice and dice vegetables. The guy was a professional. Ario took a few gulps of beer from his bottle then turned to look at how his lover was doing. He groaned. “Oh man, Toharu, which bottle is this already?”

“Mmm… The third?”

Ario slapped himself on his forehead. From all species, Saiyans were probably the best at holding their liquor but Toharu was surpassing all limits. He could probably even breathe the darn thing.

They put the chicken into the oven, closed its door, sat down near the oven and started waiting. With a wistful expression on his face, Toharu took a few gulps from his bottle. “Did I just see carrots in there? Oh man!”

Somewhere halfway the movie, Goten finished his bottle of whiskey and potatoes. He looked around. The females had been quite resistant to porn but the liquor had taken its toll. They had joined the other three males at the oven. The clamor was unbelievable, everyone shouting and laughing, heavy flirting taking place. It was just pure luck that the kitchen was quite isolated being located among the garage, spaceship hangar and warehouse which were void of people at night. Goten chuckled drunkenly as he noticed Kyon’s hand stroking one of second-class female’s thigh.

Interested in the source of Goten’s reaction, Ranvera followed his look. “Aren’t you jealous?”

“What? Of Kyon? Why should I be jea-” Goten faltered. “Well…maybe a little.”

Goten was pouting! Ranvera could bet he was jealous not of Kyon but of the attention Kyon was getting. This was so adorable. Ranvera grabbed the younger male by his shoulders and turned to face him. “You’ve been driving me crazy this past week. And you know it because you’ve been doing that intentionally. Don’t laugh, dammit! Now I’m going to kiss you and you’re going to let me, right?”

Goten’s laughter stopped. He seemed to hesitate at first then grinned. “Can I think this over?”

“No.”

“Mmm… So I don’t get a say in this?”

“Nope.”

When Goten did not look upset Ranvera leaned in. Goten closed his eyes as the older male’s lips brushed over his. Ranvera’s hand pressed to the back of his neck. His other hand slid down Goten’s shoulder and to the small of his back to bring them as close as possible in their sitting position. In a minute, Ranvera broke the kiss. Dazed, Goten opened his eyes.

“Is something wrong?” Ranvera asked

Goten blinked at him. “Eh? No, not really. Oh, you…about this. Sorry, I just haven’t been kissing that much, so probably I’m awful at it.”

“I see. Yeah, I was actually wondering why you suck at this so much.”

“Now you’re hurting my feelings,” Goten muttered. He wiped the saliva off his lips with the back of his hand.

“What? Really?”

“Nah, but I need to get another bottle.” Goten stood up.

Ranvera watched him walking over to one of the bags lying on the floor. He was startled when suddenly Kyon dropped on Goten’s place on the bench. 

“What’s up?”

Ranvera scratched the stubs on his head. “Well, a certain thing’s up and I’d appreciate that you’d leave me alone before it gets down.”

Kyon looked down at Ranvera’s crotch. “Yeah,” he agreed. “We would not want this guy to be down, do we, now?”

Goten unscrewed the cap of the new bottle, took a few gulps and wanted to go back to his bench then saw Kyon sitting next to Ranvera. The two of them seemed busy discussing something. He had no wish to intervene. Sighing, he went to the group, which was sitting by the oven. He leaned on a long table and listened to the jokes and overall silliness of drunk savars. Toharu really knew how to lead a party. 

After turning around to look at the bench one more time Goten saw Ranvera and Kyon kissing. And it was not just some kissing, they looked as if they wanted to swallow each other. “Well, fuck me!” Goten muttered in surprise. He took another swig. Someone patted him on his shoulder in sympathy. Goten turned to see the ringleader. She patted him again then lowered her bottle on the table Goten was leaning on.

“Ah well, you know, friends come and go,” she said. “Women stay.”

Goten shook his head and barfed loudly. “No, actually they also go.”

“Ah well,” the elite sighed. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “I’ll stay,” she slurred.

Goten took his bottle in another hand to be able to wrap his newly freed hand over her shoulders as well. It was long ago he had felt such camaraderie. His lower lip started trembling as he was moved to tears. A clonk echoed as they smashed their bottles together.

“And let’s drink to this!” Goten raised his bottle to drain it dry.

“Yeah!”

TBC


	7. Part 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball BZ – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings. 
> 
> A/N 1: Officer ranks at Hataro Officer Training School [from the highest to the lowest]:  
> 1\. Taisa [Andera Gendian]  
> 2\. Shaii [Trunks Vegeta]  
> 3\. Shyu  
> 4\. Captain [Laureus Tanko]  
> 5\. Drill sergeant  
> 6\. First-in-command  
> 7\. Second-in-command  
> 8\. Savar [anyone attending any officer training school]
> 
> A/N 2: The Saiyan education:  
> 0\. Preparatory school (pupils 8-13 years old)  
> 1\. Paramilitary school (pupils 14-18). From there to --> boot camps (drafts/grunts) or:  
> 2\. Officer training school (savars 18 – 20). From there to --> military posts or:  
> 3\. Commissioned Officer Academy (ranks)

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by Ayakaishi Fei

Part 7

The party was in full swing. Goten decided he did not care in the least what Kyon and Ranvera were doing on that bench at the back of the kitchen. He was glad to be rid of them and he joyfully joined in Toharu’s party. From time to time he checked his wristband to make sure they left the building in time. As soon as the food was done, the dishes washed and the empty bottles stuffed back into the bags, he planned to kick everyone out, lock the door and return the key to the provost marshal as if nothing ever happened. Goten rejoiced – this sounded like a wonderful plan and – together with some more alcohol – washed off any traces of the uneasiness he had been feeling earlier.

At some point Toharu complained that the chicken was taking too long, besides it would be nowhere near enough for thirteen people – also he hated carrots – and so he had decided to order a pizza. He knew he had seen a cable telephone somewhere. He wandered off to the other end of the kitchen. Ah, there it was.

Toharu smiled blissfully as arms wrapped around his waist and large hands settled on his stomach. Ario kissed the top of his baldish head.

“Toharu, sweetheart, whom are you calling?”

“Pizza delivery.”

Confused, Ario watched him dial the number. Pizza was the latest fashion overtaken from the Terrans, and it was currently very popular on Vegeta-sei. He lowered his head on his lover’s shoulder. “There’s a pizza delivery on the base?” he wondered. 

Toharu pointed at a piece of paper stuck to the pillar on which the telephone was hanging. There was a drawing of a pizza and a number scribbled down on it. Ario hummed in response then turned his head and gently bit Toharu on his earlobe. They shared a short kiss then Ario went back to the partying savars. They had only half an hour left till midnight, so he wanted to use the rest of the time wisely, which included his plans to empty the rest of the bottles.

Ten minutes later, after Toharu had called the pizza delivery, Goten woke up to the sound of someone shouting. “…the hell?” he muttered. He raised his head to look around then blinked as someone grabbed him by the scruff of his collar and raised his upper half of the body. He felt dizzy. Then he was intrigued by the feel of something soft and somewhat squishy under his left hand. He squeezed a few times. 

“That’s my breast you’re pumping. And the one you’re trying to push away is the provost marshal.”

Goten blinked at the ringleader sprawled underneath him. His stomach did a back-flip as he remembered where he was. He gagged but somehow managed to keep it all down, for which the elite was grateful. Then he cursed and tried to get to his feet, which was not as easy as it looked. 

“Sir!” he saluted as soon as he was standing. Then he leaned on the table so as not to fall over. Why the heck was the provost marshal here?

The provost marshal’s mouth snapped open but then he shut it and whirled around to salute. “Sir!”

The shaii stepped over a pile of empty bottles. He was wearing the bottom part of his uniform combined with a denim jacket, which was wrong side out, the lapels flapping on his bare chest. His lavender hair stood in tufts and was all over the place. He had just been woken up and his only wish right now was to strangle the culprits responsible.

The prince sniffed at the air. The smell of alcohol was everywhere. He stopped in front of the aligned savars and observed them. The females were standing in the row behind the males. Despite their best efforts, some of the savars were swaying slightly. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the scents of the room. Something was cooking. Then his gaze landed on Goten who had entrusted his weight to the table. The youth was positively stewed.

“My, my. Goten.”

“Sir!” Goten saluted, then, still not trusting his legs, leaned on the table again.

The shaii’s lips stretched into something which under other circumstances might have been a smile. “And why I am not surprised?” 

Goten wanted to ask why but that blue gaze made shivers go up and down his spine and, after doing a few very primitive calculations, his brains decided to keep his mouth shut.

The shaii’s gaze slid over the first row. “And Goten’s company.” The prince gave them an appreciative look. “I must say, boys, you have balls to be calling to the headquarters demanding a pizza delivery. Twice. Telling the provost marshal to shove it up his ass if it isn’t delivered in five minutes.”

Every head in the kitchen turned to Toharu. In the face of the complete silence, Toharu smiled tentatively. Somewhere in the background the oven beeped. The shaii turned to look at it.

“Food’s done!” he exclaimed. He went to open the oven door and was engulfed by a wave of hot air and a mouth-watering aroma. He looked around, grabbed a towel from a nearby hook and pulled the pot out. Once it was on the table, he lifted the lid. “This looks edible. Get me a plate and a fork.”

“Sir?” The provost marshal sounded unsure.

“A plate and a fork. Now.”

“Yes, sir!”

Once he had his plate and fork, the shaii dismissed the provost marshal back to his post. Now he was left alone with the thirteen savars. He pushed over one of the benches and sat down at the table near the oven. He pushed his hair off his face and behind his ears then started filling his plate with wonderfully smelling chicken and garnish. In complete silence, where the savars were afraid to so much as breathe, he started eating.

At some point everyone became aware of silent gasps and moans wafting from the laptop. Goten glanced over to the source of the sounds. Why had nobody turned it off? The volume had been turned down as it had started hindering the conversations but the porn was still playing. Something caught Goten’s eyes and he inched closer to the laptop. The panting man exerting himself on screen seemed somehow familiar. When he raised his head to give a self-satisfied grin to the camera, Goten blinked in surprise. “Ranvera, is this you?” 

Everybody’s attention concentrated on the screen. 

“Oh, gods!” Ranvera gasped. “How did this… Turn it off!” Mortified, he surged towards the laptop but the shaii’s raised hand stopped him. Unwillingly, he returned back to his place in the formation.

Carrying his plate with chicken, the shaii walked over to the laptop. He inspected the smooth back and thrusting hips of the laboring man. The man raised his head and the shaii hit the pause button. “Yup, it’s him,” he nodded then shoveled some more food into his mouth. “Nice ass,” he complimented, chewing. “And the technique isn’t bad either.” 

Red like a tomato, desperately wishing for the floor to swallow and save him, Ranvera squeezed out a tentative smile. “Thanks, sir?” he tried. “Sir, could you close the laptop now? Please? Sir? Sir? Sir, please!”

Goten raised his finger and pointed at the still open screen with the paused scene. “Does he even know you are filming him?!” 

“Of course he knows!” Ranvera snapped at him.

“Oh my god!” Goten’s eyes widened in horror. “You wanted me for your private stock!” He grabbed a half-full bottle of beer from the table he was leaning on. Everybody tensed except for Toharu, who tried to snatch it from Goten’s hand but the bottle slipped out of the second-class’ grasp. Fortunately, instead of launching it at Ranvera’s head, Goten only took a few mouthfuls. A moment later he lowered the bottle. “And to think that I nearly,” he gasped out in a breathy voice, “…nearly… I’m gonna be sick!” he groaned.

The shaii watched Goten crash through the door into the canteen and run in the direction of the bathroom. Goten was still keeping a hold on his newly acquired beer bottle. Snorting, the prince put a few more morsels of meat into his mouth. Then he returned to the table he had been sitting at and settled there comfortably.

Silently, the savars watched the shaii consume their chicken. When the last bone had been picked clean, the shaii pushed his plate away and wiped his mouth and hands on the towel. Finally, he leaned back in the chair.

“Ahhh…” he exhaled contentedly, “it was so long ago I last had decent food. Thanks.” He looked at the savars and smiled. The savars flinched.

“You’re welcome, sir,” Goten said, walking through the door back into the kitchen. “Kyon is a really good cook.”

Slowly, the prince’s head turned towards Goten. The intoxicated youth seemed to lack any sense of fear. And sense in general. “Ah, Kyon, you say?” The shaii’s eyes swiveled to Kyon who was glaring daggers at Goten. The younger male was blissfully oblivious of it all and nodded.

Goten had lost his bottle of beer somewhere on his way to or from the toilets or in the toilets themselves and looked a little bit better than before. The shaii motioned for Goten to sit down on one of the relocated benches. Goten flopped on it with undisguised pleasure.

“I’m disappointed in you, Goten. You seemed like such a smart guy,” the shaii sighed.

Unhappily, Goten pouted. “I’m sorry, sir. I fell asleep and it all slipped out of control.”

“Ah, did it?”

“Yes, sir. That idiot Toharu called pizza…I mean, the provost marshal.”

“Hey, goddamit!” Toharu growled.

“Poor you,” the shaii swung his head from one side to another in compassion. “I’m sure that the bottles don’t belong to you either? No, of course not. You are always such a diligent student.”

There is something weird going on, Goten thought. But because the thought just ended at that, he nodded. A bright unsuspecting smile adorned his face. “Thank you, sir. I’m really doing my best.”

“Bardock?”

“Yes, sir?”

“So who brought the bottles in here?”

“The bottles, sir?”

“Yes,” the prince motioned at the floor, “the ones that are strewn all over the place.”

Goten thought for a few hazy moments. “I wish I remembered, sir,” he slurred in a regretful voice, which sent the shaii into sudden frenzy.

“Arrggh! I’m gonna strangle you!” the shaii grabbed him by his shoulders and shook him violently. “It’s past midnight and instead of being in my bed, I have to deal with you, fucktards!”

“Sir,” Goten gasped out, his head rolling backwards and forwards. “Sir,” he tried to get the prince’s attention again. “Sir, I think I’m about to have motion sickness.”

The shaii shoved him backwards; Goten toppled over the bench and landed on the other side of it, his legs dangling in the air. Then they disappeared when Goten shifted onto his hands and knees and the sounds of retching followed. The prince grimaced in disgust. He faced the rest of the group.

“Alcohol, pornography, sex in public,” he pointed at Toharu’s unzipped pants, “staying out past curfew, insulting an offi-” 

“There is a curfew?” came a surprised voice from behind the bench. “I never knew!”

“Bardock?”

“Yes?”

“Just shut the fuck up and continue puking your guts out!”

“Yes, sir!”

The prince felt a barely resistible urge to strangle Goten again. “So where was I? Ah yes, insulting an officer, stealing food and using kitchenware without permission. I would also add a strict violation of privacy, Ranvera. It’s enough for me to toss all of you out from School in a blink!”

Ah, now it was coming, the wave of sober realization with fear trailing along. The shaii would have wallowed in them if not for Goten retching in the background. With his hand, the prince rubbed his chin. The day stubble was already considerably long, although due to his young age it was still soft. “I will ensure that my report reaches the taisa first thing in the morning,” he promised.

The kitchen filled with unhappy faces and hardly suppressed moans of misery. The shaii raised his index finger into the air. “But.” All necks stretched towards him, hopeful wide eyes concentrated on his face. “That chicken was well done.” Now he raised two fingers into the air. “Two years. You get two years of kitchen duty. I want all meals taste like that; breakfast, lunch, dinner. Gods help you if they don’t.”

“But our studie-”

The blue eyes snapped towards Ranvera like a whip. “Did I just hear something?”

Ranvera hunched over, making himself sparse and unimportant.

The shaii nodded. “I thought so.” He motioned at the floor. “Now I want the kitchen disinfected and sparkling in the morning.” He pointed at a sleeping Goten behind the bench. “Disinfect him too just in case. And inform him about the orders. And don’t let him drink this much ever again.” He turned to Ranvera. “And try not to film him during sex.”

Ranvera saluted. “Yes, sir!” 

The look that the shaii gave him seemed to imply that Ranvera’s sanity was questionable.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten roused as someone shook him by his shoulders rudely. Before he had even opened his eyes, he had a bad feeling about the day. He sat up and groaned as his head throbbed. He rubbed at his bloodshot and dry eyes. Kyon was already up and rushing about in the room. He threw something at Goten and it landed on the younger male’s head. Goten pulled it off. Right, the uniform that Kyon had agreed to lend him.

At five o’clock in the morning it all looked different. While he stared at Kyon’s uniform on his lap, Goten’s memory was throwing up pieces and flashes of the previous night. Every single one of them, made Goten want to bash his head against a wall in horror. His heart beating madly in his throat, Goten looked up at Kyon.

“How did it end?” he rasped out fearful of the answer he might receive.

“We got two years of kitchen duty. Preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Kyon growled out at him angrily, flopping down on his bed to tie his boots.

Goten shook his head in outright disbelief. Humming at the discomfort the motion evoked, he rubbed his temples to try to lessen the painful throbbing. This was called a reality check. He groaned. He hardly knew anything about making food. Two years. The whole time in service slaving away in the kitchen? “I don’t remember this,” he muttered. He leaned over his bed to get to the small bedside cabinet where he knew he had a bottle of water.

“Well,” Kyon looked up at him after he had finished tying his shoelaces, “it’s because you puked your guts out and passed out. You’re lucky I’m even talking to you!”

Confused, Goten stared at him for a few seconds. He started unscrewing the bottle. Then he chuckled mirthlessly. “No, you are lucky I am talking to you.”

Kyon’s lips pressed into a line. True, they had been the ones to come uninvited and to bring alcohol but hadn’t that been the point? …To pleasantly surprise Goten with a friendly visit. It was unfortunate that ultimately the result of their visit had been the opposite of what they had intended.

“Oh c’mon,” Goten sighed after noticing the dejected and wronged look on Kyon’s face. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the thought but it’s not fair to make it my fault.”

Kyon nodded slowly. He watched Goten take a few gulps of water and sigh in pleasure. Then he got out of the bed and started dressing the uniform. After having cleaned the kitchen with other guys, he had undressed Goten and thrown away his soiled jacket as it was not worth washing. Then he had dragged a bare-chested Goten back to the barracks and put him to bed. The bastard did not seem the least bit grateful.

“So we’ll have to go to the kitchen at six and start preparing breakfast together with chefs?” Goten asked, putting his belt on. “I wonder whether they and our sergeant have been informed.”

Kyon snorted. “I bet the shaii will get up earlier than usual just to phone them personally to make sure we won’t skip out.”

“Yeah, if the provost marshal reminds him of it – the prince seems to be absentminded most of the time.” Goten threw his hands apart as his roommate just sat there and stared at him accusingly. “Oh c’mon, he’s a good guy.”

Kyon gave him a sardonic look. “Yes, I noticed that as soon as I got the two-year-sentence of kitchen duty! Just for watching porn and having a bit of a drink! I wasn’t disturbing anyone!”

Goten rubbed at his dry eyes. They felt as if someone had poured sand into them. “Oh, c’mon, you know this is a serious breach of order,” he muttered blinking a few times to wet his eyes. “He could have tossed us out and we would have ended up in some boot camp without another opportunity to ever get a higher rank than that of a grunt.”

“…”

“And as for me – he could have kicked me out at least three times already. I even punched him, for gods’ sake! But he didn’t. So yeah, in my opinion, he’s not that much of an asshole.”

Goten finished buttoning his new jacket and Kyon stood up. He followed Goten outside. “Yeah, so now I know why you seemed to be acting awfully familiarly with him. At one moment I thought he would knock your head off your shoulders.”

Wide-eyed, Goten turned to look at him. “No way… I didn’t…”

A malevolent grin spread on Kyon’s face. “Oh yeah, chatting like to your old buddy and stuff. He’s gonna hate you forever, mark my word.”

“Shit.” Goten scratched the re-growing hair on his itching scalp. He sighed. “Oh well, at least it all ended without us getting kicked out from the base. And at least I won’t need to peel potatoes anymore – I was sick to death of them.”

Kyon snorted at him. “Since when have you become such an optimist?”

The question made Goten’s stride falter. Yeah, Goten thought, since when?

ooOoOoOoo

The first thing the sergeant did after roll call, was check Goten’s new uniform. He was somewhat discontent as he suspected that it was not exactly new but it had no holes and both sleeves were perfectly attached thus he let it slide. A half-hour into squats and push ups Goten noticed the provost marshal walk over the training field and approach the sergeant. He was carrying a small piece of paper. Obviously it was the list with the names of the previous night’s misfits.

The sergeant’s amused gaze found Goten first. Then he started to look for the rest of the culprits but it seemed he barely knew what their faces looked like. When the provost marshal left, he lined the savars up and read the names, telling them that every morning at six, at midday and every evening at five o’clock they were expected in the kitchen. He also promised that this would not prevent him from properly drilling the hell out of them. In fact, he assured them that he was going to create an individual training course especially for them.

Despite all the threats, Goten was currently feeling very relieved. He would have agreed to do anything just to escape any further physical activity – his hangover was trying to kill him. His head throbbed with every little movement he made, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets with every squat and he felt sickish with every push up. When it was finally time to go, he left the squad with his legs trying to fold down underneath him. The sun was already high in the sky, trying to scorch holes through his head and eyes.

He felt somewhat better when Kyon slammed the kitchen door behind them blocking the sun out. Ignoring everyone, he looked around for a mug then went to fill it with water. He drank four of them in a row then, brushing his forehead with his hand, leaned against the table next to the tap to catch his breath. He became aware of everyone’s eyes on him.

“What?”

Irritated, Kyon motioned for him to join the circle of twelve savars. Goten trudged over to everyone else. He gave Kyon a questioning look as his roommate was standing in front of everyone. 

“Anyone knows anything about preparing food?” Kyon asked. He glanced at the chefs who were already washing and slicing large amount of foods. The chefs hadn’t questioned their presence here thus they probably had been informed about the new events and were just waiting for them to decide what they wanted to do.

One of the second-class females raised her hand. “I used to help out at my paramilitary school. I’m pretty good.”

Kyon nodded. “Will do. Anyone else?”

Toharu cleared his throat. “Ario is good at eating any kind of food. Does it help any? Ouch!” he yelped as Ario smacked him over his head.

“Considering you’re the one who got us into this mess, you sure are loudmouthed,” Ario growled at his lover.

Kyon glared at the short Saiyan. Toharu was the only one who hardly seemed affected by yesterday’s party. Even his face was of healthy color. Kyon wondered whether those three bottles of alcohol had just evaporated from Toharu’s system. 

“Alright,” Kyon sighed. “So we’ll lead,” he pointed at himself and the female who said she knew a thing or two about preparing meals, “and you just do as told.”

“Bah!” Ranvera frowned, discontent. “Who died and left you in charge?”

“Talking about deaths,” Goten hissed at him. “You’ll be the one to die first if you don’t keep your mouth shut!”

Ranvera groaned. “Oh, c’mon, Goten, don’t be an idiot! You can’t believe I filmed without him knowing!”

Goten looked around for something to throw at him. He spotted a tomato in a pile of vegetables and his hand shot out to grab it.

“Put it down, Goten!” Kyon snapped at him. “While we’re in the kitchen I’m in charge, so put it down!”

Goten weighed the tomato in his hand then, reluctantly, set it back down on the table. Kyon nodded at him gratefully. It seemed that with Goten accepting his leadership, everyone else was just going to follow Goten’s lead. There was just something about the youngest Saiyan that people could not ignore.

During next few minutes Kyon learnt everything about today’s menu, which ingredients were available and how they were going to be used. Then he got down to issuing commands: Toharu and Ario changed old cooking oil in all deep fat fryers; Ranvera, the ringleader and a few other females cleaned them; Goten and a couple of other females found the spices needed from Kyon’s list; Kyon’s female helper checked the provisions and wrote down what else, in her opinion, they need to order or restock; and everyone else washed, chopped, sliced and diced then cleaned.

They were finished earlier than they had expected and when all what was left was to fry, cook or boil the prepared food, Goten gave Kyon a rapturous look. The man could easily manage a canteen on his own. Maybe he would even open a restaurant in the future. Keeping in mind that an average Saiyan’s preoccupation with food consisted only of spotting and putting it into his mouth, Goten found it rather exhilarating.

Kyon looked at his wristband. “We can take a short break.”

Goten filled his mug from one of the present taps. Sipping his water, he leaned against the wall which was at the opposite end to the preheated ovens and deep fat fryers. But despite the distance between the hot stoves and the wall it couldn’t offer much coolness either.

“I presumed it would be worse,” Toharu said, taking up the spot next to Goten and also leaning against the wall.

“It’s because Kyon is so good,” Goten pointed out.

“I was talking about you but never mind,” Toharu laughed. “But yeah, your roommate is good.”

“So now we should cherish and protect him because it will be a pain in the ass if he ever doesn’t show up,” Ario said, leaning at Goten’s other side.

Goten watched Kyon talking with the chefs. Despite being unexpectedly imposed on them, he seemed to get along with the staff. Then Kyon went to check food again. Goten finished drinking his water, set the mug down and closed his eyes to use the short break.

Meanwhile at the other end of the kitchen Ranvera sidled up to Kyon. He tapped the other male on his shoulder to get his attention.

“You know, Kyon, I’m sorry,” Ranvera apologized when Kyon turned around and looked at him with questioning eyes. “You’re really good at this.”

Playing with the pen he had been taking notes with, Kyon shrugged. “Thanks.”

“No hard feelings, right?”

“It’s alright. I do understand that you’re somewhat pissed after yesterday.” Kyon motioned with the notepad at himself and Ranvera. “I can’t believe we kissed,” he said in a hushed voice.

“I don’t think we only kissed. There were some suspicious stains on my uniform.”

Kyon waved the notepad under Ranvera’s nose. “And now you’re just fucking around with me. I was not that drunk.”

“So you say, so you say,” Ranvera chuckled. Then he sighed. “Goten’s pissed.”

Kyon shrugged. “Well, of course he is. He’s the serious sort.”

“Seems to me he plays around too much to be the serious sort.” Ranvera watched Kyon twirling his pen between his fingers. Goten’s roommate seemed to be amused by all this. “How come you’re not jumping up and down in glee?”

Kyon laughed softly. “Well, let’s just say I know that it was your roommate and I know that he’s a total slut and I am sure he agreed to the filming. He probably even paid you to film him.”

“How do you know?”

“Well, we have a mutual friend.”

Ranvera gave him an intent stare then groaned. “Don’t tell me he fucked even you?”

Kyon shrugged again. “Goten spends a lot of time with Toharu and Ario. I have a lot of available space in the room. And why “even”? I also need my fun.”

Ranvera’s eyebrows rose a fraction. “Listen, we both have our sights set on Goten but how about we have our fun together? Until one of us gets him?”

Kyon took a few moments before answering. Then, laughing, he smacked at Ranvera’s chest with his notebook. “Alright,” he agreed. “But something’s telling me that with this arrangement neither of us will get him.”

Ranvera took him by his chin. “Well, we’ll always have each other,” he purred, batting his eyelashes.

“Oh, spare me!” Kyon snorted, pretending to shove two fingers down his throat and retch. Then he whammed the notebook in Ranvera’s face. “C’mon, idiot, it’s about time to start getting everything cooked.”

ooOoOoOoo

Closing the door behind him, Goten stepped into the room. His nose scrunched at the stench lingering in the air. His stomach still felt weak and he gagged as his nostrils identified the smell of sour alcohol. He went to the window, brushed the curtains aside and opened it. It was nearly seven o’clock in the evening and the sun was already setting. For a minute, Goten just stayed like this, leaning on the windowsill, looking through the window at the base. Soon he felt better. He wanted to leave the window open but wasn’t sure it was a good idea because he could feel dust floating in the air. The building compounds hindered him from seeing past to the boundaries of the base but he guessed that a sandstorm was starting to brew outside. 

The base had seven guard towers equipped with the newest technology but the power barrier created by them was intended to withhold shells, ki blasts and lasers. During particularly strong winds the microscopic sand particles found their way through it. Because of this, the ground in the base was regularly sprayed with water to lessen the concentration of them in the air.

The soil textures outside and inside the base were different. Outside there was only sand. At the time they had only been starting to build the base, a large number of trucks came in and brought loam. It was emptied above the sandy silt. The loam covered it in about thirty centimeters in diameter. Currently most of it was again covered in sand, but the roots of shabby grass and various scrubs had a firm purchase underneath it.

Goten closed the window and pulled the curtains over the windows to darken the room then unlaced and kicked his boots off and flopped with his back on the bed. He put his hands under his head and yawned. He badly wanted to sleep and, as the sergeant still had not finished working on his special plan on how to drill them to death and as today Goten didn’t need to peel potatoes anymore, he was prepared to sleep to his heart’s content. Kyon had gone somewhere with Ranvera and was still not back yet so it was therefore perfectly quiet in the room.

Despite being demanding, it had been a pretty good day today. They had handled the task of preparing food very well. He could see that from the surprised savars’ faces when they started gathering for breakfast. During lunch they had been ecstatic, many of them asked whether they could have an additional ratio. And most of savars appeared in the canteen earlier than the dinner was supposed to start so that they would be able to have seconds. The pots had been emptied in a blink.

Undoubtedly the cost price of meals was going to rise and the School budget was going to suffer. Goten wondered what the shaii was going to think of that. Probably he wasn’t going to think about that at all because that had been his intention in the first place – to improve the quality. Nobody cared what savars ate because officers were served at Matilda’s. Elites were stuffed with money as well and could also afford daily meals at the club.

Half asleep, Goten thought about Daram and Roland and what they had had today for dinner. His sleepy mind was suddenly engulfed in imaginary swamps that glowed green in the misty sunset. He could hear the irritating ping when swarms of mosquitoes and midges whirred and whirred around looking for a good place to touch down and feast. The heavy breathing of walking men was a part of the air. The squashy ground wobbled and lulled under men’s feet. The mist rose soon after, covering everything, the swamp and men trudging through it.

When Kyon returned two hours later, Goten was deeply asleep, still fully clothed on top of the blankets of his still-made bed. Kyon thought about covering him but it was warm in the room, so he left Goten as he was. Goten’s boots were scattered on the floor and, hating the disarray, Kyon gathered them to place the pair next to the younger male’s bed. Goten reacted to no sound while Kyon walked around in the room, preparing to sleep. Neither did he hear the roar of the sandstorm above the protective shield.

And when Goten was woken up by the sirens in the morning, he thought that he hadn’t slept so well in ages. He got up, put on his boots, smoothed out his uniform and ran to the kitchen to wash his face. When he returned, Kyon was also dressed, sitting on the bed and staring in front of him with a sleepy face. Together they left for the morning drill.

The air was cool and crisp as the sun had not had enough time to heat up the desert. The shields were down and except a clump of sand here and there it was calm as if there had never been a storm. The squads of first-years were fattening as savars spilt out through the barrack doors and joined them. And maybe Goten was smiling a little bit too much because the drill sergeant said he looked as if someone had fucked him good tonight.

An hour later he and the rest of the misfits went to the kitchen. Kyon took charge and it all went smoothly just as it had yesterday. As they had already gotten used to the idea of spending every day from two years of service here, they also had started thinking where to get traps for mice and poison for cockroaches which were creeping all over the place. Yesterday they had been banging away at the critters with anything possible but that hadn’t given much result.

Lunch passed similarly but then came dinner. At some point during dinner, though, Goten became aware that savars were frequently opening the kitchen door to check who was inside. The news would probably spread throughout the entire base. Goten wondered whether that was a good or bad thing. 

Goten was at the back of the kitchen eating his share, but he knew right away that something wasn’t right when the horsing about and trampling of savars abruptly hushed. The sudden silence in the middle of the dining was so unexpected that he and Toharu walked over to the door to look through the glass window at what was going on in the canteen. It was the shaii. The purple head turned towards the kitchen door and Goten felt the urge to crouch so as not to be seen behind the glass. Instead, he stood still, waiting for the blue gaze to slide past. Goten had hoped that the shaii had forgotten them but, of course, he hadn’t.

The savars moved out of the way when the prince passed. He had finished his duty and had changed into his usual black denim jacket and dark blue jeans. His hair was neatly tied up into a ponytail behind his back and, from his easy good-natured strides, Goten deemed him to be in a good mood. The shaii turned straight towards the queue at the food. The savars who stood there spread out to let him through. The prince faltered and suddenly Goten got the feeling that the purple-hair wanted to grab the closest man to him by the scruff of his neck and drag him back to where he had been standing. The shaii probably wanted to say that he wasn’t on duty, but it was too late now, everyone was staring at him as if seeing him for the first time. This made Goten wonder what the prince did in his free time. It did not seem that he had an awful lot of friends in the base. But this was probably not the case and the purple-hair spent his evenings playing some card games and drinking whiskey with other officers. Probably. Or maybe they acted similarly to savars and avoided him as if he were a plague.

Goten watched the prince take a tray and stand up behind the counter. He was served in a blink, slotted spoons and ladles moving in the speed of light, the mug of steaming tea hitting the counter at the same time as the ready for taking plate. Officers did not eat in the canteen. They probably hardly knew where it was at all.

The shaii chose one of the many long tables in the canteen and set his tray with fried fish and tea down. Three savars who were at the table tried not to stare at him. They met each others’ eyes uneasily and, trying to mind their table manners, continued eating but the conversations never got to the same level of excitement as they had been before. 

Goten held his breath when the first morsel passed the shaii’s lips and he started chewing carefully. He swallowed then tried the carrot and mayonnaise salad. Then the prince’s face brightened and he scooped up more of his fried fish. Goten clapped Toharu on his shoulder. Everything was alright.

All the time with Goten watching him eating and admiring his mastery of flatware, the shaii soon finished dining. He leisurely drank his tea then stood up and carried his tray to the other side of the counter where it was taken from him. Then he circled the counter and, as nobody dared say a word to him, went into the kitchen.

Goten jumped away from the door just before the shaii could open it in his face. Goten stepped back into the gathering circle of his friends. In silence, they stared at the prince with expectant eyes.

“Cheers to the chef. It was delicious.”

Relieved sighs were concealed but the group started patting Kyon on his back and shoulders. The shaii suppressed his smile. He turned to Goten. 

“I was informed that yesterday you did not attend kitchen duty.”

“Sir? But I did attend,” Goten protested, motioning at the steaming pots.

The shaii cleared his throat. “It seems to me you misunderstood something. This,” he motioned at the pots the same as Goten had done previously, “does not release you from the earlier punishment – peeling potatoes.”

Goten scratched his stubby head. “I see. I have nine days of that left, don’t I?”

The shaii smiled at him. “No.” His grin brightened. “As, unlike the others,” he motioned at the females who yesterday had come and peeled potatoes, “you skipped on your duty, you’ll be entitled to yet another ten days of it.”

Goten inhaled sharply but nodded politely. “Right you are, sir.”

The shaii turned to go. “Oh, right,” he said, remembering. “It seems your sergeant is discontent with the current arrangement. I assured him he had complete freedom to make sure you are well-prepared for the upcoming stamina and differentiation tests.” He offered the savars another bright grin of his. “Isn’t he nice? Not many are so concerned for the wellbeing of their students.”

TBC


	8. Part 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 1: Officer ranks at Hataro Officer Training School [from the highest to the lowest]:  
>  1\. Taisa [Andera Gendian]  
>  2\. Shaii [Trunks Vegeta]  
>  3\. Shyu  
>  4\. Captain [Laureus Tanko]  
>  5\. Drill sergeant  
>  6\. First-in-command  
>  7\. Second-in-command  
>  8\. Savar [anyone attending any officer training school]
> 
> A/N 2: The Saiyan education:  
>  0\. Preparatory school (pupils 8-13 years old)  
>  1\. Paramilitary school (pupils 14-18). From there to --> boot camps (drafts/grunts) or:  
>  2\. Officer training school (savars 18 – 20). From there to --> military posts or:  
>  3\. Commissioned Officer Academy (ranks)

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by Ayakaishi Fei

Part 8

Wednesday was filled with news. Just before the savars started their usual morning drill, the sergeant announced that their school was arranging a friendly sporting competition with another military school named Longdam. It was going to take place in two weeks, with Hataro Officer School being the one to host the games.

The second piece of news was not exactly news but rather, was information about the differentiation tests starting on Friday. Officer training schools usually taught savars the basics of battling or only basic theory, which turned them into average officers who knew a bit about everything but hardly anything at length. However, they also sought out people who excelled in particular fields: piloting, programming, operating a tank, being a medic or sharpshooter, etc. As long as one passed the required tests, he could already begin his career while they were still studying at an officer school. 

Another thing, which was not announced but which nevertheless was important to some savars, was that today in the evening five squads of second-years were returning from their field training and the other five squads would be taking their place in five days. Some savars would meet up with the roommates they had missed, others with their enemies and would end up queuing at the med bay with sprained limbs and broken bones as a result.

After the drill, as had now become a routine, Goten and his friends went to the kitchens. The females, who were second-years, enlightened him about the friendly games which traditionally were organized once or twice a year. Sometimes they were organized between two schools, other times there were multiple officer schools taking part. They also told him that usually there was nothing “friendly” about the games. Games like these, as a rule, were watched by representatives from the Commissioned Officer Academies. Competition and tension amongst the savars was immense. Everyone wanted to show their best moves. Those who showed extraordinary abilities or who proved themselves to be gifted and successful had a chance of being scouted out by the Commissioned Officer Academies. In those cases, they would get personal invitations to study at COA without taking entrance exams.

There were also official annual interschool games amongst all the officer training schools. It was a grand-scale sporting event where schools competed for the prestigious Annual Officer School Cup. It tended to change hands often, never staying at one school for more than a few years.

The main differences between the official and unofficial games were the cup and the participants. In interschool competitions the participants representing their schools were mainly second-years picked in prior selection. During unofficial games nearly everyone could try their luck just to see what they were worth.

Goten listened with interest. He wasn’t planning on taking part in the games but it sounded exciting. “So it seems like you won’t take part in them as you’ll be going on field maneuvers instead?” he asked the ringleader when she finished relating.

She nodded. “Yeah, we’ll be spending our time slopping about in swamps and trying not to detonate our asses off.”

“Sounds fun,” Ranvera commented. He looked at Goten. “Your roommates should be returning in the evening, shouldn’t they? Including the one you don’t like.”

“Yeah,” Goten mumbled, not raising his eyes from dills he was chopping. Now Ranvera was trying to appear caring. Not that the second-class really cared much, obviously.

Toharu smacked Goten on the back. “Oh, c’mon, be nicer! That guy agreed to be filmed!” 

Goten glared at Toharu as the short Saiyan had startled him and he had half-whammed the chopping knife through the cutting board. He pulled it out and stuck under Toharu’s nose. “This could have taken my fingers off.”

“Yes, sorry,” Toharu agreed. “But you could still think about forgiving him. At this rate you’ll spend the rest of your days alone.”

“And that’s just fine with me, thank you very much!” Goten snapped at him, returning to his task. 

After a few more minutes Goten finished chopping the dills and carried the bowl, now filled with dills over to Kyon who took it from him. Then Goten went to wash the kitchenware he had been using. While he was bringing the bowls and plates to the sinks for washing, he noticed a pizza drawing on a balk near the sinks. Interested, he took a look at it. Now he knew that it was not entirely Toharu’s fault for calling the provost marshal that fated night. Indeed, it was a genuine picture of a pizza. There was also a phone number scribbled down on it. Probably the chefs had cut the photo from some kind of Terran culinary magazine for reference and tried to make one. And as for the phone number…well, it was the only piece of paper visible in the kitchen.

Chuckling to himself, Goten started washing dishes. He startled and nearly dropped the plate he had been washing when Toharu leaned against his side.

“What now?”

“Don’t tell me you’re not interested in him.”

“I’m not interested in him.”

“I told you not to tell me that!”

“For gods’ sake, Toharu, what do you want?”

“Ranvera said he’d pay me twenty credits if I placated you.”

Goten rolled his eyes at the foamy dishes. “I see.”

“Yeah. So be a good boy and at least pretend. Otherwise I don’t really care whether you choose Kyon or Ranvera.” He wiggled his eyebrows meaningfully. “Or maybe you’re the kind that would go for both at once?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Goten groaned. “It seems to me both of them are perfectly happy with each other. They’re fucking each other, aren’t they?”

“Damn,” Toharu looked at him surprised, “when did you become so observant?”

“So why the hell do they still make passes at me?”

Toharu sighed. He scratched his head thoughtfully. “Well, I think they’re just playing around with each other to pass the time until one of them gets your ass.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Goten groaned again. 

“I might be wrong, though,” Toharu shrugged. Then he winked at Goten’s back. “But I’m rarely wrong concerning love games. Ario is quite a catch, don’t you think so?” he boasted.

“It seems to me,” Goten said frowning, “that they’re fucking around and I’m just an additional trophy.”

“Ehhh,” Toharu pursed his lips. He patted Goten on his butt. He ignored Goten’s raised eyebrows. “Most of us are just additional trophies; it’s the Army. But if you had eyes in your back, you’d see that Ranvera is looking at you with such a pitiful face that it makes me want to cry. And if you looked over at the other side of the kitchen you’d see that Kyon is about to throw that very sharp looking knife at me because I fondled your ass.”

Goten sniggered, half-amused and half-annoyed. 

“It will be all well and good between them until you show a little more amiability to one of them. Then they’ll claw each others’ throats out.” 

“Oh, c’mon!” Goten threw his hands apart. “That’s bullshit!”

“Mark my word,” Toharu promised. “Why can’t you just choose? Don’t you like at least one of them, even a little? They’re good guys.”

“I know that,” Goten nodded. He looked around but it seemed that everyone was out of earshot. Then he leaned in closer to Toharu, “I’m a third-class, Toharu. The two of them are second-classes. They’ll cool off pretty fast after they realize that.”

“Man,” Toharu slapped himself on his forehead. “I’d completely forgotten!”

Goten gave him an incredulous look. “You can’t forget such a thing!”

Toharu threw his hands up. “What can I say; I’ve got a lousy memory.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten had used the short break that he had between preparing food and peeling potatoes to return to his barracks and take a shower. He changed out of the sweaty uniform he had borrowed from Kyon into his own with sewed up sleeve. As Kyon had told him earlier that he was going to do his laundry, Goten added the borrowed uniform to Kyon’s bag of dirty laundry. After the fights at the Laundromats the elites had given up on their post there, and it had now become safe to wash clothes there.

Refreshed, Goten flopped onto his bunk. He closed his eyes to enjoy a moment of peace. Kyon was mooching about again. Most likely together with Ranvera. Or Ranvera’s roommate. Or both of them at once. Goten tried to remember the face he had seen on Ranvera’s laptop. Was the guy attractive? He could not remember. Despite that, he tried to picture the three of them together. This had a predictable effect on his lower body. Goten relaxed his shoulders into the bedding then reached out for his belt. He unbuckled it then unzipped his zipper and reached into his pants for his partly aroused cock. He looked around for a hanky or some unneeded cloth. The room was in perfect order, nothing out of place. Goten turned onto his side and started rummaging through his bedside cabinet. Finally, holding a packet of tissues, he lay back down on his back again.

After putting the tissues beside him, Goten pushed his underwear and pants down his legs and to his ankles. He spread his legs lightly and slicked his palm with his saliva. Then he brought his hand south to cup himself. He closed his eyes and started stroking his shaft. The tingling pleasure started spreading through his body. At first he went slowly, teasing himself into full hardness. Then his pace started to quicken. His left hand slid past his aching cock to cup and roll his testicles. Moaning softly, he thrust his hips upwards. 

He had built up the rhythm now: thrusting into his hand and squeezing his balls lightly. Goten’s breath had also quickened, the air rushing past his lips drying them and his mouth. His tongue flicked over his lips to moist them. He broke the rhythm to rub with his thumb over the damp slit. 

His hands worked faster and faster until his mind started clouding, and now there was only the urge to come. With his left hand he let go of his balls and grabbed a tissue. He pressed it over the head of his cock.

Goten’s shoulders dug into the bed as his back arched a little. He gave a silent grunt while coming. Trying to draw his pleasure out, he stroked himself for a few more moments then let go of his quickly softening cock. He sagged into the bedding and lay still for a minute to bask in the afterglow then took another tissue to wipe himself clean. He jerked in alarm as suddenly there were voices heard in the corridor. Quickly, he tucked himself back in. His eyes swept around the room and in his panic it took him a moment to think of his bedside cabinet, but when he did he hurriedly threw the soiled tissues inside.

The door flew open and Daram stepped into the room. Greeting Goten loudly, he marched inside and dropped his backpack and his other belongings onto his bed. After getting rid of the weight, he straightened, exhaling contently. Then he sniffed at the air. His eyes went back to Goten. He laughed as Goten’s face painted scarlet and he gave Daram a sheepish grin.

“My bad,” Daram chuckled. “I hope it didn’t get caught in your zipper?”

Goten shook his head, laughing. “No, it didn’t. Thanks for worrying.”

Daram winked at him. Then he looked around the room. “This somehow looks different. Why is it so clean in here?” Then his gaze locked on the shelf above Goten’s bunk. He pointed at a potted plant on it. “What is that?”

“A flower apparently,” Goten answered. He could not help chuckling.

“Is it edible?”

Goten shook his head. “I don’t think so. It’s just to make the room more…cozy.” 

“Cozier?” Daram’s lips curved into an answering grin. “Then, I gather it’s Kyon’s idea?”

“Yup.”

“Gods above!” Daram rushed to the curtains. “Is this embroidery?!”

Goten got up from the bed to look at them. “Ugh. It seems so. I hadn’t noticed this before.”

“Did he do this by himself?”

Goten waved his hands about. “I have no idea.” Then he exhaled in relief as a thought occurred to him. “No, no, it must be his mom who sent this. Yes, yes, he wouldn’t have had any time for embroidering this.”

Daram let go of the curtain. “Hell, you scared me there for a minute.”

“I’m sure he knows how to do it, though,” Goten muttered.

Both of them turned to the door as Roland entered the room. Goten noticed that his right hand was bandaged and was hanging in a swathe on his chest.

“Did you get it checked?” Daram asked. He walked over to Roland to help him get his rucksack off his back.

“Yeah. It’s broken at the wrist. It seems it’s started healing wrongly, so it will have to be broken and put together again.”

Daram nodded. “I see.” He tossed Roland’s rucksack on his bed. “Need help with anything else?”

“Yeah, I’ll go to the showers. It would be good if you helped me to undress and put my clothes back on.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

Roland sniffed at the air. He gave Goten a look then walked over to the window. “I’ll just let in some fresh air,” he said, opening the window.

Goten scratched his head sheepishly. Daram smacked him on his back cheerfully. “Don’t you worry about it! Next time just put a sign on the door to warn us that you’re wanking off. We’ll make sure not to disturb you.”

“Oh, c’mon, enough already!” Goten groaned. He turned to the door. “I’m off to my kitchen duty. Don’t turn the room upside-down – Kyon will cry.”

“Again?!” Daram exclaimed. “You were also on kitchen duty when we left! How long can your kitchen duty last?!”

“Ohhhh,” shaking his head, Goten turned around to look at him from the threshold, “you don’t even know the half of it.”

ooOoOoOoo

On Thursday, just before finishing their drill, all first-years were ordered to have their dinners and return straight to their barracks. They were to shut the blinds and not to step out outside until morning.

“Sir?” Goten addressed the sergeant.

“Yes, seamstress?”

“And how about my kitchen duty, sir? I usually finish at about twelve o’clock.”

The sergeant smiled at Goten then suddenly glued his face to Goten’s. “What didn’t you understand, sissy?!” he yelled, saliva erupting in fountains. “Do not step out of your room! Which part of this isn’t clear?! If I find you roaming around...gods help you because no one else will be able to!”

“Yes, sir!”

So it was going to be a full moon tonight. Usually, from the very young age, Saiyans were given mutation suppressors so as not to change into Oozaru form and wreck everything around. To gradually adapt to the moonlight and resist the urge to look at the moon was a part of the officer school program. The ones who had gone through the training said that it required much effort, strength and sanity. But this was not the most difficult thing to master. Goten had heard that there were Saiyans who managed to control the mutation even after having looked at the moon. He found it incredible.

Although Goten had no memory prior to turning three, he had been told that he had transformed into his Oozaru form quite often as a very young Saiyan. He personally remembered having turned into Oozaru twice. But all he could recall from those times were blurry shapes of trees and water and someone shouting his name. The last time he had transformed had been a disaster. When he woke up, he was at home in his bed. Half of a wall and roof were missing. Later he, just like all other children, had used a mutation suppressor. 

Adults gradually became accustomed to Oozaru form but were never totally in control of it. You never knew what your friend in Oozaru form could do. You never knew what your siblings or parents might do. Even you yourself never knew what you might do. There used to be cases of rampaging families going against other families when one of the siblings decided he wanted revenge for a torn book or a mate from that family. But that was nothing in comparison to the case when a few villages had cleanly wiped out each other from the ground. When the fervor had passed, the survivors could hardy believe what they had done. 

Oozaru form was useful amongst enemies but usually it was just a nuisance to oneself and others when in a friendly society.

Following the orders, all first-years went back to their barracks right after their dinner. Goten showered and returned to his room fully intending to finally have a good night’s rest. His roommates already were in beds, snoozing. 

Hours passed and ten o’clock came. The blinds were shut tightly, both Daram and Roland were asleep but Goten and Kyon were wide awake. 

It was different to what it had been like at home. Even when Goten hadn’t used his mutation suppressor, it had never been like this. They hardly ever had cloudless skies and the moonlight was never this strong. It was completely different in a desert – it seemed it was seeping through every gap in the blinds.

It was deadly silent outside but the tension was nearly tangible in the air and sleep was out of reach. Goten was feeling the urge to switch on the light in the room thinking it might help to dissipate the effect of the moonlight, but they had been forbidden even this. His body was tingling, his hairs on end and he could hardly resist the urge to stare at the window. He turned his head to the side as Roland started snoring softly. Then he looked at Daram’s bed. The other Saiyan was also sleeping. Figures. Most second-years had already finished their training thus it would take more than a speck of moonlight to rouse their bodies. 

He was surprised at the way Daram and Roland were acting around each other. Yesterday he had thought that maybe it was because both of them were tired and had no fervor left in them to fight anymore. Another version had been that it had been Daram who had accidentally broken Roland’s arm. But then Roland told them about a terrain vehicle nearly squashing him in a trench. He had not time to power up and broke his arm while twisting aside and ramming it into a metal gas tank.

It seemed that Daram had reacted quite strongly to the accident. 

Goten turned on his other side. It was frequently like this – many people realized how much they cared for each other only when it was too late. Luckily, it had been not too late for Daram. Well, Daram did seem to have some weird affection towards losers and Roland was a loser alright. Roland also seemed to have an uncanny inclination towards masochism. Goten could not see other reason for him constantly trying to piss Daram off. Unless it had been desperation fuelled by the irresistible wish to be seen by Daram.

Goten scratched his spiky head. Very likely, it had just been a question of time of when they would acknowledge each other. It worked just fine – Roland seemed less of a bastard than he had been. Actually he was nearly pleasant now. Still…the entire love affair was just weird and… somewhat amusing.

Goten turned over on his stomach. The light tingling in his body was still present and he was partially hard. Annoyed, he pressed his forehead to the cool spot on the pillow where his body heat hadn’t reached yet. He heard Kyon’s bed creak and felt somewhat better – at least he was not the only one plagued by the moonlight. Then he heard feet softly padding over the floor. Goten’s mattress dipped in as the second-class sat down on his bed. Goten raised his head to stare at his roommate. 

Kyon felt something akin to bitter amusement at the cautious disbelief on Goten’s face. He realized he wanted to smack Goten a few times. He was sick of Goten trying to keep his distance from everyone. 

Kyon leaned over Goten. He knew that what he was doing was probably only testing Goten’s patience but it was worth a try. “Why don’t we help out each other?” he asked in a whisper. While Goten was trying to think of another line to brush him off, Kyon pushed his face to Goten’s ear. “Do you remember the night we masturbated simultaneously?” He felt sudden heat waft from Goten’s face. At least this kind of reaction. But when he raised his head, he saw that despite the heat in his face, Goten was giving him a skeptical look.

Kyon glared at him. “C’mon, Goten, why the heck are you playing coy? You kissed Ranvera.”

Goten returned the glare. “Yes, I kissed him, but you’re sleeping with him. I think I should be more jealous, shouldn’t I?” he drawled in a voice dripping with irony.

Kyon stiffened then leaned away from Goten. “So you know,” he said, still sitting on the side of Goten’s bunk.

“Of course, I know,” Goten spat.

Silently, Kyon watched Goten’s face for several long moments. “And are you jealous? At least of one of us?” he asked then. Goten took his time to answer and then it became clear that he wasn’t going to answer. Disappointed at his silence, Kyon stood up. “I see,” he said softly. “Then I suppose it’s pointless asking whether you’re angry with us. Very likely you’re just relieved.”

ooOoOoOoo

Despite the difficult night for some savars, Friday was filled with excitement. Today was the beginning of differentiation tests for piloting. Nearly half of the savars wanted to be a pilot. They were young and liked big chunks of flying metal that they could control. Cold, vast space seemed to be overflowing with adventures and was alluring to many.

From the very first lesson in the morning, savars whose surnames were read by lecturers had been sent to aerospace center. It was four o’clock when squad seven finally had its turn. They were called in alphabetical order and Goten was among the first five that were sent to the center.

This was his first time entering the building. Inside it was very spacious with high ceiling. There was a corridor with rooms at both sides. Some of them had glass walls and, while his group was being led past, he could see everything what was happening inside. They had passed a few savars who were leaving the building. Some of them didn’t look good and had a funny smell.

They stopped at one of these rooms. Through the glass wall, Goten could see that there was a centrifuge with a cabin at one end. They entered the room at about same time as one of the savars was leaving after centrifuge testing.

Goten and other four savars queued at the table next to the door where an officer read their names from a list and put ticks next to them. Then he led the first savar from the list to the centrifuge. The officer returned and, through the few monitors which hung above his table checked if the savar in the cabin was ready. Then he set the machine going. At first he selected eight Gs then started gradually increasing it. He stopped the centrifuge after it had reached thirty.

The savar who climbed out of the cabin was somewhat shaky on his feet but the grin on his face was enormous as he knew that he had passed. He wobbled towards the table and was directed to the next room for additional tests. Then the officer called the next savar on the list.

When Goten’s turn came, he was secured with two belts inside the cabin. The start went smoothly and he hardly felt the gravity. Then the speed started increasing. He still didn’t feel much of the gravity but something started fizzing in his stomach. Everything was more or less fine until gravitational acceleration exceeded fifteen. Then Goten felt as if the remains of his lunch wanted out. He tried to ignore it, but in a few seconds he realized that his stomach didn’t care whether it was ignored. It simply wanted out. 

He was not going to make it.

Goten felt the centrifuge slowing down. It soon stopped. He nearly ripped the belts out of their sockets and shot through the door as soon as it opened. He ran past the table with the officer and other five savars who had just now come from his squad. While rushing past, Goten heard the officer telling him to return to his drill.

His stomach erupted as soon as he had sprinted outside the aerospace center. Holding onto the wall and retching violently, he doubled over. When first spasms passed, he straightened somewhat and brushed his forehead with his hand to wipe the sweat. Panting, he squeezed his eyes shut. Then came the second wave and he bent over again.

“Ughhh,” he groaned, wiping at his mouth with his sleeve. He was shivering.

He had wanted to be a pilot. He had never cared much for being an officer. Mainly because he had never even dreamed about going to an officer school. Third-classes didn’t go to officer schools. It had been a simple bureaucratic mistake when Gohan had gone and it was not going to be repeated. He’d had an opportunity to become something he wished to become and he had screwed it up.

“Hey, you alright?”

Smacking at the hand which had just lightly patted him on his back, Goten whirled around. His head went hazy again at the sudden movement and he pressed his back to the wall so as to feel the firm ground under his feet. He saluted lamely as he recognized the shaii. Then, still saluting, he covered his mouth with his left hand. His face went ashen and his eyes unfocused again.

“Urgh…”

“Stop saluting, you idiot,” the prince muttered. He stepped back as Goten doubled over again. Frowning, he watched Goten puking his guts out. It occurred to him that this was the second time he was seeing the same scene. The only difference was that this time Goten seemed as if he was about to cry. 

“What happened?” the shaii asked as it seemed the most of the attack had passed. 

From where he was bent over, Goten waved his hand backwards in a dismissive gesture. “N-nothing. I just…” He heaved up again. In a few seconds it seemed that it was over and he wiped at his mouth again. He leaned against the wall. “I just screwed up my piloting test.”

The shaii’s face lit up by realization. “Oh, right. It started today, the tests.” He shrugged. “No big deal, then.” Without another word, he opened the door and proceeded into the center.

Goten shook off the stupor the prince’s words had caused. He scowled at the slowly closing door. He had just screwed up the only thing he had ever wanted for himself. To his mind it was a big deal. He cursed loudly and kicked at the wall angrily. Nothing changed except for his foot throbbing lightly. Goten cursed again.

From the aerospace center Goten slunk to his barracks to wash his mouth and have a ten-minute rest. Then he returned to the drill but soon it was five o’clock and he, together with others, went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

“Man, I’m hungry!” Toharu complained after bursting into the kitchen. 

“Yeah,” Ario, who was following him, agreed. “All that spinning around sapped up all the energy I had!”

With a twinge of jealousy, Goten trudged after Kyon, who was walking around, distributing orders. “So, I gather you passed?” he asked.

Ario and Toharu looked at each other. Toharu shrugged. “Actually we decided to fuck up the written test because we prefer to stay on ground. I would hate if he,” he pointed at Ario, “just disappeared for weeks or months piloting some peace of junk with passengers. And I’d not allow him to be a fighter pilot – it’s too dangerous.”

“Who the hell would ask you?” Ario snorted at him. “Besides, are you sure you failed? I saw you were ticking everything at random. You might have passed.”

Toharu shook his head. “No way, no way. I know no shit about aircraft.”

“And how was the centrifuge?” Goten asked. He took a bowl from Kyon who had filled it with various vegetables and told him to wash and chop them.

The short Saiyan waved this off dismissively. “The merry-go-round was a piece of cake,” he said. 

“Yeah, your stomach could probably digest bricks,” Goten muttered bitterly.

“You somehow seem awfully sullen,” Ario decided to voice out the obvious. “What did they tell you at the aerospace center?”

Carrying the huge bowl with vegetables towards the sinks, Goten turned around to glare at him. “That I was hardly qualified to be a passenger.”

Toharu bellowed with laughter. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing,” he said still laughing.

“Yeah,” Kyon added from behind them, “I can just always find a place for you in my ship. No big d-” he stopped talking at the look on Goten’s face. They stared at each other for a few seconds. Then Goten turned away and continued to the sinks. He poured the vegetables into one of them and started washing. Kyon approached him.

“Sorry for scratching an open wound,” he apologized sincerely. “I had no idea you wanted to be a pilot this much.”

Goten’s head snapped around to face him. “I don’t think you’ve ever asked!” he spat angrily.

Kyon was silent for a moment. “And now you’re being an asshole,” he said then. “You never talk to us about yourself. You push everyone away. I can’t read your mind, Goten.”

Goten stared at him then, not being able to hold his roommate’s gaze, lowered his eyes. There were hurt and anger at the same time in that gaze. Kyon was telling the truth – he knew nearly everything about Kyon, his family, his likes and dislikes but he had never talked about himself to Kyon. He had kept distance from everyone. The guys were just being friendly, trying to comfort him. Even the shaii had been worried about him, thinking he had been cornered by vengeful elites and had gotten the shit beaten out of him.

Goten turned Kyon his back to turn off the tap. Then he faced the second-class again. Sighing, he leaned on the metal sink. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

Still looking somewhat bitter, Kyon shrugged. “Never mind. Just…talk to us.”

“Yeah,” Goten nodded. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. He startled at Toharu’s arm wrapping around his shoulders. He looked at the short Saiyan who was nearly hanging on him. Toharu bared a row of sharp and white teeth at him.

“Don’t you worry, sweetheart. There’s no sorrow alcohol can’t drown! I’m gonna drag you to Matilda’s tonight!”

Goten gave him a skeptical look. “After this we have extraordinary drilling just for us. Then I will have to peel potatoes. I finish at twelve. I have to get up before five.”

Toharu smacked him on his back cheerfully, making him topple forward. “So that’s nearly five hours for drinking!” 

Kyon scratched his head. “Just don’t overdo it.”

Toharu looked at him. “Who? Me? I never overdo it!”

“Not you, idiot!” Ario whacked him over his head. “He was talking about Goten. And stop groping his ass!”

Toharu gave him a shocked look. “I wasn’t groping his ass!”

Ario shook his finger at him. “You were!”

“I wasn’t!”

Ario looked at Goten.

Goten nodded. “He was. Two days ago, on Wednesday,” he added.

“Damn you!” Toharu pouted. “And I didn’t even get a good feel!”

Ario smacked Toharu over his head again. “What did I tell you about groping random asses?”

“It wasn’t random!”

“Oh gods, can you two shut up? Don’t spur them on, Goten!” Kyon groaned. He looked around. “And where the hell is Ranvera?”

“I think it’s his turn for the piloting test,” Ario said.

“I see. Well, let’s get down to business,” Kyon said, motioning for the pair to follow him to the pile of chunks of meat on one of the tables.

Ranvera arrived at the kitchen when the food was already cooking. He apologized for being late, but, as he had failed his piloting test, Goten was ready to forgive him anything. It felt nice to know that he was not the only one.

After preparing dinner they went to attend the additional drilling. It consisted of a lot of running around the base and push-ups. Every grunt and a drop of sweat seemed to improve the sergeant’s mood. At the end of their training, his enthusiasm and bellowing at them were overflowing and he even joined in to run together with them around the base.

When they were dismissed, cursing softly under their breath, Goten and Kyon went to their barracks. Goten drank nearly a liter of water then took a shower to wash the sweat and dust off. When he returned, he suddenly became aware of his roommates giving him weird looks.

“What?” Goten wondered, rubbing his short-stubbed head with a towel.

“Do you know that you’ve become a local celebrity?” Daram asked him.

“Huh?”

“Roland and I have been to wash our stuff at Laundromats,” Daram said. “Man… There are legends about you!”

Goten rubbed at his nape awkwardly. “Ugh. I don’t think I want to hear them.”

“They say you nearly bested the prince in a swordfight and kicked some elites’ asses when they were beating up some second-year.” Daram wriggled his eyebrows and gave him a mischievous smile. “Then there is also the bit about you being the leader of resistance movement against the usurpation of the laundry.”

“Ugh.” Goten slapped himself on the forehead. 

“And then that part about you and your buddies getting drunk off your ass and getting kitchen duty for two years,” Roland added.

“Excuse me,” Kyon cleared his throat. “He was the only one drunk off his ass.”

“Oh, so you belong to the company?”

Kyon waved his hands as if to ward bad omens off. “Don’t even mention it. It was the first time I did something like that and-”

“You were frying a chicken,” Goten pointed out. “I wouldn’t say it was a sober thing to do.”

Kyon said nothing to that, just sat sullen and pouting on his bed.

“You know, if you get your sentence shortened, people will try and get you into trouble again so that you would have kitchen duty again.”

Both Kyon and Goten looked at Daram. “Huh?”

Daram grinned. “The food’s good.”

Goten slapped himself on his forehead again.

“They love it,” Roland endorsed, nodding. 

Goten looked at Kyon whose mood had improved tenfold. It was clear that he was ready to slave away in the kitchen even for thirty years as long as someone said that his food was good. Goten sighed. “Don’t believe a thing they said,” he warned Roland and Daram. “All those rumors are very much exaggerated.”

Daram shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. But it’s a fact that everybody knows you.”

“Do they?” Goten wondered. True, people nodded at him when he passed but he also nodded at them because most of faces in the base were already familiar. It felt natural to greet each other. 

“Well,” Kyon shrugged, “at least those elites won’t have any problems with finding you.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten was tossing and turning in his bunk. His heavy mind was filled with glass constructions and spinning centrifuges. He was in a swamp and it was damp, the glass cloudy. He was half-aware that what he was seeing was not real. But he could hear that, while sinking into the sloppy ground, the glass constructions and spinning centrifuges were making lurling-gurgling sounds.

Goten felt sickish but could not understand whether he felt so only in a dream or in reality as well. He was gazing down at the whirling centrifuges which now were half-way buried into the slough and were spattering mud and tufts of grass all over the swamp. Finally, they started slowing down. When they stopped, people dressed in various uniforms started climbing out of them and digging through the sludge into the surface. At first he couldn’t recognize anyone then, gradually, their faces started taking shapes turning into familiar ones he had seen around the base. There were also Ario and Toharu. Ranvera and Kyon, Daram and Roland, and Gohan.

Goten reached forward with his arm. He tried to call him but no voice came out. He tried to run after him but Gohan and other people were walking much faster than he was running. Soon, despite his best efforts, Gohan, together with his friends, was gone behind the horizon.

Goten stopped running and stared at the distance. There was no sound. All gone. Gone all of them.

“Hey!”

Groggily, Goten blinked his eyes open at someone calling his name and shaking him by his shoulders.

“You alright? You were tossing in your sleep.”

Kyon grunted in surprise as Goten’s arms wrapped around him. “That must have been some nightmare,” he finally murmured, reaching out to pat Goten on his stubby head. He was a bit surprised but glad when Goten didn’t smack at his hand.

“There were a lot of centrifuges,” Goten said. He was shivering.

Kyon chuckled.

Then Goten shook his head. He was lying again. “No, not that,” he whispered. “I saw my brother.”

“You have a brother?”

TBC


	9. Part 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 1: Officer ranks at Hataro Officer Training School [from the highest to the lowest]:  
> 1\. Taisa [Andera Gendian]  
> 2\. Shaii [Trunks Vegeta]  
> 3\. Shyu  
> 4\. Captain [Laureus Tanko]  
> 5\. Drill sergeant  
> 6\. First-in-command  
> 7\. Second-in-command  
> 8\. Savar [anyone attending any officer training school]
> 
> A/N 2: The Saiyan education:  
> 0\. Preparatory school (pupils 8-13 years old)  
> 1\. Paramilitary school (pupils 14-18). From there to --> boot camps (drafts/grunts) or:  
> 2\. Officer training school (savars 18 – 20). From there to --> military posts or:  
> 3\. Commissioned Officer Academy (ranks)
> 
> A/N 3: any mistakes that are left are because sometimes I am too resistant to grammar.

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by chibi_vegeta

Part 9

A bright smile spread over Goten’s face when he saw the numbers on the screen of the automatic teller machine. He admired the digits for a few more seconds then withdrew some cash, later his card. After securely storing it in his front pocket, he went straight for the warehouse. He intended to buy two new uniforms. He was aware of the fact that after buying two of them, and also returning the debts, he would have hardly enough credits left for one month’s meals. Nonetheless, slaving away in the kitchen had its own advantages, and he desperately needed new uniforms because both of his were in tatters. He preferred to buy them now, while he still had enough money.

The officer responsible for the warehouse said nothing to Goten. He just went deeper into the warehouse to find the uniforms of the needed size, then returned and took Goten’s card. The register digested the card without any problems, and the uniforms flopped in front of Goten on the counter. The third-class gathered his card and the clothes and, with his arms and hands full, went to his barracks.

Content, Goten entered his room and threw everything onto his bed. The room was empty, his roommates probably already celebrating the payday. Stretching his arms over his head, he yawned then sat down next to his clothes to relax for a minute or two. It was Sunday and, as usual on Sundays, savars’ duties lasted only until noon, giving them enough time for doing things that could not be done on weekdays.

Goten slid down sideways next to his clothes, spooning around them. He yawned. The entire month had kept him on his toes with pleasant and not pleasant surprises and with exclusive training. But the busyness had kept him from self-pity and with passing days the ache of failing the piloting test had lessened. Now he wondered why back then he had reacted as he had. He had thought hard about everything and decided that now his main goal was to finish this Officer’s School with a certificate in his hands. The certificate was going to offer a free access to the files of the accident related to Gohan. It was supposed to, at least. He had no idea during what kind of misunderstanding he had gotten here or whether it was on purpose but he was going to use his circumstances to his advantage.

Goten woke up to someone shaking him. His blinked his bleary eyes at Daram.

“Kyon says you’d better hurry up or you might get another year of kitchen duty.”

Sleepily, Goten rubbed at his face with his palms. Still not quite awake, he stood up and tumbled toward the door. “But we are graduating in two years,” he muttered.

His roommate winked at him. “If you piss off the shaii a few more times, I don’t think it would be a problem – you’ll just repeat the course. Alone.”

Before closing the door, Goten gave him the finger. 

In the kitchen, Kyon had been relieved to hear that none of the officers had noticed Goten was missing. Then Kyon had nagged at Goten for a few minutes, slammed a huge bowl of vegetables in front of him, and left him in peace.

Halfway through his work, Goten saw Toharu and Ario chatting away at the stoves. First, Goten patted his pockets then wiped his hands on his pants and started searching through his pockets. He discovered that he had left the cash in his room. Taking a knife in his hands again and coming back to chopping the vegetables, he settled on returning the money to Toharu later.

The dinner came and went, leaving them with hundreds of piles of dishes to scrub clean. When they were done, it was already seven o’clock. Goten went to lock the canteen’s door for the night. He tossed the keys for Kyon and left the kitchen first with the intention of getting Toharu’s money and returning it while Toharu was still in the kitchen and before he had to go and peel potatoes. 

Goten went through the back door and past the warehouse. He stopped on his way as he saw a cluster of six elites. Immediately, he swiveled round and headed back towards the kitchen. He halted again as another group of elites appeared from behind the canteen. Goten had been wondering when this would happen. He had been pretty surprised no one came to have it out with him straight away after the accident at the Laundromats.

He was in deep shit.

Goten looked from one group to another. He counted eleven elites. Some of the faces belonged to those who had been at the Laundromats. The rest of them didn’t seem familiar but obviously they were here to extend their elite rights to beat up any lower class and take their hard labored money away.

Suddenly, Goten felt a malicious glee that he had not a penny on him. He wasn’t even wearing his new uniform. Considering he might ever need one again. While backpedaling in the direction of the spaceship hangar, he thought that it would be a miracle if he survived this.

“Goten…?”

Through the gaps of the enclosing elites, Goten looked at the ringleader who had just walked outside the door from the kitchen. Seven females followed her. Goten used the opportunity of some of the hostile elites being distracted by their appearance and lunged forward. His only saving grace was the kitchen. 

Goten swung his fist and knocked down the elite who had tried to grab him. He dodged another one but the third managed to grab Goten by his hand and tried to truss it up behind his back. Goten twisted out of the attempted hold. He kicked the elite’s feet from under him but he didn’t let go and both of them tumbled onto the ground, Goten landing on his stomach. In a moment the elite was on his back, trussing his arm up. But the kick in his attacker’s face forced a loud yelp from his mouth and the elite was flung off the third-class.

Goten pushed himself off the ground in a blink. The ringleader, who had helped him, was now ambushed by two elite males. Goten elbowed the guy who was trying to force him back onto the ground and smashed his fist into the nearest elite’s face. The ringleader’s foot found the purchase in the second one’s stomach. They didn’t have any time to catch their breath as the avalanche of elite males rolled over them.

From the corner of his eye, Goten could see the rest of the females grappling. He cursed under his breath. They didn’t stand a chance. Five of them were elites, the rest were second-classes. Besides, as a rule, an elite female could hardly compare to an elite male in strength. This was going to end in one-sided carnage. He should have told them to get the hell out of here. But not for a moment had he thought they would interfere. 

A few seconds later Goten heard Toharu’s and Ario’s voices, which indicated that they had joined in the fight. Then he saw them both fighting side to side. Both of them were trying to keep their backs to the canteen, it being the only chance of escape. He could also see Ranvera and Kyon. He wasn’t sure but the thing Kyon was holding in his hand reminded him an awful lot of a frying pan.

Goten didn’t know how but after he had punched the elite who had been trying to beat the ringleader, both of them suddenly found themselves broken through the encirclement of the enemy. Not wasting any time, they ran towards the door leading into kitchen with four elites chasing them. 

“Look!” the ringleader shouted, motioning at something behind them.

Goten’s eyes followed the motion. About fifteen savars were rushing towards the fighting people. He could not see whether they were elite or second-classes thus he was not sure what to expect. But when the first of them launched himself on an elite male, his hesitation was all gone. He rushed after the ringleader into the kitchen. 

The elites blew in after them. 

Standing among long metal tables, Goten looked around for anything that he could use as a weapon. His eyes set on the ringleader who, after ransacking through the shelves under the tables, found the same hammer for crushing bones Goten once had wanted to use on her. The elites fell back a step when she stood next to Goten with the heavy hammer raised in her hands threateningly.

Goten’s gaze fell behind the elites where Kyon appeared. He was holding the pan as if he was ready to serve a tennis ball. Goten looked around again but the only thing he could see were dishes and a few other kitchen utensils. He grabbed a grater. The ringleader looked at him with both eyebrows raised.

Toharu stormed into the kitchen, silently took in the scene, kicked the door shut and turned the key, locking them in. Grinning, with his left eye already puffed and turning black, he started walking towards the middle of the kitchen. Slowly, saving his time, he lifted one of the heavy metallic tables. The elites looked at him, unsure. Two of them managed to jump over the tables and get out of his way, but the other two were beaten down as Toharu suddenly shot forward, knocking them over with the massive table.

Kyon swung his pan in the air above the elites trapped behind the table a few times as if testing it then whammed it over the nearest elite’s head. Goten tossed the grater away and kicked the second one in the head. He wished he’d have something as effective as Kyon. He whirled around as there was a sudden battle-cry heard. Goten turned in time to see the ringleader’s hammer collide with one of the two remaining elites’ stomach. She kicked him in the face as he doubled over, sending him crashing through the tables. A pile of dishes flew in all directions shattering to the floor with enormous jingling sound.

The fourth elite backed away to the wall behind him. Goten climbed over the table in his way. Kyon tested his frying pan. Toharu’s eyes swiveled fondly towards another table. The ringleader lifted her hammer. Vaguely, Goten became aware that he could not hear the sounds of the fight transpiring outside. Leaving his friends to deal with the last elite, he walked to the door and unlocked it. Slowly, he opened it.

“Goten,” the shaii nodded, greeting him courteously. “And why did I know that I’d find you here?”

Goten felt the sudden urge to slam the door in the shaii’s face and lock it again. Nonetheless, he knew that if he did that, he would be slaving in the kitchen not for two years but for the rest of his pitiful life. Therefore, without a word leaving his mouth, he opened the door the rest of the way and saluted.

Over the third-class’ shoulder, the prince looked inside the kitchen where, in the middle of the mess of scattered tables and broken dishes, he discerned Kyon banging at some elite’s head with a frying pan.

“This one’s for tomorrow’s breakfast?” the shaii asked in an overly cheerful voice.

“Do you want him stuffed or boiled?” Kyon huffed out through gritted teeth, still banging away, the adrenaline coursing through his body. He raised his head as the ringleader elbowed him in the side. He froze, the pan slipping through his fingers. With a clang, it fell onto the floor. He saluted. “S-sir!”

“Fried. And a table for two,” the shaii said. He wrapped his arm around Goten’s stiff shoulders. “Me and Goten here have a lot to discuss.”

ooOoOoOoo

The afternoon sun was scorching the walls of the headquarters. The air in the office was stuffy, mixing with the stink of newly painted walls. The windows were open but there was not even a slight breeze outside and it did nearly nothing to alleviate the stench and heat. Frowning, the shaii gathered a bunch of blank forms off his desk and started using them as a fan.

The third-class sat completely still in front of him as if afraid to even move a muscle, which he probably was. Waving the forms in front of his face, the shaii leaned his back into his armchair. He had read the reports from yesterday’s brawl. There were various versions of yesterday’s fight but it was clear that Goten bore little to no fault in it. 

The prince cast his eyes over the third-class again. Although he couldn’t be sure, there was not a scratch on Goten externally. It seemed hardly conceivable after a fight with eleven elites. The youth was supposed to be a bloody victim. The shaii had seen the eleven elites in the morning and they were the ones who had been victimized. He was going to run out of punishment options if this continued.

“Sir…?” Goten asked tentatively as the silence started ringing in his ears threateningly. His forehead was sticky with sweat. It seemed he was suffocating and he badly wanted to undo the buttons at his neck.

The shaii lowered the forms onto the desk. He crossed his arms in front of him. “Tell me, Goten, why did those forty savars interfere?”

Confusion became apparent in the third-class’ eyes. “Sir? What forty savars?” he asked.

The officer gave him a thoughtful look. So Goten was playing an idiot again. He could understand why Goten’s roommate and his friends stood up for him. What he could not exactly understand was why the females had interfered, especially when five of them were elites. Not to mention another twenty-seven people who had just joined in the fight because somebody had heard that Goten had been cornered by elites. All of them were second-class; luckily, the fight had been broken up before more elites got wind of this and it had escalated into an elites versus second-class clash.

The shaii had questioned a few second-class individuals about the reason they had interfered. It immediately became apparent that everyone was supportive of Goten: some had taken a liking to him after the incident at the Laundromats, some were impressed with his swordfight, others sympathized with him after hearing the rumors of their fellow savars being caught drinking and watching pornography in the kitchen. Yet others liked the current food, which was provided for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and wanted to make sure no one disturbed the flow.

Goten squirmed uncomfortably under that blue-eyed gaze. He felt as if he were under a lens of a microscope. Then his eyes caught a tiny photograph of himself on one of the hundreds of documents among the stacks of papers on the shaii’s desk. This didn’t bode well.

The prince ruffled through his shoulder-length lavender hair. He remembered he had read about something similar in Goten’s profile from his paramilitary school, something about forming a gang. It was a questionable fact but it seemed that even back then people used to crowd around Goten. Very likely they were doing this of their own accord. He wondered whether Goten was aware of this. Of course he must be - one must be aware of half of the base being friendly with him.

The shaii took up his makeshift fan in his hand again. “Do you want to press charges for an assault on those elites?” he asked Goten while waving with the forms in front of his face. 

Goten’s eyes rose to the prince’s face to stare at him in utter disbelief which was on the verge of turning into anger. He quickly got hold of himself and shook his head. “No, sir, I don’t.”

The shaii gave him a scoffing glance. “Oh? And why is that?”

Angered by that glance, Goten dropped his eyes to his hands on his lap. He fidgeted with the lower buttons on his shirt. “Well, I’d think it’s just because I’m somewhat fond of my life, sir,” he said, raising his head with a bitter smile on his face. To his surprise the shaii smiled back at him knowingly and nodded.

“Yeah, thought so.” The shaii started ransacking through the piles of papers on his desk. “Ah, here,” he said, holding a bunch of papers. He pushed them over the desk for Goten to see. “This is the account from the canteen. The previous month exceeded the usual budged by twenty percent.”

Goten took the account in his hands. He leafed through the pages awkwardly. Numbers, suppliers and articles of food flowed in charts. He wasn’t familiar with accounting but he was able to make out the most. In a minute he raised his head to look at the officer. “Sir?”

“I wanted to know what you have to say to justify these expenses.”

Goten broke into cold sweat. He had not expected this. His brain started squeaking with effort. “Well, sir,” he started, “I could say that quality requires effort. In this case effort also includes money. In addition, the savars’ performance during drilling and lectures has considerably improved. It’s all thanks to the balanced nourishment they are getting lately. Sir, I am certain that sacrifice of some money is nothing in comparison to the savars’ achievements.”

The shaii cleared his throat and tried very hard not to burst out laughing. “Indeed, indeed,” he nodded.

A more careful look at the shaii’s face made Goten realize that the man was just teasing him. Just as he had suspected, the shaii had known the outcome even before sentencing them to the kitchen duty. Now Goten was becoming wary of the real reason for this conversation.

Goten wasn’t looking at him and the shaii followed his gaze down his desk and to the corner of Goten’s personnel file which lay on his desk. The prince shuffled other documents off the file and took it in his hands. Goten’s eyes followed them. The prince waved the file in the air.

“Why are you here?”

From the papers, Goten’s eyes snapped to the shaii’s face. Here it came, the reason.

“Umm… Because I got into a fight yesterday?” Goten tried tentatively. The shaii’s murderous gaze made him curl deeper in his chair. “I have no idea, sir.”

The blue sea in the prince’s eyes was stormy. Goten’s personnel file flopped back onto the desk, making Goten start. 

“Are you sure?” the prince pressed further.

Goten nodded. “I’m sure, sir. When I got the call-up papers, I thought this was a mistake and called here to check. I was told Hataro Officer Training School made no such mistakes. If there was my name on the envelope, then it was meant for me. They told me to stop bothering the reception and present myself here in a month. Or else…” Goten left it hanging.

“And what about your brother?”

“I don’t know, sir, but I’d presume that his case was identical to mine.”

As if playing, the shaii lifted the personnel file again. He weighed it in his hand. “Is anyone else aware that you’re a third-class?”

“Ario and Toharu, sir; we attended the same paramilitary school. I think I have seen a few other familiar faces, but it’s very likely that by this time they have decided they have confused me with someone.”

“I see. What do you think would happen if everybody realized you’re a third-class?”

Goten frowned. He could not detect any threat in the officer’s voice but it bothered him. “I think they’d beat the shit out of me.”

The shaii gave him a somewhat surprised look. “You think so?” 

“Half-breeds can’t be trusted and third-classes are scum,” Goten repeated the popular saying amongst the Saiyan population. “Ugh.” He winced as he belatedly realized he was staring at one of those half-breeds.

The shaii’s eyebrows rose a fraction, but he shrugged dismissively. “I think “scum” is worse than “can’t be trusted” anyway,” he said.

“Definitely, sir,” Goten agreed eagerly.

The prince chuckled, amused at his efforts. He let the personnel file drop from his hand. “But Toharu and Ario are your friends even knowing that you’re a third-class, aren’t they?”

“Umm… To tell you the truth, sir, I think both of them might have a few screws loose, so they shouldn’t be taken as typical.”

Goten’s demonstratively innocent face made the shaii laugh softly. He leaned back in his armchair and crossed his hands behind his head. It was so stuffy in the office. He would not be surprised if he got a headache from this heat and paint stench. He tried to think what he should do with Goten but because the conversation was over, his brain didn’t seem to want and come back to think about it.

Goten was absentmindedly staring at the stains of sweat under the shaii’s armpits when suddenly the man lowered his arms and stood up. He opened one of the drawers in his desk, took his wallet then started walking towards the door. He motioned for Goten to follow him. “Let’s go to Matilda’s to grab a couple of drinks – this heat makes me thirsty.”

Goten decided that it would be in his best interests not to question his good fortune. Docilely, he followed his superior outside. It was hardly cooler outside but at least there was no smell of paint. He took a few breaths of clean, albeit hot, air. They rounded the building and entered the officers’ club. Goten blinked a few times to let his eyes adjust to the sudden half-light inside. The blessed coolness of the air-conditioned room surrounded them.

The shaii led him to one of two tables in the corner of the club, which was free of people. There had been a lot of saluting on their way. Goten had received a handful of pitying looks, which made him think he must have looked like a lamb led to slaughter.

Maybe he was one.

The owner himself rushed to them as soon as they had gotten comfortable at the table. “What would you like to order, sir?” he asked expectantly.

“Two Demedras,” ordered the prince.

Goten’s eyes went wide and his hands waved in front of his chest. “Sir, I still owe you a beer for the last time. Let me repay that.”

“Oh, right,” the shaii remembered. “Four credits, was it?”

Goten nodded. Relieved, he exhaled as the slightly disappointed owner crossed out two expensive Demedras and wrote down beers instead. Goten’s relief quickly passed as he met the prince’s amused gaze.

“You have just saved two credits,” the shaii said after the owner left to fulfill the order. “And this while returning four to me.”

Goten blushed lightly. “One could say I’m broke, sir.”

“But you just got paid yesterday?”

“Well, sir probably remembers that I had to buy two uniforms. Then I still need to return a handsome sum I borrowed from my friends.”

“And what about your father? Doesn’t he support you at all? You’re his only son now.”

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Goten scratched his head. “It’s not that. He sent me off with a generous sum but a lot of stuff happened and I had my card debited with over a thousand credits. Besides, I think I’m past that age when one runs to his daddy because of every mere trifle.”

“Hmm…” the shaii hummed. “I’ve noticed earlier that lower classes, especially the third-class, are more inclined to solve their problems on their own. I presume it is because they almost never know their mothers and mostly they grow in children homes. And when they don’t, their fathers are always on missions anyway.”

“They are also most aggressive, sir,” Goten pointed out. “For exactly the same reasons.”

“Well, yeah,” the shaii agreed. “Similar to dogs. Fighting for food and attention at every turn.” 

The shaii turned to the owner who brought two mugs of beer. He thanked and pulled his closer to himself. He motioned for Goten to start drinking and took a sip.

“So what breed am I, sir?” Goten asked after tasting his beer. He let out a content sigh when cool pleasant liquid slid down his throat.

The prince gave him a confused look. A few moments later, he realized what Goten was talking about. He flustered lightly, but it didn’t seem that the youngster was offended any bit, he seemed rather amused. The shaii awkwardly cleared his throat. “I’d say German shepherd,” he said finally. “Definitely. You remind me of a German shepherd.”

“Oh? What kind of breed is this, sir?”

“I saw them on Earth when I stayed with my mother. They are large dogs with fur mostly colored black and tan.”

Goten waited for more description but the shaii continued sipping his beer and it didn’t seem that he would continue.

Goten smiled into his mug. “Uhh, sir… I’m not sure whether I should feel bad or very bad.”

The prince chuckled. “I’ll leave that for you to figure out.”

Goten sighed then took a deep gulp of his beer. Over the rim of his mug he took a few stealthy glances at his superior. The blue, usually stormy gaze now was peaceful, dreamy, the shaii’s face relaxed, giving away his young age. The prince was attractive, the uncommon lavender hair and blue eyes being not repulsive, but somehow exotic. Goten wondered if he had a lover. Probably he didn’t. Despite everyone being awfully polite and ass-kissy with him, there was a considerable amount of distance among the prince and others.

Amused and at the same time somehow bitter, Goten explored the froth in his mug. He was a third-class and the shaii was a prince, but the result was pretty much the same – people kept their distance from them both be it out of distaste or overblown respect.

“So what about your differentiation tests?” the shaii asked, noticing that the third-class’ mood was dropping rapidly into the gutter.

Goten’s deep sigh vibrated over the table. “So far we have had one in piloting and sir knows how I did in it. Tomorrow come fighting skills.”

The shaii nodded. “Yeah, that was a disaster. But no big deal.”

“It was a quite big deal to me, sir,” Goten protested, pouting.

“Hmm? You wanted to be a pilot that badly? So that’s why you looked as if you were on the verge of tears. But what’s so interesting in piloting a piece of junk?”

Goten blushed lightly in shame then blinked in surprise. He had not thought much about why exactly he had wanted to be a pilot. “Ugh.” He shrugged. “Well, I figured space is more interesting than the ground.”

Thoughtfully, the shaii started drawing with his index finger on the dew that had concentrated on the side of his mug. “Yeah, this kind of thinking seems to be a common trend amongst first-years. But I can’t remember space ever being alluring to me.”

“Mmm… Maybe it’s because it was that sir was forced to travel to and fro from Vegeta-sei and Earth as a kid? I imagine this could kill any thrill.”

The prince considered this. He nodded. “Yes, maybe you’re right.”

Goten looked at his watch. “I’d dare to presume, sir, that this conversation isn’t a part of the investigation. What about my drill, sir?” He gave the shaii a pleading look. “The sergeant already hates my guts more than anything.”

The shaii looked at his wristband. “To hell with the drill; you’ve only twenty minutes left of it anyway. I’ll just make sure you’re on time for your kitchen duty.”

Goten suppressed a sigh and took another sip. He wondered whether the shaii was oblivious to the curious looks thrown their way or if he didn’t care about them. Officers and savars must be wondering who the heck he was and what it was with this visibly relaxed atmosphere instead of an interrogation. Goten rubbed his forehead and tried to turn in his seat so that his face would not be visible to others.

The shaii saluted him with his mug. “Don’t mull over failing the piloting test. I’m convinced that you’ll do much better concerning your fighting skills. One really must be skilled enough to escape from elites as many times as you.”

Goten let out another sigh.

The shaii shrugged. “Well, I don’t think they’d try anything again. You have a quite large supportive group – even elites should find it hard to stomach.” The prince’s right eyebrow rose a fraction. “Not to mention your own defense harem.”

Goten gave him a confused look then it dawned on him and his face painted red. It was not that he had asked the females to help him. Actually, he had been surprised that they had.

“You’re probably the only third-class male who caught the interest of so many elite females,” the prince teased him. “And to think that just recently they were ready to tear you to pieces!”

“Sir, please, that was a misunderstanding,” Goten shook his head. “And they’ll definitely do that if they ever find out that I’m a third-class.”

The prince shrugged again. He finished his beer and motioned for the owner for a refill.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten stepped out of his barracks and looked around cautiously. The coast was clear. He shot down the stairs and ran straight for the first barracks. Once inside, he patted his pocket, content. Eighty-seven credits was the exact sum that he had borrowed from Toharu for drinks. Eighty-seven credits was not a large sum to be bothered about so much, but right now even a loss of five credits would considerably tell on his financial situation. He could not risk a random elite trying to beat those credits out of him.

Taking two steps at once, Goten reached the landing on the second floor and turned into a long corridor. He found the door he needed and pressed on the handle. He stepped into another tiny corridor with three doors. One of them led into a tiny bathroom, and other two were savars’ rooms. The door to Ario and Toharu’s room was ajar, and Goten reached for it with his hand. He stopped in his tracks as he heard gasps and moans wafting from behind the door. Carefully, he moved closer to the door and stuck his head through the gap to look at what was going on there.

Ario’s bare, flexing, backside was the main feature of the room. There was a bouquet of colorful bruises spread over his muscular back and legs, and the left side of his face was still blue and swollen since the encounter with the elites. His trousers and underwear were pushed down his legs where they pooled around his ankles. Toharu’s trousers were lying in the middle of the room, behind them. Ario had Toharu pinned to the wardrobe, the other male’s legs locked around Ario’s sides. Toharu was gripping Ario’s shoulders, his head reclined, his mouth open and gasping every time Ario drove inside him. 

Both of them were bare from the waist down. Goten could see that the buttons of Toharu’s shirt were undone, the shirt ruffled up between them. Ario was very interested in the small strip of skin running below Toharu’s neck and between his shoulder blades. He was licking and sucking on it between thrusts while Toharu’s hand was on the back of his head, liking the treatment. 

In a few moments, Ario raised his head, and Toharu eagerly responded to the sloppy kiss Ario gave him. Then he groaned as the larger man’s hand slipped between their bodies to stroke him in time with his thrusts.

The sight took Goten’s breath away. He knew he should leave them to their business but simply couldn’t tear his eyes away from the rhythmically moving bodies. A light sheen of sweat was already covering Ario’s back, their thrusts and grunts growing more and more desperate for release.

Goten started as Ario’s half-lidded eyes suddenly fell on him. The Saiyan seemed momentarily startled then a brief smirk appeared on his lips. Ario’s gaze fixed on Goten, not letting go. Ario snapped his hips forward with more strength, making both Toharu and Goten gasp. Not breaking the eye-contact, Ario continued to pound into his lover.

Goten was flushed, the front of his pants stretched over his erection. He didn’t even try to cover his ragged breathing. But he knew that what Ario was doing right now – staring into his eyes and giving that lopsided smirk wasn’t an invitation to join them, quite the opposite – Ario was stating his claim on Toharu, telling him that Toharu was his and he should keep away.

Toharu’s nails clawed at Ario’s back desperately as he grew closer to orgasm. As Toharu suddenly began to tighten, Ario, not managing to suppress his pleasure, broke the eye-contact with Goten. Panting roughly, he dropped his forehead onto his lover’s shoulder.

Toharu came soundlessly, his face contorted in pleasure, his teeth gritted, body arching off the wall. Ario followed him several seconds later, a low satisfied grunt filling the air.

In a few moments, Toharu’s legs unwound from Ario’s waist and he dropped his feet to the floor. He leaned against Ario to catch his breath. He looked at the door but there was not a sign of Goten. With a soft thud, Toharu propped his forehead against Ario’s collarbone.

“Why did you let him watch?” Toharu murmured silently.

“Because I know you get a kick out of it,” Ario leaned down to hum into Toharu’s ear, biting on his earlobe.

“Mmm…” Toharu moaned. “That’s so, but what would you have done if he decided to join us?”

“Hmm…” Ario hummed thoughtfully while taking a condom off. He tied a knot and threw it in the direction of a bin. “I’d have probably tossed him out the window. You know my views about sharing.”

“Man, you’re no fun.”

Chuckling, Ario pulled his trousers up. Then he started maneuvering them towards his bunk. He grabbed Toharu’s pants on his way. They dropped to the mattress. Both were slightly regretful they would have no time to enjoy the afterglow, since their roommates would soon return.

Ario watched his lover belting his trousers. “When will you tell him that you’ve passed the piloting test?”

Toharu groaned. “Never?” he offered.

Sighing, Ario sat up. With his fingertips he trailed a large bruise on Toharu’s right side. He felt anger well up in him but he also knew that they were lucky not to have any broken bones. Besides, Toharu always loved a good fight.

“And how did you manage to pass while marking everything at random?” he asked Toharu.

“Fuck me if I know,” Toharu whined, flopping back into the bunk. “I don’t know shit about piloting. I hate planes. I like feeling solid ground under my feet!”

Ario’s arm curled around Toharu’s waist to draw their bodies closer. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he nodded dismissively. “Just make sure you screw up the next time.”

ooOoOoOoo

After the visit to the toilets and relieving his pent up frustration, Goten left first barracks. On his way to the kitchen, he saw Ranvera walking in his direction. The large man limped slightly. Ranvera had probably sustained the most damage from his friends. Goten didn’t see but had heard that he had also been knocked unconscious. Goten’s eyes slid from Ranvera’s black and blue face to the laptop he was carrying.

“Hey,” Goten greeted him as they approached each other. “Aren’t you afraid to carry that around?” he asked, motioning at the laptop with a tilt of his head.

Ranvera looked at it. “Well, yeah, but I think they’d also need about two or three days to rest. Besides, with a fight that turned into a free-for-all… I don’t think they will be coming after us anymore. Not directly.”

Goten nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of. It could turn out real nasty if you know what I mean.”

Ranvera shrugged. “Well, elites are the same everywhere.”

Goten scratched his head sheepishly. “Sorry for getting you involved in this.”

Laughing, Ranvera shook his head. “Nah, it was my own choice.”

Goten grinned at him. “Your face doesn’t look it.”

“Yeah, hurts like a bitch. So where are you going?”

“My kitchen duty starts in five minutes.”

“I see. I’m heading to Toharu’s to return the money I borrowed.”

“You too?”

“Huh? You did, too?”

“He’s like a bank.”

“He’s one shrewd guy, that Toharu,” Ranvera agreed.

“Taken, though,” Goten reminded him. “And actually just a few minutes ago,” he added, grinning.

Ranvera gave him a questioning look but then it sank in. Scratching the short stubs of hair on his head, he chuckled. “Then, I suppose, I’ll wait some. I’ll go with you to the kitchens.”

“Alright,” Goten nodded. “Oh, right,” he remembered. He pointed at Ranvera’s laptop. “Can you show me what a German shepherd looks like?”

“What’s that?”

“Apparently some kind of a dog from Earth.”

“Why would you be interested in something like that?”

“I just got called one a few hours ago.”

“Ooo, interesting. Wait a moment,” Ranvera said, opening his laptop. It buzzed to life and Ranvera started browsing. “Oh, here it is,” he said after a moment. He turned the screen towards Goten, who leaned in closer.

Goten looked at the picture closely then scratched his head. “I thought it would be worse. Like some horrible tiny disaster of a whiny dog.”

Ranvera turned the screen towards himself again. “Hmm… It looks okay, I suppose. Big too. It probably weighs some fifty kilos. Here: Strong, intelligent, good abilities in obedience training,” he quoted the site. He raised his head. “Well, I don’t think the person who called you that wanted to insult you.”

“I’m not so sure about “obedience training” part...” Goten drawled.

TBC


	10. Part 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 1: Officer ranks at Hataro Officer Training School [from the highest to the lowest]:  
> 1\. Taisa [Andera Gendian]  
> 2\. Shaii [Trunks Vegeta]  
> 3\. Shyu  
> 4\. Captain [Laureus Tanko]  
> 5\. Drill sergeant  
> 6\. First-in-command  
> 7\. Second-in-command  
> 8\. Savar [anyone attending any officer training school]
> 
> A/N 2: The Saiyan education:  
> 0\. Preparatory school (pupils 8-13 years old)  
> 1\. Paramilitary school (pupils 14-18). From there to --> boot camps (drafts/grunts) or:  
> 2\. Officer training school (savars 18 – 20). From there to --> military posts or:  
> 3\. Commissioned Officer Academy (ranks)
> 
> A/N 3: Some of the fighting action sequences are used from Monty Oum’s Dead Fantasy 1. It can be found here: http://www.gametrailers.com/game/monty-oum/4712
> 
> A/N 4: The mistakes that are left are mostly due to my stubbornness.

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by chibi_vegeta

Part 10

From the rows of savars Goten watched six officers who stood by the sergeant. Two of them were elites, the other four second-classes. All of them had squad lists with savars’ names. Finally, after a month of the exhausting build up of stamina, they were here to undertake the savars’ screening.

“You’ll be placed into three groups according to your fighting skills,” the sergeant started the briefing. “There are a few who won’t need to go through the selection. They automatically fall into the first category. Squad five: Amatachinna Toharu and Kaldera Hora. Squad six: Reneva Kamala.” The sergeant raised his head. “That’s it. Others, find yourself a suitable partner. You have a few minutes for that. You’ll come here when I call your name. If you can’t find a partner, you’ll be paired with a random person. That’s all.”

An immediate ruckus started as savars started looking among themselves, trying to gauge their chances with their friends and acquaintances. Everyone wanted to pick someone close to or a little lower than their own level so as to give the best impression they could. It was in both partners’ best interests that one would not be knocked down on his ass within the first two seconds.

Goten looked around the buzzing savars, wondering who he should pick. Frankly, he had no idea. Like everyone else, he had been training in martial arts since early childhood. He had taken up training with his father and brother and then continued in preparatory school. He had been good at it. Actually, one of the best. But only among third-classes. He could not compare himself to a second-class. His speed, reaction and timing were way off. However, there was this thing he wasn’t sure about – recent fights had been… 

“I’m with Bardock Goten!” Toharu declared, sidling up to Goten and throwing his arm around his shoulder.

The sergeant turned to look at them. He gave Toharu a questioning gaze then, looking at a momentarily stunned Goten’s face, nodded. “Fine.”

“Hey, hey, wait,” Goten protested, waving his hands. He tried to shake Toharu’s arm off his shoulders but to no avail. “What the hell are you doing?” he hissed at the shorter man.

“C’mon,” Toharu turned to him, giving a lopsided smirk, “aren’t you interested?”

Goten watched him back uneasily. Of course, the latest events made him itchy to test his fighting skills and power anew, but he wasn’t sure where it might lead.

“I see that even the sergeant is very interested to see how it turns out,” Toharu purred. “I have been interested for quite a while now but I figured it would be tough luck trying to talk you into having a friendly spar with me. So I’ll be a bad boy and use this opportunity.” Seeing Goten’s displeasure, he gave his friend a look which could be called apologetic if it weren’t so excited. “Don’t be angry – it’s the contestant in me.”

Distrustful, Goten rubbed the back of his neck. Then he saw Kyon and Ranvera shouldering through the crowd. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Kyon growled out at Toharu, pushing at the shorter man’s back. 

“Hey,” Ario caught his arm, “hands off.”

Toharu motioned for his lover to stay back. 

Kyon wrestled his arm out of Ario’s now lax grasp. “Do you want to kill him?!” he hissed.

“I’ll try not to,” Goten joked. He closed his mouth as Kyon’s eyes silently snapped at him, telling him to shut the hell up.

“Calm down,” Toharu said amused by Kyon’s protectiveness. “Have you forgotten how he fought the shaii? And the man is elite, for gods’ sakes. A thir-”

Kyon and Ranvera blinked at Ario’s palm over Toharu’s mouth. 

“A blood thirsty bastard he is, indeed,” Goten nodded.

Kyon looked at him. “I thought you said he was a good guy?”

“A bastard, a total bastard!” Goten shook his head. “Additional ten days peeling potatoes just because I thought the new punishment canceled the old one out! Totally unfair!”

Ranvera gave Goten a look. “You’re an idiot.”

Goten opened his mouth intending to protest but then the sergeant whistled to get their attention and everybody’s eyes concentrated on him. According to his command, seven quite large circles formed on the asphalt. The sergeant and the other officers read the first seven names. Goten watched the savars and their choices walk up to the officers. 

“Don’t use your ki,” the sergeant was giving last warnings. “The test is over as soon as the observing officer says so. After he writes down your results, you’re dismissed for the day.” He raised his arm to look at his wristband. “Start.”

Interested, Goten concentrated on two savars from his squad. One was a bulky, fierce looking man. Another was a whole head shorter but equally muscled. There was no slow circling of the opponent or half-hearted attacks trying to gauge the other’s strength. The shorter one started the fight with a leap for his partner’s guts. He jumped aside as he was blocked and the taller man’s leg shot up, aiming at his kneecap. 

They obviously were perfectly familiar with each other’s fighting style and it was a pleasure to watch them trying to overpower one another. Both of them had managed to land a few solid hits on their partner before the officer watching them broke the fight. They were given the second category. Both of them looked content with that.

Goten moved forward as his surname was read by the officer who had just watched and dismissed the two from his squad. While unwillingly approaching the officer, he could hear a soft murmur start in the watching crowd. It became much louder when he and Toharu faced each other in an empty circle. Goten glared at him. Damn that Toharu. He really wouldn’t have agreed to this if not for this kind of pushiness. He wouldn’t have wanted even a friendly spar with Toharu, but he would have preferred that to this public display.

Toharu attacked first, his fist targeting Goten’s head. Goten blocked it, diverting Toharu’s arm aside. He used the opportunity and lashed out with his own fist. It bounced against Toharu’s crossed upper arms. Goten leaned somewhat backward to transfer most of his weight to his left leg. Toharu stopped his kick with his left arm. Goten jumped backwards as Toharu tried to seize his leg. Toharu changed his plans, jumped forward and kicked out, aiming for Goten’s side. Goten predicted the move and swiftly responded with his own modified roundhouse. While his left leg made Toharu’s leg collide with the asphalt, Goten’s right heel caught Toharu on his chin. The powerful kick sent the second-class sliding over the asphalt. 

Toharu jumped to his feet. Vaguely, he could feel his shirt flapping open over his back where it had ground against the asphalt. He touched his swelling jaw. If Goten had been using his ki, he would have neatly torn half of his head off. 

Toharu tugged at the front of his shirt, tearing it off completely, so that it would not get in his way during the fight. His was surprisingly muscled for his build. The bruise on his right side was healing but it was still a sight to behold. Tossing the shirt aside, Toharu smirked. 

“Come and get me, then, Golden Boy,” he said, motioning for Goten to come closer.

Goten would have been an idiot to be affected by the easygoing nickname. It was the adrenaline coursing through his veins that made him charge at Toharu. They collided in a blurry of hits and kicks. 

In a few seconds Goten started pulling back and Toharu went after him. Goten had realized that there was quite a big difference between the two of them. Toharu’s knowledge in various martial arts enabled him to foresee and avoid Goten’s attacks. At the same time he was quick to adapt to any situation or movement Goten created, modifying his attacks in a blur. 

The only reason Goten was still standing was that Toharu was not fast enough. Goten could hardly predict his movements but he had time to avoid them. Another thing was Goten’s strength. Every successful blow Goten delivered forced Toharu to step away and waste time getting his bearings back.

Goten successfully blocked a high kick then ducked to avoid getting backhanded in the face. He whirled around, ramming his elbow into Toharu’s chest. The hit was so concentrated that he hardly made Toharu move, the damage being inward. 

Grabbing at his chest, Toharu hunched, thinking that he had heard something snap in there at the power of the blow. He was unprepared for Goten’s knee which met his face, tossing him backward, the sole of Goten’s boot connecting with his face once again while Toharu was still in midair.

Trying to control his breathing, Goten watched Toharu getting up from the asphalt. The second-class’s nose was bleeding and was bent at a somewhat weird angle. It was very likely broken. With a short cry, he charged at the third-class. To avoid Toharu’s kick, Goten jumped into the air, Toharu’s leg sweeping under his feet. But before Goten could find purchase on the asphalt again, Toharu’s back kick caught Goten in the stomach, hurling the younger male backwards.

Turning in midair, Goten stretched his arms out and caught himself on the asphalt. He turned over, landing on his feet. Ducking Toharu’s kick, Goten tried to sweep him off his feet, but Toharu rolled away to avoid him. 

The second-class had hardly managed to stand up as he was suddenly grabbed by his shoulders and whirled around. He stumbled, losing his balance. Goten’s heel connected with Toharu’s jaw, snapping his head aside. Then Goten’s leg shot into the air above Toharu’s head and whooshed downwards, the heel of his foot coming crashing down on the back of the second-class’s head. As soon it was down, it swung upwards, connecting with Toharu’s face again.

Toharu managed to catch himself before he could hit the asphalt with his side. He rolled over the ground, jumping to his feet. He swayed dangerously then shook his dizzy head, trying to get his bearings back.

Moving forward, Goten shifted his weight over to his right leg then turned, and transferred his weight to his left. He threw an accelerated roundhouse kick that connected his boot with Toharu’s face. Staggering backward, Toharu drooped. Goten caught his left arm. Using Toharu’s knee for purchase, he was suddenly jumping on the second-class’s shoulders, his weight forcing Toharu down. He twisted Toharu’s arm, then catching himself at the last second, he kicked himself off Toharu’s side while letting go of his arm. The asphalt crunched under his feet when he landed about two meters away.

Toharu raised himself from the asphalt. He spat the blood from his mouth and wiped at his bleeding nose with the back of his hand. With the adrenaline rushing through his body, he hardly felt the pain after brushing over his broken nose. He had broken his nose about a hundred times already, he also knew that his spotty vision meant concussion. Concussion was also his constant companion. He spat out the accumulating blood again and moved towards Goten.

The jarring sound of the sergeant’s whistle stopped them before they could reach each other. Still hesitant to quit the fight, Toharu watched Goten flop gracelessly onto his backside. After a few seconds, Toharu became aware of the clamor of the savars around them as they exclaimed over the fight.

Feeling the adrenaline dissipate from his system, Toharu rolled his shoulder. He flinched. Goten had nearly broken it. He had also registered the exact moment when the third-class realized what he was about to do and aborted the action. Had they been in a serious fight, Goten would have done him in.

Soothing his shoulder, Toharu walked over Goten. The third-class’s face seemed tired and disbelieving but at the same held an excited expression.

“Sorry about that,” Goten gave Toharu an apologetic look from the asphalt while motioning at Toharu’s shoulder. “I tried to be careful but somehow...”

Toharu’s eyebrows rose in his battered face. His fist swung but never reached its target as Ario grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him away from Goten.

“Quit it this instant!” Ario hissed, spinning Toharu around. “The fight is over! Or do you want to get suspended?”

“‘Tried to be careful’!” Toharu spat out Goten’s words mockingly, trying to push Ario away. “I’m gonna fucking rip his thr-”

“The only thing you’re going to do is to go to med bay this instant,” Ario said calmly, squeezing Toharu’s strained shoulder. “And don’t make me repeat myself, sweetheart.” His fingers dug even deeper, making Toharu howl in pain, his knees nearly giving out. “Understood?”

Toharu’s defiant eyes snapped to Ario’s face but the merciless look he found there rendered him mute. He lowered his head. “Yes.”

Without another word, Ario tugged him upwards and started leading him towards the med bay. On their way he picked up Toharu’s battered shirt. Uneasy, Goten watched them go. Instinctively, he could feel why Toharu was upset. One didn’t need to have a lot of brain to understand it. He was no less shocked than Toharu.

Goten got up and started dusting his uniform off. He was relieved to notice that it wasn’t torn anywhere.

“Well, aren’t you interested in your score?”

Goten turned his head to look at the officer who had observed his and Toharu’s fight. There was still an empty circle around him, the savars hollering and bawling all around but not approaching. 

“Not really,” Goten said. Unconsciously, he turned sideways and started walking towards the med bay, following the two. It was obvious anyway – he had just overwhelmed a champion of martial arts at the paramilitary schools’ competitions. He was still slightly shocked from it all.

Goten stopped as a hand fell on his shoulder. 

“I think you should leave them alone for now,” Kyon said. “Let Toharu cool off.”

“Yeah,” Ranvera endorsed Kyon. “Leave him to Ario. You’ll just make it worse.”

Goten sent a somewhat lost look towards the med bay. “Uhh…”

Kyon squeezed Goten’s shoulder lightly. “Sit down and wait for us to finish with this selection.”

Ranvera heard his surname called and motioned for Kyon to follow him. Just before leaving Goten, Ranvera’s eye caught a flash of light on his left. He turned and was in time to see a window being closed. In a blink the reflection of the sun was gone. The window was on the second floor, where the headquarters were. He thought he saw a blur of purple behind the now closed window.

ooOoOoOoo

Ario patted lightly at Toharu’s swollen head. Toharu had just been examined by a doctor. As expected, he had a light concussion, a broken nose and a sprained shoulder. They were sitting in a room where Toharu had been advised to spend a few hours just to make sure he was alright.

Ario sighed when Toharu smacked his hand away. “Don’t be an idiot. You do realize that you would have been suspended for attacking him after the test had been stopped?”

“He was toying with me, the bastard!”

Ario shook his head. “He wasn’t toying with you. The aim of it all was a friendly spar, not finishing each other off. Goten simply adapted to your pace. It’s you who has a problem.”

Toharu touched his plastered nose. He got up from the bed and walked over to a small mirror which hung on the wall next to the door. He took a look at his black and blue face. “I think you’d also have a problem if a third-class had done this to you.”

“I thought you didn’t care about classes?”

“I don’t. But the fucker is not a third-class!”

“He is.”

“Is not!”

“He is.”

“Is not!”

“He-“

“Shut the hell up or no sex for two weeks!”

Ario rolled his eyes. “Pathetic.”

Toharu’s head snapped towards him. “I’ll tell you what’s pathetic – it’s to get the shit beaten out of you by a third-class!”

“You said he’s not a third-class?”

“Argh!” growling, Toharu threw his hands into the air. “Leave me the fuck alone!”

Ario stood up. “Yeah, rest for a bit and calm down. I have to come back to the screening. I’ll see you back in the room. And don’t try anything funny with Goten. If I catch you trying to a-”

“Grarghrmrghh!”

Ario held back a chuckle at his lover’s communication skills being reduced to angry growls. “You did know the possible outcome of your fight, didn’t you? And you still challenged him.”

“Grrhmghm!”

Ario hid his smile. “I see,” he nodded. “Now, be a good boy, go to bed, suckle on your thumb to mend your pride and leave it to rest.”

“GRAAAARRRGHHRRR!”

Toharu’s boot hit the door just after Ario had slammed it behind himself.

ooOoOoOoo

Daram entered the room and went to the closet to leave his dirty clothes there then headed in the direction of his bed. He stopped on his way to stare at Goten’s backside. Goten had half-crawled under his bunk and was insistently searching for something under it. The second-year grinned.

“Stop staring at my ass and help me look for him,” Goten said from under the bed.

Daram gave Goten’s ass a last appreciative glance and continued walking towards his bed. “For what?”

“For Fluffy.”

Daram turned around to look at Goten’s behind questioningly. “The chances of us gaining a new roommate are pretty slim, aren’t they?”

“Fluffy is Kyon’s pet.”

The bulky roommate stayed silent for a few seconds. Then he looked around in the room trying to spot the pet. “Sounds hairy.” Sitting down on his bed, he scratched his chin. “I hope he does know that pets are not allowed.”

“That’s not exactly the case,” Goten said, crawling out from under the bed. He stood up and started dusting his clothes off. “I thought I’d take him out for a walk. Last time I saw him, he didn’t seem that well.”

“I see.” Daram shrugged and leaned back on his hands. He frowned, confused, as something wiggled under the sheets.

Goten surged forward as Daram suddenly let out a horrified yell and jumped off his bed. The second-year grabbed a chair and swung it at the sheets. Goten was just in time to grab Daram’s arm before he could smash the chair into the bunk.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Panting loudly, Daram tugged at his arm trying to free it but Goten didn’t let go. “And what does it seem like?! It’s a freakin’ snake – I’m trying to kill it before it bites me!”

“You can’t kill Fluffy!”

It took a minute before it sunk in. Incredulous, Daram turned his head to stare at Goten. “That is Fluffy?”

Goten nodded.

“As in Kyon’s pet?”

Goten nodded again. He let go of his roommate’s arm and, slowly, as if in trance, Daram lowered the chair back next to the table. “Is he freakin’ insane?!” he hollered then.

“Huh? What’s wrong with it? It’s a part of the program in getting rid of mice in the kitchens. It took us quite a bit of effort to smuggle them through.”

Daram nearly choked. “To smuggle “them” through?!” He started looking around through the room frantically. “Just how many of them are here?!”

“Only Fluffy. Daisy is at Toharu and Ario’s.”

Daram’s eyes set back onto the snoozing reptile between the sheets in his bed.

“He likes to bask between warm sheets. He probably crawled in there as soon as you left in the morning,” Goten said fondly, leaning forward and taking the unresisting pet.

Daram took a few steps back from him. “Won’t it bite you?”

“It might. But Kyon said something about whipsnakes not being poisonous.”

Daram exhaled loudly the breath he had been keeping in and relaxed visibly. “I see. So why didn’t you say so in the first place?” he muttered. He went to his bed and lifted the sheets. “I hope it didn’t crap in my bed.”

“Nah, he likes it clean where he sleeps,” Goten assured him, stroking the reptile. 

“Isn’t it much simpler to just buy poison for mice?”

““Simple” he says,” Goten snickered. “Do you even know how many procedures one has to go through to be able to import something like rat poison into the base? We don’t even have the needed authority to ask for it to be imported. Any poisonous chemicals… Let’s just say it’s simpler to import a million whipsnakes than a gram of poison. We just put them down as desserts.”

Daram scratched his head thoughtfully. “I see.”

“Alright, Fluffy,” Goten addressed the creature in his arms, “let’s go for a walk.” He looked at Daram again. “Does he need a leash or something?”

Daram gave Goten a searching look. Seeing that Goten was serious, he shook his head. “I think you just need to carry it. Just don’t let it escape or anybody see you – Kyon will cry.” He scratched his head thoughtfully. “You don’t savvy much about animals, do you?”

“Hmm? Why?” Goten asked, hiding the whipsnake inside his shirt. “Gh!” he shivered. “He’s damn cold!”

“No, nothing. Just… Why “Fluffy”?”

Buttoning his shirt, Goten looked at him. “And what’s wrong with “Fluffy”?”

Daram shook his head again. “No, there’s nothing wrong with it, I suppose.”

Goten waved at him. “Well, I’ll be off, then.”

“A bunch of nutcases,” Daram muttered when the door closed.

Goten rounded the third barracks until he was facing the aerospace center. He knew that it was locked already, the staff gone. He took Fluffy out from under his shirt and lowered him to the ground. The whipsnake just lay there without moving. Goten prodded it with his foot to make sure it wasn’t dead. It wiggled lazily then stilled again.

“I think it just overate. It needs time to digest.”

Goten turned to the source of the voice to see Toharu approaching.

“Daisy is all knobby with mice inside her.”

“Well, she did seem rather vicious…” Goten drawled. He watched Toharu approach him. Then Toharu leaned against the barracks’ wall next to him. 

“Sorry about yesterday.”

“Never mind,” Goten said shrugging. “I was quite surprised myself,” he added after a pause.

Toharu sighed. “Are you sure you’re a third-class?”

“C’mon, don’t ask such stupid questions.”

“Yeah…” Toharu drawled. “It seems that your strength is rising in comparison to what it was a month ago as well.”

“Yeah.”

“Any idea what it is?”

“If I knew, I’d have told you long ago.”

“It’s disturbing.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Anyway, man, I’m really sorry for yesterday.”

Goten grinned at him. “Oh, yes, I’m sure you are.”

Toharu grabbed him in a headlock. “Just look at this conceited bastard!” he growled, rubbing over Goten’s stubby hair. “Unforgivable!”

“Quit it! Quit it!” Goten laughed, squirming, trying to get free.

“Do you know that they marked you down in the second category?”

Surprised, Goten tried to look at him but Toharu still was keeping hold on him. “Hmm? I thought I did better.”

“Yes,” Toharu nodded, “you did. I got the third category and you the second.”

“Huh? This doesn’t make any sense.”

Toharu let go of Goten and smacked him on the back of his head, making him yelp. “Idiot, I’m talking about markings in the elite league! However, I’m sure that if your partner had been one of the elites, you would have had the first category; I held you down.”

Goten was staring at Toharu with his eyes wide. “They gave me the second category amongst the elites?” he repeated as if in a daze.

Toharu rolled his eyes at Goten being such a slowpoke. “Yeah, they did. But I’m surprised they didn’t request you fight against an elite.”

Goten waved his hands in front of him. “No, thank you, I’m fine.”

“Meh,” Toharu grimaced at him, disappointed. “Such a waste.” Then his face brightened. “Talking about getting wasted – I fully expect you to take the responsibility for what you did yesterday and buy me a drink tonight. No, make it lots of drinks.”

“C’mon, you make it sound as if I took your virginity.”

Toharu’s eyebrows rose a fraction. He gave Goten an amused look. “You’re about ten years too late for that. But be careful around me with yours,” he said, smacking Goten on his behind. He burst out laughing after seeing Goten’s pouting face.

ooOoOoOoo

It was about half past eleven in the evening, Matilda busier than usual. A table near the very end of the officers’ club bustled up as one of four savars sitting at it noticed Goten walk in through the door.

“Hey, Goten, get yourself a drink and come here!” Toharu shouted, waving at him.

Goten waved back and waded through the scattered tables and the puddles of spilled alcohol and drunken men, some of which were also close to joining the puddles on the floor. He took one beer at the counter and went to his friends, then sat down at Ranvera’s side while Kyon, Toharu and Ario were sitting opposite them.

“Well, did anything good happen?” Ranvera asked when Goten sat down next to him.

“Like what? Finding a sack of gold instead of potatoes?”

“Man,” Toharu patted Goten on his arm soothingly. “You must be dreaming about them already.” He clonked his mug to Goten’s.

Goten shrugged. “It’s not too bad.” He took a gulp from his mug then observed his friends. Kyon was positively sloshed, slumbering in his seat with his upper body resting on the table, his left arm under his head, his right hand still firmly wrapped around his mug; Kyon wasn’t much of a drinker. Toharu was almost sparkling with the excited optimism of a tipsy man, the bitterness of his defeat completely forgotten. 

Ario was inspecting the contents of his mug, grunting and snerking from time to time, proving he was listening to Toharu’s story, which Goten was sure he had heard hundreds of times. Ranvera was rapt as Toharu related how his first brawl in preparatory school had resulted in his entering the fighting competitions.

“Why do you think it’s called Matilda?” Ranvera wondered after Toharu had finished his tale.

Goten leaned back on his bench and took a good look around the officers’ club. Wooden tables, leather upholstered chairs and some wooden benches, also a few billiard tables. Dark colors and a somewhat dismal atmosphere – a typical bar. Goten took a gulp of his beer.

“Some tragic love maybe?” he ventured a guess.

Kyon raised his head from the table to look in the general direction of Goten’s voice. “With a male?” he asked sleepily.

Goten laughed. “Doubt it. It would be quite disturbing. I mean, c’mon? Matilda?”

Kyon’s eyebrows drew together somewhat as he was trying to figure out Goten’s sudden appearance. “Goten? When did you get here?”

“Just a few minutes ago. You sleep, sleep,” Goten chuckled, reaching out across the table and patting him on his arm. “Later I’ll help you to get back to our room.”

“Okay,” Kyon agreed without too much thinking, his head thumping back onto the table.

“So it was an unrequited love with a female named Matilda,” Toharu summarized. He turned to look at the owner behind the counter and everyone’s heads followed his, except for sleeping Kyon. The tall, bulky man’s penetrating eyes stared back at them questioningly.

“Nah,” Goten shook his head turning back to the table. “Somehow it doesn’t seem to me that he would have trouble with unrequited love.”

Ranvera grinned. “Oh, so this is what your taste in men is like.” He saluted Goten with his mug of beer.

“No, I was just saying that he looks like he would never know when to give up.”

“Must be tragic love then,” Toharu nodded. “Definitely.” His eyes gleamed up with a dreamy mist. “Imagine them being classmates in paramilitary school. One morning a bunch of elite females came up to her and wanted to take her money for lunch. She didn’t give it and got her ass kicked and was late for school. The teacher went batshit and told her to scrub the men’s toilets after school. But the owner’s younger version had seen how it all happened and felt it was unjust and wanted to stay after school to help her. Matilda called him an idiot and nearly kicked his teeth out in anger but he didn’t relent and so they cleaned the smelly toilets together. A few days later he asked her on a date, she agreed and the romance started. 

“After finishing paramilitary school, they went to different officer training schools. The distance didn’t lessen their love, though, and on weekends the bed of the motel where they would meet blazed with lust. And so two years passed and they finished their schooling. She became a pilot. They had gotten permission to mate and were thinking about a couple of cute rascals. She got pregnant just before her first flight where she was supposed to pilot a freighter to Earth. They were both very happy.

“The freighter was attacked nearly as soon as it left the border of the Saiyan Empire. The pirates hijacked the ship together with its goods and people. They killed everyone on board not bothering to ransom.

“When he got the notice that Matilda was dead, it was as if his heart was torn apart. He could neither eat nor sleep. It took him years to learn to live with that excruciating loss. Nonetheless, as you can see from the title of this officers’ club, he never recovered.”

“Maaann,” Ranvera whistled. “That’s some story you have there.” He looked opposite the table where loud sobs could be heard. “Hell, Kyon, stop crying, for gods’ sakes! He made up all of that. Stop crying, I told you! Have another beer or something!”

Suspicious, Ario tapped Toharu’s mug with his finger. “Sweetheart, just how many of these have you had?” He started as suddenly Toharu jumped from his seat, grabbed Goten by his shoulders and pulled him into a fierce hug.

“I’m so glad you’ll never be a pilot!” Toharu cried. “It’s so fortunate you failed that stupid test!”

Groaning, Ario slapped himself on his forehead.

“Uhh,” Goten patted Toharu on his head. “Yeah, I suppose. Ehh…” he drawled, somewhat disturbed, “…are you crying?”

Toharu sniffled. “No, not really.”

“He passed,” Ario said, sighing.

“Huh? Passed? Passed what?”

“The piloting test. The moron passed it,” Ario explained.

Goten peeled Toharu away from him to look at his remorse-filled face.

“I promise I’ll definitely fail the next time!” Toharu swore. “I’ll fail so badly that the lecturer will forbid me to even approach the aerospace center!”

“Oh, c’mon!” Goten wailed. “How could you?! I tried so hard and you were just fucking around and passed!” 

“It’s his specialty,” Ario pointed out. “He fucks around but it just works out somehow in the end.”

“I thought it was because you’re always there to cover his ass,” Ranvera said, grinning at Ario.

“Well, yes,” Ario agreed, “there’s that, too.”

“I’ll fail, I’ll definitely fail!” Toharu promised.

Goten pushed him away and flopped back onto the bench. “Idiot, don’t screw up just because of me.”

“Well, actually, he’ll have to screw up because of me,” Ario said matter-of-factly.

“What the hell is wrong with all of you?” Toharu bristled. “I told you I hate flying!”

“And yet you passed the test.”

“It was an accident!” Toharu exclaimed, returning to sit next to Ario. 

Ranvera chuckled at his pouting face. 

Ario patted Toharu on his stubby head. “I believe you.”

“It seems you’re the only one,” Toharu complained.

“That should be enough for you,” Ario said, leaning in to brush his lips over Toharu’s.

Ranvera averted his eyes as Toharu’s arms wrapped around Ario’s massive shoulders and the two engaged in a gentle kiss. Goten became very interested in what was in the bottom of his mug. 

“Well, it seems someone is going to get some tonight,” Ranvera muttered. He sipped his drink.

Goten laughed softly. 

“Kinda makes me jealous.”

“Hmm?” Goten hummed questioningly, as Ranvera’s fingers wrapped around his beer and lowered the mug to the table. 

Ranvera slid forward over the bench until he was facing Goten. Watching Goten, he straddled the bench. Goten’s eyebrows rose a fraction and he gave Ranvera a mischievous look as if daring him do anything. Spurred on by the by the playful flirting, Ranvera dared to lean in closer, carefully gauging the younger man’s reaction. Goten did not shy away, and their lips met. He teased Goten’s lips with his own then, when Goten started responding, cupped his head to deepen the kiss.

After a moment, Ranvera’s hand slid from cupping Goten’s head to tease his nape. Goten could feel Ranvera’s other hand moving south, fingers gliding down over his chest and tracing over his ribs. They reached the hem of his shirt and, after undoing a few buttons, slid under.

Goten’s eyelids fluttered shut and his breath caught in his throat as the warm hand started caressing his stomach. Then his breath rushed out, together with a soft moan. Ranvera’s palm slid upward over his skin. It was drawing small circles, playfully, teasingly. Again, Goten made a small noise at the back of his throat. He felt Ranvera’s mouth on his and, eager, parted his lips to answer the kiss. 

While they were kissing, Ranvera began to push Goten backwards. He was still holding Goten by his nape, while his other hand held onto the bench to support both of their weights. Goten didn’t seem to mind or notice the shift in their positions. When it became somewhat uncomfortable he raised his arms to wrap them around Ranvera’s shoulders. When Goten felt his back press against the bench, his eyes opened a fraction. He chuckled lightly after discovering his position.

“And what do you intend to do now?” he asked, grinning up at Ranvera.

“Well, to kiss you silly is first on my list.”

Goten laughed. “I don’t think it will require much effort.”

Laughing, Ranvera leaned down to press another kiss to Goten’s mouth. Goten answered, his tongue darting out to meet his. Goten was getting better at this, Ranvera noticed.

After a few moments Goten rested his head on the bench exhaling loudly. His arms still held onto Ranvera’s neck and shoulders and he opened his eyes to look at his partner. The older male returned a dreamy look. This felt nice, Goten’s body was tingling in pleasure. Not yet aroused so much that he felt the invincible need to progress further, but just where it felt delightful and comfortable.

Not quite sure why, but feeling as if someone was watching him, Goten turned his head to the side. His blissful smile faltered as his eyes met a blue stare. He felt Ranvera’s mouth leaving a trail of kisses on the column on his neck, and Goten suddenly felt the urge to swat his face away. From the bench at the other table, the shaii gave Goten another look and saluted him with his mug of beer. Then he turned his back to them and concentrated back on a few sandwiches on his plate.

Goten continued glaring at the man’s back. Had the shaii just sneered at them? And all they wanted was just to have some fun and affection. Maybe they really looked pitiful to a man who could have it all, any Saiyan female he wanted, any foreign female he wanted. He didn’t need to seek affection among his friends. Goddamn the bastard!

Goten shivered as Ranvera’s hand slid over the front of his trousers, caressing him lightly. He suddenly became aware of Ranvera trying to unbuckle his belt. He pushed at the older male’s chest, making him sit upright. Confused, Ranvera looked down at Goten who still lay on the bench. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m not in the mood.”

Frowning, Ranvera shook his head. “You were in the mood just a second ago.”

“But now I’m not!” Goten snapped at him.

Ranvera threw his hands apart angrily. “What the hell has gotten you so worked up?”

Goten’s head turned to where the shaii’s bench pushed backwards noisily. Taking his empty mug and plate, the prince stood up then started walking towards the counter. Goten’s head turned back to Kyon. “Have you ever slept with a female?” he asked.

Ranvera blinked in surprise. “I… No.”

“Why?”

Seeing that there was not a chance for the previous mood to return, Ranvera lifted his left leg over the bench and sat at the table. “Maybe because I don’t have the money? A visit to one of those “birthing factory” houses costs five thousand credits. Besides, the women who are free… Well, they have much higher standards than…” not finishing, he motioned at himself.

Goten nodded. He sat up. Holding onto the table, he shifted so now he sat facing it. “So I thought. And this is how things are.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Goten waved it off dismissively. “Never mind. Let’s just grab two more beers and call it a night.”

Unseen by Goten, Ranvera rolled his eyes at the idea but he didn’t voice his displeasure. Maneuvering through the tables, he went to buy more beer. On his way he met the shaii and saluted. He couldn’t be sure in this half-light, but it seemed that for some reason the prince gave him an unfriendly gaze. Wondering what his problem was, Ranvera moved toward the counter.

ooOoOoOoo

The shaii examined the thick sheaf of a catalogue which proposed the schedule of the sporting competitions. The shyu and other officers had put a lot of effort into composing the agenda. While the prince’s eyes were scanning through the timetables and suggestions, from time to time he would underline some of them or put a question mark next to them for further discussion.

About four minutes later, the rustling of the papers and scribbling of a pen stopped. The pen started methodically thumping against the surface of the desk. The shaii was on the fifth page when he realized that he didn’t remember anything from what he had read on the fourth. He turned a leaf back. His eyes carefully read the first three lines at the top of the page then they unfocused again. The pen continued its drumming against the desk.

Goten’s laughing and flushed face resurfaced from the shaii’s memory for the second time. Misty but at the same time vivid visions of Goten passionately answering that kiss and closing his eyes while he purred like a cat flashed through his mind. 

The prince hammered with the pen on the table. Was Goten an idiot? Why the hell was he together with that Ranvera sicko again? Was there a shortage of normal guys on the base or what? Did Ranvera even know that Goten was a third-class? What would he do if he knew? Or maybe he did know. Probably, as long as their partner was a good lay, types like Ranvera didn’t care about class. 

He was somewhat disappointed in Goten’s choice of partners.

The shaii snorted at himself and continued to read the catalog. For all he cared, Ranvera could distribute hundreds of copies of porn where Goten starred as the main actor and he wouldn’t give a damn. Not a bit.

TBC


	11. Part 11

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by chibi_vegeta

Part 11

The sun was beating down on the ranks of marching savars. It was a little past midday, but today they were not in auditoriums listening to their lecturers but outside where the heat was merciless. The neat columns of men were passing an arranged platform with an arbor where prominent guests from Longdam’s Officer Training School and officers from Hataro Officer Training School sat in cushiony and comfortable chairs. There were also three representatives from Commissioned Officer Academies. The platform had been raised in front of the barber’s shop between the fifth barracks and the headquarters building.

Goten’s scalp was itchy with salty sweat. He wished he could simply peel the accursed beret off and give it a good scratch. At least the beret wasn’t letting the sweat get into his eyes.

A beret was a part of the official uniform at School but it was only worn at events or when staying under the sun for a long time. Besides, only first-years were required to wear them. Second-years would usually have grown their bushy hair and manes back, thus unless pinned or clipped, it was impossible for any beret to stay on a stack of that hair. Goten could only speculate that berets, as a number of other recent innovations, had been introduced from Earth. Just like the shaving of first-years. Goten had heard that the tradition had been started on Vegeta-sei when people from Earth had complained about lice and other parasite colonies in Saiyan hair.

Marching amidst other first-years, Goten reached the platform. As he kept his eyes trained on the spot above his right shoulder, he could see six tables lined up with rows and rows of wineglasses. Most of them were already empty. There were also plates with posh-looking tea sandwiches on them. Behind the tables there were rows of chairs with seated officers. The majority of them seemed to be much more interested in wine and sandwiches and conversations instead of watching the parade.

Goten discerned a purple blob which belonged to a body dressed in Hataro Officer Training School’s uniform. The shaii was also engaged in a conversation with an important looking snob who was wearing the guest school’s uniform. A thought that the purple hair made the prince an easy target entered Goten’s head but a few seconds later evaporated together with his sweat. Wishing for the parade to end, Goten passed the platform and continued on.

Finally, there was a command to stop and turn right. With his pants sticking to his sweaty skin, Goten turned to stare at the wall of the fifth barracks. A microphone screeched, and then a five-minute speech by their taisa, Andera Gendian, started. He welcomed the guests and did not forget to say how grateful and honored he was for this opportunity to meet them and that he expected five days of unforgettable sports events.

Once his speech was over, the microphone was passed on to one of the high-ranking guests. A very similar speech followed. Nonetheless, Goten could detect some sort of acidity in those words. He wasn’t sure what was going on but it didn’t concern his wellbeing, thus he forgot it in the next few seconds after the speech had ended.

Goten felt sleepy. He thought he heard his name being whispered somewhere in the neighboring column of the savars from Longdam’s school but this, of course, could not be true and he continued slumbering.

Unlike the second-years, the first-years were hardly excited at all about the other school’s arrival. All of the guests were second-years, most of them elites, which left no opportunity for the first-years to take part in the games. This was a disappointment.

Goten was indifferent rather than disappointed. He had not intended to take part. Besides, what with his recent kitchen duty, late nights at the officers’ club, and the drill sergeant giving additional training, he had been lacking sleep. He had no idea how his friends managed to keep this up, but he had decided to cut down his visits to Matilda. Physical and mental strain usually manifested in migraine attacks. He had had enough of them to wish they never repeated again.

As a final point, their taisa offered a toast to mutually valuable experience. In answer to this, Fuujima Horuisa, the shaii of Longdam’s Officer Training School, gave Shaii Vegeta a meaningful look and expressed his wish for the better school to win. After that, the disturbed first-years were dismissed back to their lectures.

The taisa lowered his empty glass to the table and glanced at his shaii. Trunks felt him looking at him and their eyes met, the lavender-haired youth giving his superior an apologetic look. The taisa shrugged in answer; they had known that something like this would happen.

“Taisa Gendian, sir?”

“Yes?” The taisa turned around to look at Fuujima. The man probably had seen them exchange glances. He chuckled internally – he was not interested in these games. The prince would have to get his tail out of this on his own.

“Sir, I’ve just received a phone call from my taisa: it seems that his daughter’s life is not in danger anymore. Once again the taisa expresses his regrets for not attending the event.”

A relieved smile appeared on Andera’s face. “To hell with the games, the most important thing is that his daughter was saved.”

“This is good news, indeed,” the prince said, walking over to them.

“Yes,” Fuujima nodded, “she was bound to recover – she’s quite a warrior after all.”

“True, true,” the taisa agreed. “I heard once she and her squad attacked and decimated Morawa colony all by themselves.”

At this point, the prince decided to keep silent. Wadara Argo was a first-class superior with a good head on her shoulders but, even if while serving under her he had never questioned her decisions and orders, she had a tendency to exaggerate. First of all, there had been no attack – somebody had done a lousy job and their ship had run out of fuel. The only nearby planet at the time had been Morawa colony. Under fire, they half-landed half-crashed into it. It was pure luck they hadn’t killed themselves. Secondly, there had been no decimation. Something had malfunctioned in the colony’s automatic defense system and two guard towers had exploded all by themselves. The blast had also reached one of their nuclear armories which blew up as well, killing everyone in about a two-mile range. After that, when they had finally managed to scramble out of their wrecked ship, there was not much left for them to do except find the enemy soldiers that were still alive after receiving a fatal dose of radiation. It had been a morbid sight. Finally, all of them had been promoted for their merit to the Saiyan Empire. Personally, he didn’t like to remember that accident and had long ago sold his Medal of Honor. He remembered buying good boots with it.

The prince became aware of the sardonic look the other shaii was giving him. He figured Fuujima knew he had served under Wadara Argo. He probably also knew how it really had happened, the “attack”. Not that it worried him. Besides, Fuujima would not say anything as he would also involve his superior’s daughter and a lot of other now high-ranking people.

“I was thinking, sir,” Fuujima ended the awkward silence, “why don’t we arrange to play Capture the Flag?”

“What’s that?” the taisa wondered.

The prince felt a headache coming. “It’s a game from Earth, sir,” he explained in a mumble, reaching out for one of the filled glasses on the table. “The aim is to capture the enemy’s flag.”

“Yes, the winner must take the defeated side’s flag to his base.”

The taisa cast a quick look at his shaii who rolled his eyes. The prince was clearly annoyed but it didn’t seem that he would mind it much. “Sounds intriguing,” the taisa said. “Why don’t you two explain the rules to me in detail?”

The prince took a gulp from his glass. Absentmindedly, he listened to Fuujima’s explanations. The man could hardly suppress his eagerness. 

“I see,” the taisa nodded. “This kind of game would surely increase the competitive spirit of our savars.”

It has surely increased my headache, the prince thought.

“So we need five capable savars from our side…” the taisa summed up. He looked at his shaii. “I’ll leave this to you, Shaii Vegeta.”

This was his punishment. The prince suppressed a tortured groan and nodded. “Certainly, sir.”

“How about arranging the game for the day after tomorrow, sir?” Fuujima asked. “Let’s not forget that we still need to reach Korama woods.”

“Alright,” the taisa nodded. “Then the men from both sides will be picked up tomorrow evening and transported there. And the game will start on the next morning.” 

“Then I’ll be off, looking through our lists of savars, sirs.”

Fuujima’s face hardened as the prince saluted them, filled his glass and left their table without further ado.

ooOoOoOoo

“You are not required to take the examination on sword fighting.”

Surprised, Goten stared at his drill sergeant. But the man did not seem to be kidding him. “Uhh… What about the tomorrow’s theory, sir?” he asked the sergeant’s back as the man had not waited for his reaction and was walking further along the row.

The drill sergeant stopped walking and turned around to give him a hard glare. “It seems that nobody gives a fuck about your theory part either. Now shut your trap and go help disassemble the platform!”

Goten saluted. “Sir, yes, sir!”

While running towards the platform, which was being gradually dismantled, Goten realized that it must have been the shaii who had given the order. He wasn’t sure about the motive behind this. Was this the man’s way to apologize for cutting him during the swordfight? But he had punched the prince back then. Something wasn’t right here.

Goten scratched his stubbly scalp nervously - he had a bad feeling about this.

ooOoOoOoo

A knock echoed and the prince came in carrying a portfolio. “I’ve picked the men, sir.”

Interested, the taisa held out his hand for the portfolio. “Well, let’s take a look at them.”

The shaii held out the portfolio. He watched his superior pushing the documents he had been reading aside. He liked the man. Andera Gendian was from an older generation of men who were content with life even though they had no illusions about it. He mostly let life lead its own course but, from time to time, would steer it with an iron hand. 

He was bulky, with the face of a country man and a touch of graying hair. He was a head and a half taller than the prince and taller than most Saiyans. He created an impression that to reach his post he had just walked through walls and sat down behind the desk, which seemed somewhat too small for him.

But then…what illusions more were there to have if one was already a taisa? When one has already reached the goal he had been aiming at? One had to know when to stop and just be content with what one had instead of striving further and further to the top until no peaceful nights were left. Except maybe most Saiyans did not want peace.

The prince pondered on that. He did want peace. But he was only a half-breed, what the hell did he understand about Saiyans after all? From time to time he felt estranged on his own planet; some people looked at him as if he were a bred monstrosity. What he knew was that, with the advance of his own career, it would be a pity to remove the man from his post.

Curiosity and concern sparked in the prince when, as soon as the taisa opened the portfolio, his face seemed to acquire a painful expression. He watched his superior stare at Goten’s biography. 

“Sir?”

Leaving the portfolio lying on the desk, the taisa leaned back into his chair and dropped his arms on the armrests. “Have you already announced the players to Fuujima?”

“Yes, sir.”

The taisa lifted his right arm and started drumming with his fingers on Goten’s profile. “Nothing to do, then.” He sighed. “I hoped he would stay unnoticed.”

“Goten Bardock, sir?”

“Yes, Goten.”

“The shyu came to me when our people started changing his records.”

The taisa took another look at Goten’s photograph. “I suppose I should have just told him, in which case it wouldn’t have reached you.” 

“But it has, sir. I am very interested to hear what is going on here.”

The taisa raised his head. A few firm notes in the lavender-haired man’s voice indicated that he was asking not as his underling but as his prince. He liked the youth. When he first had been informed that Trunks Vegeta was coming to work as a shaii to his base, he was half-ready to meet a pup who was used to ordering everyone around. The ordering around part came out quite true, but the pup appeared to be a grown-up fighting dog.

“I’m afraid I don’t know much. But before his arrival here I was requested to make sure he would not get himself killed and would successfully finish this School.” 

“No doubt it proved to be difficult as he’s the sort to get his tail broken on the very first day.”

The taisa laughed softly. “That boy has a hell of a lot of a spirit.”

“Whose orders were those?”

“Veden Grendal’s.”

The shaii’s lavender eyebrows rose in surprise. He knew the man, had met him a few times during official banquets. Veden was a high-ranking officer working for National Security. “Why would a man like him be interested in some third-class?”

“I was told that Goten is a part of an important project. It was not explained any further and, naturally, I did not ask.”

The prince nodded. “Of course.”

“I’m afraid that’s all I know. I’m sure you will be more successful as your connections reach further than mine.”

The prince ignored this. He watched the taisa’s attention return to the portfolio. Five minutes later the man lowered the portfolio to the table. “For some reason I thought you would be more serious about this,” he said. “However, you not looking seriously at his challenge is going to piss Fuujima off even more. Maybe it’s a good idea to show we don’t give a damn.”

The prince cleared his throat. “Actually, sir, I am pretty serious about this. Well, more or less anyway,” he added.

The taisa gave him a surprised look. “Is that so?” He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Then why are they all second-class? I’m not so sure about Goten yet, but he seems to be only a third-class.” He pointed his index finger at the portfolio. “And what the hell is with this squad title?”

ooOoOoOoo

“You’re lucky,” Ranvera grunted into his glass. “I wish I didn’t need to take the test tomorrow either.”

Goten sipped his beer. “Yeah. Good luck with that,” he mumbled drunkenly.

“So who did you sleep with in order not to take the examination?”

Goten didn’t rise to the bait. He gave Toharu the finger and continued sipping his beer. “Ah,” he suddenly said, remembering. “I wanted to say that from now on I’ll come to Matilda only on weekends.”

“Huh?”

“If it’s about money-” Toharu started.

“Nah,” Goten cut him off, shaking his head. Then he started nodding. “Well, yes, that too. But I’ve been feeling pretty tired recently.”

Ranvera shrugged. “I see. Then probably I’ll cut down on drinking too.”

“Well, I don’t have much money to spare either. I come only because you two come,” Kyon said. “So I won’t be coming either.” He gasped as Ranvera elbowed him in the ribs to keep him silent.

Goten turned to look at Toharu but his place was already empty, as well as Ario’s.

“I think they only come because they like fucking in Matilda’s toilets,” Ranvera said.

“Yes, it’s true,” Kyon agreed. “I also like them better than any of our barracks’.”

Ranvera gave Goten a sideways look. He hoped that Kyon would finally shut up and that Goten was smashed enough not to make connections in what drunken Kyon was blabbering.

Goten sighed at Ranvera’s pitiful attempts to cover for him and Kyon; the two of them couldn’t be more obvious. Ranvera, the idiot, even didn’t realize that he knew about the two of them, and that Kyon knew that he knew about the two of them. But did Kyon know that Ranvera didn’t know that he…? Goten’s eyes rolled up in his head. This was too difficult to comprehend. He put his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands. He stared at his nearly empty mug then yawned. Probably it was about time to go to sleep.

They turned their heads upward as a shadow loomed over their table. The friends scrambled to their feet and saluted. 

“Sir!”

“At ease,” the prince said, taking a place beside Goten. He waited for them to sit down as well. “I have a piece of news for you but let’s wait for the other two to show up.” He motioned for the bartender to get him a drink. “Last time I heard them they seemed about to finish,” the shaii said in an annoyed voice. 

“Ugh,” Goten grunted and lifted his mug to his mouth to finish the last of his liquor. “This piece of information was not necessary, sir.”

Kyon nodded, agreeing, but Ranvera shot Goten a warning look. It seemed that Goten had really drunk a few too many and was once again starting to act too familiar towards their superior.

“What’s not necessary is them daily fucking at Matilda’s,” the shaii pointed out matter-of-factly.

Goten shrugged. “I don’t think there’s a wide range of places to choose from, sir.”

“Library is just as good,” Kyon mumbled.

The prince’s head turned towards him. “Really?”

Unconsciously, Kyon glanced at Ranvera before nodding. “Yeah, tested and approved, sir.”

“I see,” the shaii nodded politely. Then he gave Ranvera a meaningful glare.

Ranvera ruffled through his re-growing hair nervously. He realized that, first, both Goten and Kyon were unpredictable – gods knew what they were going to say next. Secondly, based on Goten’s lack of reaction, he didn’t need to worry about Goten finding out about him and Kyon – currently Goten’s brains would not be able to tell a chair from a table. And thirdly, for some reason the shaii seemed to dislike him.

“Thank you, sir,” Goten said.

The shaii indulged in his freshly-brought mug of beer. “Hmm? For what?” he asked after taking a good gulp.

“For releasing me from the swordfight examinations, sir.”

The shaii looked at Goten’s face. Goten was not yet drunk but positively buzzed, his large defenseless eyes giving him an open look. Goten had a handsome face with regular features, the re-growing hair starting to frame it. Soon he would look just like in the picture in his profile. The prince realized that he was looking forward to that. He took a swig out of his mug again. “You helped me out with training the savars, so I figured I could do something to show I appreciate your efforts,” he said.

“That’s nice, sir.”

Ranvera swallowed his beer nervously. When a superior was nice to you, it meant trouble. There was no reason for the shaii to like Goten after he had caused this much mess; Goten was in danger. 

Kyon reached out over the table to clap Goten on his shoulder. “You were right – he is a really nice guy. Well, apart from the time you said he wasn’t.”

“Told you,” Goten said, taking a gulp from his mug. He gave the shaii the heavenly smile of a drunken idiot.

The prince felt somewhat guilty after receiving the grateful, unsuspecting smile. Goten was such a simple and honest lad, with a seemingly simple life and seemingly simple choices. Goten was one of those who were content to go with the flow. Additionally, he also had resolve not to allow others to disturb his swim. People liked and respected this and gathered around him. It was quite simple when one thought about that. You liked him, he liked you back. You didn’t like him – as long as you didn’t get in his way – he didn’t care.

Interested in Goten’s reactions, the prince returned the smile. Goten’s smile widened up to his ears. Incredulous, the shaii rubbed his chin; it seemed that the youth really did like him. This pleased him for some reason. But probably Goten’s smile was not for long.

“Hey, you two! Ario and Toharu!” The shaii waved for them to approach the table.

Toharu and Ario, who, after having noticed the shaii at their table and had been about to sneak out of the door, approached. They saluted.

“Sir!”

“Sit down. I have some news.”

“So,” the shaii started as everyone was finally seated, “do you know Fuujima Horuisa?”

“Isn’t this the shaii of the Longdam’s base, sir? The daddy of the punk who was kicked off the base a month ago?”

All heads turned to Ario. 

After a pause, the prince cleared his throat. “I see that you’re well-informed. So you do know the situation.”

“What situation?” Goten asked, utterly confused.

Kyon and Ranvera were equally uncomprehending. Not sure whether they needed to say anything, Toharu and Ario gave the prince careful glances. 

The shaii rolled his eyes. “Yes, he’s the father of the elite you beat up. After that, he and his buddies wrote a complaint against the three of you but his behavior was unacceptable and I excluded him from the base. Now his daddy is back and here we have this idiotic challenge of Capture the Flag.”

“What’s that, sir?” Goten wondered.

“A game where soldiers have to capture the enemy’s flag.”

“I like games!” Goten declared joyfully.

The shaii grinned at him ominously. “Oh good. Because you’re in. All five of you.”

This made Kyon sober up in a blink. He didn’t like situations where his life could turn unpredictable. “Sir, we are in where?” he asked for specifications. 

“You’re in the game. The one with the flags.”

“Sir?!”

“But, sir, we-”

The shaii shook his head. “The arguments are pointless as Goten has already agreed.”

“Why does Goten decide for all of us, sir?” Ario protested. “Besides, he’s drunk out of his head.”

“Well, this is because he’s your newly appointed squad leader. And he’ll sober up by tomorrow anyway.”

Goten raised his hand. “Sir?”

“Yes, Goten?”

“Not to mention that I’m completely sober now and that I’ve never agreed to the game and that I have no wish to be a squad leader… Sir, does this have anything to do with a German shepherd?”

“A what? Oh, you’re still on about that. Uhh…”

“Because, sir, this kinda sounds as if I’m…Hmm…” Goten tried to explain but his fuzzy mind lost the thought.

“Oh, I like your thinking,” the shaii nodded. “You’re right. All of us are someone’s dog. It’s a good metaphor!”

“A what?” Toharu wondered.

“Never mind. Now, stop drinking, all of you, and go back to your barracks. Tomorrow, as soon as you are done with your kitchen duty, come to my office. That’s all, dismissed.”

ooOoOoOoo

Fuujima raised his head at the knock on the door.

“Sir.” His shyu entered their temporarily office, which used to be the officers’ meeting room. He was carrying a portfolio. “I’ve gathered the information sir requested.”

“Good, good.” Fuujima reached out to take the portfolio.

“Four of them are second-classes,” the shyu said, watching the shaii open the portfolio and begin to read the first profile. “The last one is just a third-class.” Nervously, he fidgeted with the buttons on his jacket. He was waiting for the explosion of anger but when it didn’t come, he raised his eyes to look at his superior’s face. Fuujima was red with rage. Silently, he watched his shaii leaf through the documents in jerky movements. He skimmed angrily through the first two profiles then read Kyon Hikaru’s, Toharu Amatachinna’s and Ario Krameran’s profiles. These seemed to be the most serious opponents even though they were only second-classes.

The shyu noticed his superior startle as he opened to the last profile. The shaii read through the personal information of the third-class thoroughly.

“I was also surprised to see a third-class on this base, sir,” the shyu started, hoping to breach the ominous silence. “After all it’s-”

“Does the surname Bardock ring a bell?”

The shyu hesitated. “It sounded somewhat familiar, sir. Mmm…Gohan Bardock?”

“It’s his brother, Goten.”

The shyu gave him a shocked look. “What is he doing here?”

“Probably the same thing Gohan was doing on Hyon’s base.”

The shyu was silent for a few moments. “He might be a serious hindrance in the game,” he said finally. “Should I do something about him, sir?”

Fuujima leaned back in his chair. “No, don’t touch him. It’s too dangerous to get entangled with him. He’s too valuable a project.” Fuujima tossed the portfolio back onto the table. “Besides, he shouldn’t have reached his full potential yet.” He laced his fingers behind his head and leaned into his chair. Now he wasn’t sure whether Trunks was openly disregarding his challenge or hoped that Goten would manage to beat his men on his own. Probably a bit of both.

ooOoOoOoo

“Am I really the squad leader?” Goten asked, just in case he had dreamed it all up at night. He shifted in his seat nervously. Not counting a few demonstrations of accidental leadership, he had no experience in leading men. Goten was responsible, he liked being responsible, but only for himself and his own actions. Being responsible for other people was something he didn’t like and always tried to avoid. Now he was trying to calm himself down by telling himself that as long as this was a game and not war, he would somehow manage. The worst that could happen, after all, was them…losing a game.

Ranvera snorted. “You heard the man.” He tried to smooth out the creases in his uniform then gave up and straightened in his chair, giving the opposite wall a doleful look. He felt he just had to resign to his fate.

Ario scowled. “He knows shit about being a squad leader. We still haven’t covered that in our studies.”

Something pricked him and Goten lowered his head to inspect the right armrest. A piece of wooden splinter was protruding from it. “Stop demoralizing my men,” he muttered, tearing it off. On his side, Ario huffed something incomprehensible. Most likely an insult. Goten examined the splinter then threw it onto the floor.

Watching the exchange of wills, Toharu scratched his head. Both Ario and Goten were inclined to leadership. Ario’s build alone inspired confidence. He was somewhat patronizing as well, and also good at quick decisions. Goten, meanwhile…heck knew why he inspired people to follow him, but they did. And got beaten by Goten’s enemies. Wondering about the phenomenon, Toharu shrugged dismissively. “Who the heck cares? All of them will be elites; we’ll lose anyway.”

“Yeah,” Kyon seconded him. “To win would require too much effort. We might also get shot or beaten. Let’s just surrender as soon as the game starts.”

“Not a bad idea at all,” Toharu agreed. “We could let them bribe us and then surrender. Oh, why not arrange stakes for the winner? There are bound to be idiots who’d bet on us winning!”

Ario slapped himself on the forehead. “You…”

Goten stared at the door that led to the shaii’s office. They had come a little too early and the shaii was not in yet, thus the five of them were waiting for him in the dark corridor. Goten gave Toharu’s plan some thought. It was logical. If one had to lose then why not lose with profit?

“The problem is,” Goten concluded, “that I’m sure that in case we lose, he’ll punish us. He will rule out the possibility of us wanting to lose.”

“Man,” Toharu groaned. “And it was such a good plan! With lots of income, too!”

“He’s an aberration,” Kyon muttered.

“Who’s an aberration?”

The savars jumped to their feet to salute the shaii who had just appeared at the end of the corridor.

“Sir, my roommate, sir!”

“Ah, I suspect you’re talking about Goten?”

Kyon threw an apologetic glance at Goten, who just showed him a resigned face, telling Kyon to just get on with it and accuse him of the evils of the entire universe. “Yes, sir!”

“Why do you think so?” the shaii asked nonchalantly while approaching the door. He opened it, making the light from his office rush into the corridor. He motioned for the savars to follow him.

Kyon thought frantically. “There’s always bound to be an accident whenever he shows up, sir.”

“Hmm,” the shaii drawled thoughtfully while sitting down at his desk, “that’s so, but I’d rather think him your good-luck charm.”

“Sir?” Goten addressed the shaii while they were filing into the office.

“Yes, Goten?”

“I’m not much interested in being anyone’s good-luck charm, sir, so could sir dismiss me from the position of squad leader? I assure you, sir, I’m absolutely not qualified to be one.”

Seeing Goten’s desperate eyes, the prince fought hard to suppress his smile. He suddenly realized that this was exactly what he had been looking forward to when choosing Goten. For some reason Goten’s awkwardness and protests were giving him a lot of satisfaction. 

“None of you is qualified to be one,” the shaii said. “So I figured you’d be the closest call as you like being in the spotlight.”

“I assure you, sir, I don’t li-” Goten started.

“Alright, so about tomorrow’s game,” the shaii continued, not paying him any attention. “Today at four o’clock you come to the flagpole and from there you’ll be taken to Korama woods. The game starts tomorrow at nine o’clock.” He opened one of his desk drawers and fished out five folders. “Here are the rules of the game,” he said, tossing them on his desk for the savars to take. “Any questions so far?”

Shaking his head, Goten looked at the file in his hand then opened it. It wasn’t thick, just a few pieces of paper. It would probably take about ten minutes to read and digest. “Sir?”

“Yes, Goten?”

“What do we get if we win, sir?”

“Ah, you mean what would happen to you if you don’t?” the shaii interpreted. “If you lose, you get a month of latrine duty.”

“I see, sir. So, if we win, we don’t get a month of latrine duty.”

“You’re unbelievably smart, Goten.”

Mirthless, Goten glowered at the file in his hand. “Thank you, sir. Sir?”

“Yes, Goten?”

“What’s with our squad’s name, sir?”

“Oh, you mean WIMPS? It’s the acronym of Wondrously Invincible Mighty Prince’s Squad.”

Dumbstruck, Goten stared at the shaii for a few seconds then forced out a smile. Was the man an idiot? “I see, sir,” Goten stuttered a few seconds later. “Very…original.”

The shaii nodded. “I thought so. So if you don’t have any further questions, you’re dismissed.”

Silently, the savars saluted and left the office.

“Is he fucked up in the head?” Ranvera muttered. “What the fuck is with that title? He’s just making fun of us!”

Irritated, Goten shook the file in his hand wanting to just slap it down into the dusts on the ground. Instead he kicked at the soil fruitlessly. He snorted. “Not of us. Of that idiot’s father. But it’s just as bad. The purple-haired bastard. I want to punch him good!”

“You already did!” Kyon snapped at him. “Remember? And that’s why all of this is happening! He hates your guts! And now he hates us too!”

“Oh, shut up, you baby!” Ranvera snarled at him. “Run to your mommy!”

“Don’t you dare mention my mom, you overgrown asshole!”

“We won’t even be taken seriously with a title like this,” Goten spat, ignoring them. “It’s already set. We have simply been thrown in to create some amusement.”

“And then we’ll get a month of latrine duty. You know, I also want to sock him good,” Ario growled out. “Cut it out, you idiots!” he roared at Kyon and Ranvera who were still bantering.

“Boys, boys, calm down,” Toharu shushed them, clapping Goten’s and Ario’s shoulders. He smacked Kyon and Ranvera over their heads, making them yelp. “Now listen to me. Nobody expects us to win, right? So we lose and nobody complains. And those who do, we punch them good. And a month of latrine duty will pass pretty quickly. Relax. Let’s go drinking.”

“You and your drinking!” Ario glared at him. 

“Well, such a squad name is a definite reason to get drunk,” Kyon agreed with a sigh.

“We have an exam today, remember?”

“I don’t!” Goten grinned.

“I’m gonna punch you one,” Ario threatened him.

Goten ruffled through his re-growing hair, sighing. “Let’s go back to the lectures. I don’t want any more trouble. Then you pass that exam and then we go read the instructions on the game, pack and wait at the flagpole.”

“Sounds good to me,” Ranvera agreed.

ooOoOoOoo

When Goten woke up, it took him a few seconds to remember where he was. He checked his wristband. Someone farted. Goten looked at the other four sleeping-bags further in the tent. He yawned then started crawling out of the tent. He was just in time to avoid being caught in a cloud of stench.

Goten kicked an empty bottle he had discovered on his way further over the grass. Then he found a nearby tree and marked it by getting rid of a wine bottle’s worth of liquid. Once done, he leaned against the same tree and took in the scenery before his eyes. Even if they were going to lose and get latrine duty, being here was nearly worth it. He had never seen so much greenery in his life. A huge field of grass spread as far as his eyes could see. There were a few shrubs and lonely trees. He turned around to look at the forest behind him. There was a slight wind which ruffled at his khakis and T-shirt lazily. This was the first time he could hear the trees soughing. And the air – he breathed in a lungful – was fresh and crisp and damp with morning dew. 

Suddenly, ear-splitting snores echoed in the tent and Goten’s head turned to look at it. They still had an hour until the beginning of the game. After coming here yesterday, they had a short briefing then were given a tent. They should have gone to sleep at once, but Toharu had brought a few bottles of booze with him. Toharu insisted they had a party. He was of opinion that, since they were going to lose anyway, they should make the most of their time here. Strangely enough, Goten, after having a glassful, found that he could not resist Toharu’s iron logic.

The tent rustled and Ranvera’s head appeared. Groggily, he muttered a greeting and went to mark the same tree Goten had. 

“Well?”

Goten turned to see him doing up his pants then he leaned against the tree next to Goten. Goten shrugged. There was not much to say.

Ranvera yawned. “Nice scenery, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I was thinking it was worth coming here just to see this.”

“Hmm… You’ve never seen a forest before?”

“Nope.”

“I see.”

“There were a lot of rocks and sand, though. I mean, where I was growing up.”

Ranvera’s eyes settled on Goten’s face to see him smiling. Ranvera chuckled. “Haven’t we all seen our share of them?” Before Goten could turn his concentration back to watching the forest, Ranvera nudged him slightly. “How about a quickie while everyone’s still asleep?” 

“Is that the only thing you ever think about?”

“Well, not really. I also frequently think about how to break into the School’s database and pass all the examinations at once.”

Goten laughed. “Good luck with that.”

“I’m pretty serious.”

“Oh.”

Goten looked surprised and Ranvera chuckled. “Actually, I’m quite good at that. Only they confiscated all of my software before I entered the base.”

Goten scratched his head. “I suppose they knew what they were doing.”

“Well, yeah. I was released on probation. I suppose this School would never accept anyone on probation but they are pretty confident in my skills. I’ll probably start working for National Security as soon as I finish School.”

“That’s impressive.”

“Goten, you know how I feel about you. I was thinking that we c-”

“Maaan, I’m hungry,” Toharu whined crawling out of the tent. “I had nothing in my mouth since yesterday’s lunch.”

Goten pointed at the bottle lying at his feet. “That’s a complete lie.” A wave of relief and shame washed over Goten. He gave Toharu a grateful look, which Toharu answered with a wink. 

“Actually, I’m pretty hungry too,” Ranvera said. His stomach rumbled as if on cue.

Goten sighed. All of them were hungry. They left the base yesterday before dinner. When they came to Korama woods – it was about eight o’clock in the evening–, they had a short briefing in a huge tent stretched out for that purpose. There had been some food and drinks but nobody invited them to eat or drink. 

During the briefing, for everyone’s amusement, the name of their squad had been mentioned at least twenty times. Surprisingly, Goten found that it didn’t bother him in the slightest. He had also noticed that Toharu had been more interested in the luxurious flatware on the tables than in the briefing itself. He couldn’t be sure, but he suspected that currently some of it could be found in Toharu’s rucksack. Ario’s concentration hadn’t been on the briefing either as he had been gloomily staring at the food they hadn’t been able to reach. Kyon seemed as if he had been listening to what was said but at the same time he had been fingering the tablecloth and admiring the flowery patterns and needlework. As for Goten, he had been concentrating more on his teammates than on anything else. The only one who had been paying attention to what had been said was Ranvera. His attention never strayed away from the maps and the screens they were shown.

They had also been given five dart guns with tranquilizers. Goten thought that it somewhat too extreme but figured it was in case someone wanted to cheat and change their uniform. You just shot the enemy and he fell over asleep. It was simple enough.

They had met their opponents as well. Five towering elites. Even if Goten had expected such a turn of events, he had still been taken aback. Very likely, somewhere deep in his mind he had still been hoping that someone would decide to even their chances.

A fart erupted in the tent. Goten sighed.

“Quit farting, Ario, and get up!” Toharu commanded.

A loud groan was heard from the tent. “My head’s killing me. I’m never drinking again…”

Toharu rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure.”

Ario’s large body surfaced from the tent. “I don’t feel very well,” he groaned, lurching towards the tree.

“Goddamn!” Ranvera cursed as retching sounds were heard. “We are one member down.”

Toharu shrugged. “Who the heck cares?”

“I’d like a little compassion here, darling,” Ario muttered.

“My head’s killing me too, but you don’t see me complaining, do you? There’s still about half a bottle left somewhere,” Toharu said. “Go and drink that.”

For a few seconds only the muted sound of liquid against the bark of the tree was heard then Kyon’s head appeared out of the tent. 

“What a stench!” he complained, slinging his dart gun over his right shoulder. “How much time do we have till the start?”

Goten looked at his wristband. “About half an hour.”

“No time to waste then. Let’s start preparing.”

All eyes set on Goten. He shrugged. “Sure, why not.”

TBC


	12. Part 12

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by chibi_vegeta

Part 12

Goten turned to look at the flag behind them. The forest was void of wind and it hung limply draping around the flagpole. They had ten minutes until the game started.

They needed a plan. He doubted that a miracle would happen and the enemy would just come and let themselves be shot one by one. While all five of them were sitting here on their asses, some nursing their hangovers, others yawning their heads off, the enemy had probably already come up with a plan.

“We need a plan.”

Toharu looked at him. “You mean ‘Go to their territory, attempt to get the flag and be tagged because they are much better shots than we are’, this kind of plan? Thanks, I rather stay here and get shot without moving around too much.”

Goten looked at Ario. The bulky Saiyan shrugged. “If he stays, then I stay, too.”

Figures. Goten rolled his eyes. He felt the urge to shoot them both right here and now.

From the corner of his eye, Kyon caught a glint in the bushes on their right. Trying to look nonchalant and at the same time not to let out the bushes out of his sight, he walked over to Goten, who was sitting on the grass. “Don’t look, but there’s someone in the bushes on our right,” he whispered.

“The game hasn’t started yet,” Goten muttered without turning his head even though his neck was cramping with the need to turn. “They shouldn’t be in our territory yet.”

“Tell that to them. I’ll pretend to go to take a leak then go around them.”

“You sure?”

“I’m a hunter, Goten. I’ve lived in the forest all my life.”

“You never told me.”

“It never came up. I’m going to take a leak, guys,” Kyon said in a louder voice.

Goten watched him walk around their tent then disappear behind a thick tree. Trying not to arouse any suspicion, Goten pulled his dart gun closer to himself so as to be ready to shoot in the direction of the bushes any time. A few minutes later someone yelped. An unfamiliar man leaped out of the bushes. He was trying to recharge his dart gun. He startled as Goten’s pistol went off. The dart whipped past the man without touching him and pinned itself into a tree about three meters away from him.

“Ye gods, what a lousy shot you are!” Kyon grunted at Goten, hitting the distracted man on the back of his head with the butt of his gun. The man fell to the ground like a felled tree. Kyon kicked the dart gun out of his reach in case he was faking it.

Toharu and Ario averted their guns. They had reacted as soon as the man had appeared from the bushes but Kyon had been faster. Secretly, Goten was relieved as for a moment there he had thought that in that frenzy they might accidentally shoot Kyon.

“What the fuck?” Ranvera demanded.

“They came here to find out where our base is, just waiting for the game to start and then they would have hunted us down one by one,” Kyon explained. “There’s one more in the bushes.”

Ranvera walked over to the unconscious man. “It’s one of the elites from the opposing team.” He kicked the elite to show he was not very happy with how things were going. “Has anybody got a rope?”

“Yeah,” Kyon nodded. He pulled out another dart out of his holster and started recharging his gun. “I’ve brought plenty.”

Ranvera grabbed the elite by his left foot and started dragging him towards the tent. Once there, he let the leg drop and crawled into the tent. Meanwhile Ario had found the second elite asleep in the bushes and was now hauling him over to the tree all of them had marked this morning. Toharu took a length of rope from Kyon’s rucksack and set to tying him up.

“What a stupid game,” he said while tying the elite’s wrists. “Even when I was a child we used to crush rocks over each other’s heads, break each other’s bones and shoot ki-blasts all over the place. Now look what it has come to!” He nodded towards his gun. “I’m over eighteen and play with toys!”

“Actually, where did you grow up?” Goten wondered. He cut a piece of rope and started tying the elite Kyon had knocked out with the butt of his gun.

“At Gardiza,” Toharu said, checking the knot on his captive’s wrists to make sure he had tied him up securely. Then he started working on his ankles.

Kyon gave Toharu’s back a look. “I heard even dogs would not want to stay in that children’s home.”

Somewhat uncomfortable, Toharu rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, yeah. Most of the time we went around mad with hunger.”

Goten shrugged. “Well, now I finally get it.”

Kyon turned to look at him. “What do you get?”

“This weird obsession of his with…hmmm…material things.”

“I’m not obsessed,” Toharu protested.

Ario sighed. “He’s not,” he confirmed. “Well, not as much as he used to be. If you had met him a few years ago, he would have beaten you, taken your money and clothes away and left you to die in the middle of the road. Now he just takes your money. Creatively, at that.”

“Oh, you flatter me too much, darling.”

“Ranvera?” Goten called out after noticing the other Saiyan tinkering with his computer. He didn’t know that Ranvera had brought it with him. “What are you doing there?”

“Trying to find out where their base is.”

“You’re doing what?!” Goten gasped. “As your squad leader, I forbid you! Turn it off this instant!”

“Too late, sir?” Ranvera said, not paying him any attention, adding the honorific as an afterthought. “Here’s their base. And here’s the flag,” he said, pointing at something on the screen. Then he turned the screen towards his teammates.

Goten scratched his head. “Well, I suppose it won’t hurt if we take a look.”

“Oooh, nice view!” Toharu complimented Ranvera after taking a glimpse at the screen. He clapped him on his shoulder. “Now, I don’t want to pry, but this looks like the view from a satellite.”

“Yup,” Goten agreed. “I can see them moving around the flag. Now, turn it off,” he ordered.

This time Ranvera obeyed and gently lowered the top of his laptop until there was a soft click.

“But why?” Toharu protested. “Knowing every movement of theirs, we could shoot them like rabbits!”

“Well…” Goten drawled. “It would be…unfair?”

“Who the heck cares?”

Goten pointed at the two elites tied to the tree. “Now we got back at them for their spying and let’s just leave it at that.”

Kyon took them in. “Shouldn’t you have taken the dart out?” he asked Toharu.

“What for?”

“Good point.”

The five of them sat in a circle with their backs to the flag, but after an uneventful twenty minutes they were all restless.

“Well, we could go instead of waiting for them here,” Kyon suggested to Goten. “You never know when they might sneak up on us. Isn’t it better to sneak up on them first? The three of them should just stay and guard the base. I am quite a good shot.”

“Toharu?”

“I don’t care,” Toharu shrugged. “We’ll lose anyway.”

“That’s the spirit!” Goten whooped sarcastically. “Let’s just surrender at once!” He scowled at his friends. “Alright, so we’re going, and you three shoot anything that moves.”

Goten and Kyon disappeared in the forest. The three men left gazed longingly at the trees. Toharu sighed. Gingerly, he touched his throbbing forehead. He probably should stop drinking like there was no tomorrow. Ah right, that was why he drank – because there was always tomorrow.

Their eyes snapped to the left as something rustled behind the trees on their left side.

“It’s us! Don’t shoot!” Came hushed voices.

Kyon and Goten appeared from behind the trees.

“There’s something in those bushes again,” Kyon muttered.

Suddenly, there was a bellow and Kyon raised his gun. “Cover me!” he hissed, running towards the bushes.

“What cover?! I can’t see a damn thing in there!” Toharu growled out. “Fuck!” he cursed as Kyon’s back disappeared in the shrubbery. “He’s dead! Dead for sure.”

“Wasn’t that a moose we heard?” Ario wondered.

“Yeah, it sounded rather animal-like,” Goten agreed.

“What?! That fucking sonovabitch!” Toharu growled. “What the hell are you shooting at?!” he yelled at Kyon whose back reappeared. With both hands holding on the fore-hooves, he dragged a moose out of the bushes.

Kyon glared at him but said nothing, continuing to drag the beast. He turned back to the moose and grinned. Heaving another pull, he reached his teammates and let the legs drop. He took his gun off his back and started to recharge it.

Toharu prodded the beast with the end of his boot. He gripped his gun firmer and his eyes sparkled with fire.

“Can you even imagine how much meat it is?” Kyon said dreamily. He didn’t know about his friends but he had just gotten plenty of motivation to keep their base as long as possible.

Dumbfounded, Goten and Ario stared at Kyon for a few seconds then their gazes went to the moose. They watched Kyon get a knife out of his rucksack. They stepped aside as it flickered professionally over the moose’s throat. The beast began to convulse, sending blood gushing out on the grass. Kyon held its head down till the moose let out its last gargling breath. Not a single drop fell on the savars.

“How much money could we make from this beast?” Toharu wondered when Kyon stood up.

“I haven’t had a meal since yesterday’s lunch and you want to sell it?!” Kyon protested harshly.

“I’m going to get some firewood,” Ario said, already turning into the forest. “You two had better skin the damn thing while I’m gone.”

“Alright,” Toharu gave in. “But we don’t have salt or anything…”

Kyon motioned at his backpack. “I have everything we need right here.”

Toharu gave him a searching look.

“C’mon,” Kyon shook his head, incredulous. “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of that – it’s a forest, so it’s bound to be lots of food running all over the place. We can’t just let the opportunity pass!”

“I bet you even brought your cookbook…” Goten drawled. He choked on his saliva as Kyon nodded seriously.

While Kyon was skinning the moose, Toharu was giving his back an interested look. He had long ago felt as if he had found a soul akin to his. “We have to eat as much as we can, because I doubt they’ll let us keep it,” he said, looking around the perimeter just in case they were tagged even before eating. “That would be a huge waste.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s the plan,” Kyon nodded.

Amazed, Goten watched Kyon quickly skin the beast. Soon he started disemboweling it.

Then they heard a few branches break. Their guns ready in their hands, they scanned the area. Two shots rang as one as a man wearing blue-colored clothes appeared from behind the trees. He gasped and fell backwards like a rock, the wood he had been carrying spilling from his hands onto him and the moss.

Kyon gave a meaningful look at Goten’s dart which still was vibrating above the heads of the captives, which were tied to the tree. “But seriously…” he shook his head in astonishment. “I think you shouldn’t even bother shooting.” He chuckled as Goten gave him the finger.

Their attention went to the trees again as there was some noise.

“It’s me,” Ario said, swinging his gun over his shoulder. He appeared from behind the trees. “I found him trying to sneak up on us in the forest from behind,” he explained while dragging the sleeping elite over. “I figured I’d make him carry the wood instead dragging him and the wood back here. I’m surprised he managed to walk this far.”

They covered his mouth then tied the elite to the tree next to the other two. They set to building the fire. Goten watched them for a few minutes then scratched his head sheepishly.

“So any of you want to go with me to their base?” he offered. “Now there are only two of them left. They’ll probably only guard their flag and wait for us to come.”

“Fine with me,” Toharu said, shrugging. “They can wait forever. I’d rather have a nice meal here.”

“I can’t leave. Have to roast it first,” Kyon said excitedly, pouring herbs all over the moose and rubbing them into the game.

Goten rolled his eyes.

Ranvera sighed. He stood up. “Alright, I’ll go with you.” He looked at the moose longingly. “Just leave some for us.”

He and Goten left, leaving the other three carving out handsome pieces of meat and skewering them on sticks. Ario stood watch just in case although they didn’t believe that anyone would attack them.

“They’ll probably disqualify us,” Toharu ventured. “The smoke will be seen from anywhere.”

“So what?” Kyon wondered. “So far we’ve done nothing against the rules.”

“Well, if you don’t count Ranvera hacking into a satellite…” Toharu pointed out.

“Goten seems to be pissed,” Ario drawled.

“Yeah…” Toharu agreed. “He’s the serious sort.”

Kyon hummed something under his breath. “You mean the most responsible of us all?”

“Hey, I’m responsible, too!”

Ario snickered at his lover, “Yeah, responsible for stealing the flatware.”

Toharu looked mildly hurt. He pointed his finger at Ario accusingly. “You know I did that only because they hadn’t allowed us to eat! They piss me off, fucking tops!”

Ario shrugged. “Hey, I never said stealing was a bad thing.”

Toharu raised his hands giving up. “All right, all right, I get it. So Goten’s responsible, with a competitive spirit to boot. I think he wants to prove to the shaii he can do it. Just to spite the bastard. They seem to like getting on each other’s nerves. Reminds me of a kindergarten romance; same mindset.”

Kyon shook his head. “That idiot. Nothing good will come from going against a superior.”

“I just want to eat,” Ario concluded mournfully.

Toharu and Kyon sat silently by the fire, staring at the cooking morsels. From time to time they would turn the spits letting them roast gradually. Ario was staring off into the distance. The silence stretched out.

“Man…” Toharu groaned finally. “We shouldn’t have let him go alone, should we?”

“Well, he’s not really alone…” Ario tried to soothe his lover’s conscience.

“He shoots like a human girl,” Kyon said distastefully.

“Does Ranvera even know how to shoot at all?” Toharu wondered. “I never saw him shoot.”

“I think he’s afraid of guns.”

“What? Nonsense.”

“Oh alright!” Kyon stood up, growling. “I’m going after them! You two watch over the fire and the three idiots at the tree.”

“Hey, w-”

“Shh!” Kyon shushed them. “Did you hear anything?”

“Huh? I-”

“Quiet,” Toharu raised his hand to silence his lover. “From somewhere over there,” he pointed.

“Alright! Cover me!” Kyon shouted, darting forward. “Might be another moose!”

“Oh, you fucking stupid godmotherfucker,” Toharu hissed, tossing the spits with half-fried meat onto the grass and grabbing his gun. “He did it again! I said I can’t see a damn thing in those bushes! How does he expect me to-?”

In the forest, beyond their field of vision, the whiz of a dart was heard.

ooOoOoOoo

“Sir, WIMPS eliminated two, and captured three enemy soldiers, err…also one moose and two rabbits. No casualties.”

Frowning and unsure, the shaii looked at the shyu. It was true, it seemed. Still not quite gathering his wits, the shaii rested his hands on the desk. He was not yet sure if he should be glad or concerned. “No casualties, you say?”

The shyu shook his head.

“I suppose they intend to drag the moose and the rabbits to their barracks?”

“One of them, I believe called Kyon, has hanged the rabbits on his belt and refuses to hand them in. They have already eaten the moose.”

The lavender-haired man’s brow rose. “What? All of it?”

The shyu’s expression didn’t change but he gave a slight nod. “Yes, it seems they shared it with the opposing team. I heard it was quite a banquet. What should we do with the animals?” he inquired.

The prince rubbed his chin absently. An unconscious smile had stretched on his lips. “Let them keep the rabbits,” he said then. “I think they earned some spoils of war after all. Round them up in my office for a detailed report as soon as they come back to the base.”

ooOoOoOoo

The prince twirled the flag staff in his hands a few times. The flag of Longdam’s Officer Training School flapped lightly then sagged mournfully against the flag staff.

“Your achievements are quite satisfactory,” the shaii commended the savars lined up before him.

“Thank you, sir!”

“Not counting that it’s forbidden to hunt in Korama woods,” the shaii added.

The savars shifted awkwardly. In the silence that followed, an overgrown pair of flies was buzzing in circles. It had suddenly become the savars’ main object of interest in the room. A few seconds later, one of the flies hit the window near the shaii’s desk with a thud and flopped punch-drunk onto the windowsill. Goten could already see the latrine duty coming. And then the shaii threw them a lifeline.

“I guess you shot the moose accidentally, didn’t you?” he said with a conspiratorial smile.

“Of course, sir!” Goten confirmed immediately. “Then it tripped and broke its leg. We could not bear the thought of the poor animal suffering! The rabbits, too, sir! They tripped. Over the moose. I’m a very bad shot, sir! We would never hunt in Korama woods, sir!”

“Yes, yes, never mind that. I see Goten was a good choice as a squad leader,” the shaii added.

Goten wanted to say that nobody had listened to his orders anyway, but decided to just leave it be and answered with a “thank you, sir” then added, “Mostly it was Kyon’s merits.”

“Oh right, Kyon,” the shaii nodded at the savar. “You’re a sharpshooter, aren’t you?”

“Well, sir, I have been hunting since I was three. As ki-blasts are dangerous in a forest, my people use guns.”

“No need to be so modest. Your profile said you won quite a few local shooting competitions. A local celebrity, so to speak.”

Embarrassed, Kyon rubbed the back of his neck, his ears reddening. “Thank you, sir.”

“So for such a good performance, you don’t get the latrine duty.”

“Thank you, sir, that is most generous of you.”

Kyon elbowed Goten, indicating for him to keep his tongue in check.

“Let me finish talking, Goten,” the shaii said, throwing the younger male a warning look. “You’ll also have the next two days off. Do whatever you want with them. Of course, this is with the condition that I get your written reports today by seven.”

Goten nodded. “Yes, sir.”

The savars left the shaii’s office ecstatic, smiles beaming, their minds already preoccupied with planning how to spend their free time. As other savars were still in their drills or lessons, the first thing they did was write their reports. They went to Ario and Toharu’s room to work on them. They found that cooking a moose while on duty did not sound that good in a report. They decided to say that they had cooked it at the very end of the game to celebrate their victory.

In about an hour they were done with their reports and Goten carried all five of them to the shaii’s office. He tried to act humble and thanked the prince for the days off but the prince didn’t seem to hold any grudge against him for his earlier insolence and just waved him off busily.

After that, Goten went to perform his kitchen duty. He found Kyon wedged in the corner between the wall and one of the stoves, his eyes teary. He was mournfully watching the female whipsnake, which was covered in a rag and pieces of an old newspaper, half of its body soaking in a bowl of cool water. It appeared that the male whipsnake had somehow managed to make its way past the kitchen door and into the canteen. Somebody saw him and beat him to death with a stool.

The chefs were sorry for the accident and were trying to cheer Kyon up by saying that it might be that Fluffy died after doing his manly duty and the female would lay eggs in a month or two. This seemed to work and Kyon regained some of his spirit. He cautiously stroked the tip of the female’s tail then stood up and went to help the chefs to prepare today’s meal. It was carp, and haricot bean soup.

Goten couldn’t comprehend how one moment a person who slit a moose’s throat and cheerfully ate it could be crying for a dead whipsnake in another. Deciding it was not worth thinking about too much, Goten wrote it off as one of the mysteries of the mind.

About an hour later, Goten was eating his meal in the canteen together with the other savars. He would have preferred to eat in the kitchen but there were not enough places to sit. Opposite Goten, at the other side of the table, sat Kyon, who, tormented by the loss of Fluffy, was mostly playing with his food. The rest of their friends had eaten earlier and had dispersed to their barracks for a short break.

Goten was aware of friendly and curious looks coming from all sides of the canteen. Some of them were directed at him, some at Kyon. Goten sighed inwardly. Sometimes he wished he lived on a desert island. He wondered what legends and rumors had spread about him and his friends.

Goten would have liked for Kyon to cheer up but he wasn’t very good at comforting others. He could tease, jeer and threaten, but consoling someone was another thing. After realizing this, he started feeling down.

When Goten was nearly done with his meal, he saw Daram and Roland heading his way. The two joined him and Kyon at the table. Daram related that, despite the high improbability, everyone in the base, even elites, had been cheering for them to win and were very pleased when they did. They were even more pleased to have their good meals back with their return from the game.

Friendly competitions were still taking place but as one side had already lost its flag, they had become much less important. Now the competitions mattered more to the individuals themselves as it was their chance to be noticed by the representatives from Commissioned Officer Academies.

While listening to Daram, Goten glanced at Roland a few times. The Saiyan’s right hand was nearly healed already but he seemed to be careful with it while eating. Goten could still not figure out how this whole tumultuous matter between Daram and Roland had turned into a love affair. Goten had expected them to break up in a day or two but their relationship was still persisting. The two of them weren’t exactly lovey-dovey, they didn’t remind him of Ario and Toharu in the least, but there was a tranquil air around both of them, as if they had lived long years together. And then Goten thought that maybe they had. They somehow reminded him of those old couples he used to see in his village.

Once done with his meal, Goten went to help wash the dishes in the kitchen. After that, he and his friends gathered on the training field opposite the headquarters for their exercises. They had to wait about ten minutes until their drill sergeant showed up and told them to run fifteen laps around the base. He disappeared right after that as he had to supervise the competitions which were still taking place.

An hour later they hit the showers to wash off sweat and dirt and revive their bodies. Goten didn’t feel very tired and wandered off to look for someone who could lend him yesterday’s and today’s lecture notes. He chose a room where he knew there was a familiar face from the first-years. Getting the notes wasn’t difficult as he no sooner opened his mouth to ask for them than he was nearly showered with them. Thanking, he picked one at random, his choice disappointing the other two roommates.

Humming a cheerful tune under his breath, Goten returned to his room. Popularity had its own merits and he made sure to mention this to Kyon, who was still sitting on his bunk, mourning.

Goten was aware of the looks his roommates were giving him when he sat down at the only table they had in the room and started copying down the notes into his own notebook. They might have gotten two days off but he knew it did not work like that. You either did it now or never got it done because there always was such a thing as contingency.

ooOoOoOoo

“Wouldn’t it be better if you had brought Goten?”

“Shh!” Ranvera shushed him, as the beam of a flashlight briefly glittered over the window and illuminated the darkness beyond it in the shaii’s office.

“Here is your safe,” Toharu motioned to their left where a safe of rather considerable size stood against the wall. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he muttered, walking over to it. “We’ll be kicked out if we get caught.”

Ranvera, his heart beating madly in his chest, leaving his throat dry, could not even summon enough strength to motion for Toharu to get down. All he could do was to let out a wheezing sound.

“Calm down,” Toharu said, hearing him hyperventilating. “They’re just having a smoke.”

Ranvera cast a glance at the window again. Indeed, the light was still there but he could hear the guards’ conversational tone of voice. He let out the breath he was holding and crawled over to Toharu, who was fiddling with the safe. He cracked his laptop open a fraction to light the lock of the safe for Toharu. He could not understand how Toharu could act so calmly.

“How’s it going?” Ranvera asked.

“If I power up and crack it open, how long do you think it would take them to get in here?”

Ranvera was silent for a few seconds. “No, seriously, how’s it going?”

“It’s fine, fine, stop getting on my nerves and let me concentrate.”

“We only have five minutes until the watch changes.”

“Oh gods, will you shut up? I wish Ario were with us. He knows shit about safes but he’d have knocked you out about ten minutes ago.”

“We weren’t even in the building ten minutes ago!”

“My point exactly.”

Ranvera decided to keep his mouth shut. In the near-darkness, the laptop sparsely illuminating the needed part of the safe, he watched Toharu work. The Saiyan’s forehead was wrinkled with effort and beaded with the sweat of concentration. His tongue stuck out from between his lips. Then Ranvera heard a soft click.

“Here, your stupid safe is open. Take what you need and let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Barely able to see anything, but afraid to use more light, Ranvera’s eyes picked through the shadowy contents of the safe. With trembling hands he grabbed a bag that belonged to him and poured its contents into his rucksack then stuffed the bag with the scrap he had prepared earlier and put it back. Toharu pushed the door closed in a blink and locked the safe again. Ranvera bagged his laptop.

They shot to the door then crept through it. Ranvera’s hands trembled too much and Toharu grabbed the key from him to lock the door behind them. It was dark in the corridor and they dashed through it towards the corner. They walked carefully past a dark window. Toharu put the keycard back into the drawer of the unoccupied desk.

At the outside door, they stopped to listen but could not hear a sound. Hoping the watch was still having their smoke, Toharu opened it silently and stuck his head out to check the situation. The coast was clear and he motioned for Ranvera to follow him.

They slithered among the buildings until they reached the first barracks, then snuck inside. Toharu bought the guard’s silence, and both of them, undisturbed, climbed upstairs to Toharu and Ario’s room. Neither Ario nor his other two roommates seemed to mind much when Toharu declared that Ranvera was going to spend the night in their room. Actually, the other two roommates seemed somewhat excited at the thought. Ranvera suspected that they thought they were going to have an orgy.

ooOoOoOoo

The next morning, when the shaii came to his office, he was met with a report of someone breaking into the second armory. The two guards, who had been standing at the door, had been neutralized by an electric stun gun.

“Good morning, sir,” the shyu greeted the shaii after finding him in the storage room. “What are you looking for, sir?” the shyu asked watching the shaii ransacking through the countless shelves of surveillance disks.

“Morning. Good. Now that you’re here, find me the last night’s surveillance discs. Can’t find a thing in this mess.”

The shyu walked over the one of the shelves and took a disc that was at the very front. “Here it is, sir,” he said holding it out for the prince to take. “May I ask, sir, what happened?”

“So you haven’t read your copy of the report yet?” the shaii said, walking back to the door and into the corridor. “It seems someone knocked out the guards and broke into the second armory. Our officers are going through the inventory to check what has been stolen.”

Mulling the news over in his head, the shyu followed his superior into the corridor. “I think this is the third time that someone has broken into one of the armories, sir.”

“Oh really? This is the first for me. Did you catch them?”

“Of course, sir. There wasn’t a lot of catching, I mean. We shot them like rabbits.” He saw the look the prince was giving him. “Oh, no, sir. Those were not our savars. It had been a marauders’ raid. They came here during the night and tried to loot the guns.”

“I see,” the shaii nodded, interested. He pushed the door to his office open. “And the other time?”

“It was hardly an accident. A few elites drank too much. There were no casualties. Unless one counts a few broken ribs, arms and legs and being tossed out of the School.”

“Idiots,” the shaii muttered. He got comfortable in his chair then pulled his laptop closer. He switched it on and waited for it to boot.

“I think it was second-classes who provoked them to do that by saying there was no way they could do it,” the shyu continued. “They were also drunk but did not participate. If I remember correctly, they probably received kitchen or latrine duty and were fined a handsome sum.”

The laptop booted and the shaii inserted the disc. When he opened it, there were seven folders. He found the one which stored the surveillance video from the first armory. He turned the laptop so that the shyu would be able to see it.

The thieves had broken into the armory through the door facing the launch pod, where they could not be seen from the guard tower. The launch pod was well-lit, but that did not help to identify the three men as they had been wearing masks. They shot the guards from a distance then unlocked the door and went into the armory. Two minutes later they appeared carrying a few sacks and disappeared into the night.

“Why don’t we have an alarm system?”

The shyu scratched his head. “Well, it’s either the alarm or the guards, sir. The guards are cheaper.”

“I see.” The prince opened another folder.

“The headquarters, sir?”

“Well, they did have a keycard. I presume they had simply generated one, but who knows.”

The movement on the video appeared at about half past twelve. The electronically locked door was unlocked and pushed open. Two dark figures snuck inside. A few seconds later, someone, very likely one of the guards, passed the window and it became lighter in the corridor.

“Sir, they are going in the wrong direction,” the shyu said. “They got the keycard, yet they are going…”

“I think they look familiar,” the shaii drawled.

The two figures disappeared into the shyu’s office. The surveillance camera did not reach there, leaving them to stare at the shadowy corridor. The shyu was scandalized.

“Sir! They broke into my office!” he exclaimed.

“So I see,” the shaii nodded. “They are aiming for the safe.” He closed the video then the folder itself. He opened another which presented the view of the shyu’s office. He watched the men work in the glow of the laptop screen. They watched the video until the men exited. The prince closed his laptop.

“Alright, get me Toharu Amatachinna and Ranvera Aika here this instant. And announce a search of the entire base, as soon as we have the list of the missing inventory.”

The shyu saluted. “Yes, sir.”

“Oh, and Goten. Goten Bardock. Get him here as well.”

The shyu turned to go then faltered. “Are these three linked to the robbery in the armory?”

The shaii left his chair. “Not likely.” He walked over to the window. He looked at the two flies on the windowsill. One of them was already dried up, the other crawling around on the pane in meek circles. “But after I’m done with them, they will wish they had robbed it.”

ooOoOoOoo

The shaii stared fiercely at Goten’s uncomprehending face. No matter how absurd it seemed, the shaii realized that he loved seeing Goten baffled. And the more baffled, the better. He could stare day and night at that baffled face.

“They did what?” Goten repeated.

“Broke into the safe in the shyu’s office,” the shaii repeated with delight.

Goten’s head snapped towards Toharu and Ranvera, who were silently standing at the wall behind him. He stared at them for a few seconds. The shaii could swear he could see the wheels and cogs turning in Goten’s spiky head. Then the third-class’s head snapped back to look at the prince.

“And what do I have to do with this, sir?”

Impressed, the shaii leaned back in his chair. Goten had just dissociated himself from his friends...a fuck-buddy and a friend to be exact. No questions asked, no reprimands muttered, he had simply left their business to them. And it was probably fine; it was how it was supposed to be. Except that he was not going to make it fine.

“You’re the squad leader. It’s your responsibility.”

Goten’s eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets. “My what, sir?” Goten muttered in disbelief. His face turned red and he took a few steps forward towards the shaii’s desk. “There’s no squad!” he growled out, momentarily forgetting who he was talking to. “I’m no leader of no fucking squad and I sure as hell-”

The shaii’s lavender eyebrows rose. “What?” His palms found purchase on the surface of his desk and he rose from his chair a fraction. “Going to punch me again?”

Whatever Goten was going to say next was cut off by that dangerously glittering sapphire stare. It took him a few moments to gather his wits. Then he closed his mouth and stepped back, away from the shaii’s desk. He tried to look as humble and apologetic as possible.

“No, sir. Never intended to.”

The prince gave him a somewhat disappointed look then eased himself back into his chair. His attention went to the other two savars behind Goten.

“So what did you take from the safe?”

Seeing the situation was getting worse and worse by the minute, Ranvera decided to admit everything. Besides, he was convinced that the shaii already knew. “Sir, I took the software which had been confiscated from me before I entered this School.”

The shaii nodded. “For what purpose?”

“Uhh. The purpose, sir? Uhh…”

Ranvera tried very hard to think. It was not that easy with that piercing blue stare directed right at him. He knew the shaii disliked him. Whether it was because of that stupid porn movie or his looks or his pheromones, the shaii simply did not like him.  
“So you can’t deny that you wanted to do something illegal again?”

Ranvera blanched. He wished he had come up with something faster, instead of the shaii asking the questions and supplying the answers to them all by himself.

“Sir, no, sir! I…it’s like a game, sir. I like testing whether I can…” Ranvera shifted uneasily.

“It’s still illegal,” the shaii pointed out.

“I was not going to do any harm, sir.”

“Yes, and I’m a Fairy Godmother.” The three savars gave him blank looks. The shaii waved it off dismissively. He coughed slightly to clear his throat. “Never mind.” His gaze went to Toharu. “And what about you? What can you say for yourself?”

“I did it for the money, sir.”

“I see. How much did Ranvera pay you?”

“Ten thousand credits, sir.”

The shaii whistled. “That’s a lot of money.”

Toharu nodded dryly. “Yes, sir.”

“Did you know what you were going to steal?”

“I thought it was some private porn stock, sir.”

For a few seconds it was completely silent in the office.

“Who would go to such lengths for porn, you idiot?!”

“I would, sir,” Toharu admitted honestly.

Something whirled through the air. Toharu was just in time to duck his head to avoid it. A desk lamp shattered against the wall behind him.

“Get out! Get the fuck out, all of you, this instance or I’ll expel you!”

Panting with rage, the shaii watched them scurry out the door. He could hear their feet scuttling down the corridor then hitting the stairs, the vibration of the staircase reaching even his office.

Exhaling loudly, the prince dropped into his chair. He breathed in and out a few times to calm the urge to wring Toharu’s neck. From outside he heard the door leading to the headquarters slam shut. He stood up to watch the three savars heading towards their squads that were doing the morning drill with the drill sergeant yelling his lungs out at them.

“So I guess we are safe for now,” Ranvera said timidly. He felt the urge to hide behind Toharu as Goten turned to offer him the most piercing stare he had ever seen.

“Don’t talk to me. Don’t approach me. Don’t even look at me,” Goten hissed out at Ranvera.

“Hey, all’s well that ends well.”

“Porn?!” Goten snarled at Toharu. “Porn?!” he repeated. “We are lucky we are still alive! Go fuck yourself, idiot!”

Toharu and Ranvera stared at Goten’s back while he was running towards the seventh squad.

“What the hell was that?” Toharu wondered. “One would think he was already used to getting into shit up to his neck.”

Ranvera rolled his eyes. “Must be those days of the month.”

“That’s not even funny. But you know what’s funny?”

“What is?”

“He wanted it. He really wanted it. Damn.”

“Wanted it?” Ranvera asked. “Who wanted what?”

“The shaii. He wanted Goten to hit him.”

“Of course, he wanted it. He’d have thrown Goten out of the School in a blink!”

Toharu gave him the grin of a madman. “No, quite the opposite. He would have locked up that naïve fool on the base forever.”

TBC


	13. Part 13

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), the first pages beta-read by chibi_vegeta, then Chris Cut took a glance at the rest.

Part 13

The officers carrying out the search still had not found the stolen guns. Goten, with about nine hundred other savars, was on the training field. The rows of savars had already been standing here for three hours. Even the present guests from the other school had been lined up while their rooms were being searched. 

As far as Goten knew, there were some powerful anti-aircraft weaponry and a few time bombs missing. He presumed that these weapons might have already been shipped out of the base and sold for a handsome sum.

Goten was certain they would have to stand like this until the entire base was turned upside down. If the weapons weren’t found and nobody admitted to having stolen them or seen somebody who had…well, Goten could easily imagine them standing here during the night…and maybe other two weeks. So this was how “his squad” was going to spend their two days off – standing under the boiling hot sun. 

This was just fucking great.

If that wasn’t enough to dampen everyone’s mood, the latest news was that there was a serious dispute over Shandera’s section. Both Saiyans and Ice-jins were bent on gaining control of it. A few planets in that sector were rich in natural resources such as gems, precious metals, and various gasses, some of which were used in latest technology. Together, the Saiyan Empire and their allies had conquered the sector but, as in many other recent cases, were having difficulties in sharing it among themselves.

Irritated drill sergeants were pacing back and forth in front of their squads, doing a lot of shouting and smacking around. Goten had also heard that all the guards who had been on duty at night received written reprimands. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought that it was ruthless, which was exactly what everyone on the base was thinking. Only he and a few other people knew that two thefts had taken place during the night. However, it was a mystery why the shaii had chosen to overlook this. Were he in the shaii’s shoes, he’d have kicked Toharu and Ranvera out of the base without remorse.

The sergeant was at the other side of the row and was busy yelling at his first-year mate. Goten took the opportunity to scratch his itching back then stretched his stiff body. It had been obvious to the ones who had stolen the guns that a search would be conducted. If the weapons were still on the base… 

While the yelling continued, Goten rolled his head around then did the same with his rigid shoulders. After having stood motionlessly here for three hours, any movement felt heavenly good.

Now, if he were a thief… Where would he have hidden those weapons? Goten’s eyes started wandering through the base, taking in a building after building, wall after wall, corner after corner. Then his eyes stopped and rose above the second barracks. Oh.

“What’s with that flabby look?!”

Goten started violently, his head snapping to the side to stare at the sergeant. He had been so deep in thought that had not even noticed him approach. Goten straightened and saluted.

“Sir!”

“Daydreaming, seamstress?”

The sergeant’s eyes were ruffling through his uniform and, instead of telling the sergeant to shove it and announcing that he had the right to daydream or do whatever he wanted to do on his day off, Goten started praying to whatever gods there were, hoping that he wouldn’t have recently torn his uniform anywhere.

“Twenty laps around the base!”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

Relieved, Goten turned on his heel; he’d rather choose running instead of standing here motionlessly. Then Goten stopped.

“Sir?”

“What do you want now?”

“Sir, have you looked in the water tower?”

“What?”

“For the weapons, sir. Have you looked for them in the water tower?”

The sergeant’s and about other ten savars’ (who had heard the exchange) eyes rose to the water tower protruding from behind the second barracks. A few seconds later the sergeant looked at Goten.

“Get back into the row, seamstress. And wipe that smug look off your face!”

“Yes, sir!”

The sergeant threw the tower another glance then barked for the second-in-command to get a couple of officers to search it.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten knocked and opened the door to the shaii’s office. He felt somewhat awkward when he saw the shaii engrossed in a bundle of documents in his hands. But he needn’t have worried as the prince’s attention became all his as soon as he stepped into the office and closed the door behind him.

“Sir!” Goten saluted.

“Goten,” the shaii nodded in greeting. “Sit down,” he motioned at a chair opposite his desk. While Goten was getting comfortable, the prince pushed the documents he had been reading aside and started ruffling through a pile of papers on the other side of the desk. He finally found the needed report.

“We found the missing weapons in the water tower,” he said, his eyes skimming over the paper. “They were wrapped up in cellophane and it seems they haven’t been damaged.”

Goten wasn’t sure what was expected of him, so he nodded. This went unnoticed by the shaii, who left the document and looked at Goten, waiting for some sort of affirmation that the younger male had heard him. Goten offered him a tentative smile.

“Very good, sir.”

The shaii realized that Goten was not sure whether he was going to be praised or punished. It seemed that Goten was prepared to expect anything, be it punishment for a good deed or a promotion for mischief. Once again, the prince found he liked a baffled Goten.

Goten’s head, like those of many first-year savars, had already sprouted a quite large hedgehog of hair. Now, Goten looked a little older and more refined. The shaii lowered his eyes back to the report. In fact, he and Goten had only one year difference between them. Yet they were of completely different social and authority standings. There was such a wide gulf between them that it was hard to even consider them meeting under any other circumstances. And even the current circumstances weren’t clear – why was Goten, a third-class, in an officer training school at all?

It seemed that the prince had become submerged in his thoughts thus Goten shifted in his seat to draw the shaii out of trance.

“Have the culprits been found, sir?” he asked.

Shaking off his musings, the shaii lowered the file and shook his head. “No, not yet.”

Goten nodded again. The shaii gave him an odd look and leafed through the report idly.

“What made you think of the water tower?”

Instantly alert, Goten tried to detect any suspicious notes in the shaii’s voice but it didn’t seem that he was being accused or suspected. He shrugged. “There was one near our playground when I was a kid, sir. We used to have competitions to see who would reach the top faster.”

The prince looked at him with interest. “Oh, really?”

“Yes, sir. I remember very well that once I poured a bag of salt down into the water. I got my ass thoroughly whipped for that.”

The shaii chuckled. He felt the urge to hear more about Goten’s past. He leaned back in his chair. “I read that you were born in Yasan…”

“That’s right, sir.”

“What kind of place is it?”

A little surprised, Goten shrugged. “Ughh… Just rock and sand everywhere, sir.”

“Oh. So I presume the little picnic in Korama woods was to your liking, wasn’t it?”

“Well, yes, sir, it was. It was a nice change of scenery,” Goten agreed.

“Your father was nearly always away on missions, wasn’t he?”

What kind of interrogation was this? Goten shifted in his seat. “Yes, he was. I was mostly looked after by my brother, sir.”

“I see. Did you get along?”

Never mind being his superior, never mind being the damn prince… What right did the man have to pry into his soul like this? But the prince was watching him expectantly and Goten felt compelled to nod. “Yes, sir, we got along very well.”

“It must be interesting to have siblings,” the shaii mused. “Never had one.” After he said those words, he noticed Goten glaring at him. Then he realized that he shouldn’t have touched the subject of Gohan. He should have been more considerate. The topic seemed to be some kind of taboo for Goten.

The oppressive silence was grating on Goten’s nerves. He could feel that the prince’s mood also fell a few degrees down. Goten had no idea what he had done this time but he wanted to get the hell out of the office. This kind of prying into his past didn’t bode well. Why the heck was the prince interested in such things like his birthplace and brother? It didn’t seem, though, that the prince wanted to rub his nose into the fact that he was just a third-class. In fact, Goten had never noticed the shaii being overly concerned about his class. He seemed to simply accept the fact.

The man did not hate him either. If he did, he would have kicked him out of the base long ago. Actually, Goten felt that the only reason he was still there was because he kept the prince amused. Except when he annoyed the hell out of the prince. He could not blame the man; he probably was the only savar who visited the shaii’s office almost daily on one or another basis.

There was something weird with their conversations as well. Some of the shaii’s questions and remarks were pretty laid-back and sometimes personal, as if they were buddies instead of subordinate and a superior. Except that the shaii was far from his buddy. They were worlds apart. Was the man lonely? Despite one of them being a third-class and the other an elite, the shaii could probably see kinship in both of their isolated surroundings. But was that even possible? Or was this interest in a third-class specimen solely educational?

Goten fidgeted with his fingers in persisting silence. “Sir, I wanted to thank you for sparing Ranvera and Toharu.” The shaii looked up at him with curiosity. Goten cleared his throat. “I’m certain they are very grateful, sir.”

The prince gave a dismissive shrug. “Well, despite Ranvera being an idiot, he’s a genius who is sought after by National Security. I have no wish to deal with loads of documents concerning his removal. Besides, there’s not much point in that – he would still be accepted into any other officer training school right away.”

Goten was silent, his watchful eyes fixed on his superior’s face.

The shaii shook his head. “No, I would not go as far as to make sure he isn’t accepted anywhere else. He’s not that annoying.”

“I see. Then what about Toharu, sir?”

“Well, unlike Ranvera, Toharu is just an idiot.” The shaii wanted to leave it at that but then he raised his eyes and caught a glimpse of Goten’s interested face. He found himself obliged to supplement his answer with details. “It wouldn’t be fair to kick one out and leave the other. Besides, if Toharu left, then his boyfriend, whose father is an influential man, would also go; probably right to Ario’s father’s school. Again, not really much point in that. It’s like an interlocked chain, your squad, Goten. If you pull one, then the rest follows. I wonder how many would follow if I pulled you, Goten?”

Goten took it as a rhetorical question and chose not to answer.

“So tell me, Goten, would that Ranvera guy follow you?”

Goten blinked in unexpectedness. What the hell was with this? “No, sir. I don’t think he would.”

“You think so? He seems pretty serious about you,” the prince pressed further.

“He’s sleeping with my roommate, sir. This doesn’t sound very serious to me, sir.”

The shaii was surprised for a moment then frowned in distaste. “What? He’s sleeping with both of you?”

What business did the prince have ruffling through someone’s dirty linen? Goten snorted derisively. “Sir, I’m a third-class. What sane second-class would want me for a partner?”

“But he doesn’t know that, does he?”

The prince regretted his question because now Goten’s eyes went ablaze. He had crossed the line. Nonetheless, he liked watching Goten’s reactions. He liked seeing what kinds of them Goten had.

“Sir,” Goten hissed, “if I wanted to use my temporary second-class status, I’d have already fucked half of the base.”

“Well, there’s no proof that you haven’t.”

Goten’s whole body leaned forward, his mouth contorted into a snarl. He seemed to be torn between punching or shouting at the prince’s face but then, with obviously enormous effort, settled on swallowing the insult. He dropped his eyes to the floor. He imagined a meteor smashing into the headquarters, into the office, splashing the prince on the spot, right at his feet.

The prince knew that at the moment Goten felt like strangling him. The shaii suppressed a malevolent grin. He felt angry and wasn’t sure whether with Goten or himself or both of them.

“There’s a promotion in sight.”

Goten didn’t seem interested, his face still radiating anger, his eyes remaining glued to the floor.

This made the shaii wonder. He tossed the documents on his desk, pushed his chair back and stood up. In a few strides he approached the window with two dried flies. “Actually, what do you want? I mean, what do you wish to do with your life?” he asked, half-leaning half-sitting on the windowsill.

Goten’s eyes rose to the prince’s, his face suddenly one vivid expression of hurt. His lips parted to say something, the shaii leaning forward unconsciously so as not to miss a word. Then those lips pressed back into a tight dash, a blank mask slipping back over Goten’s face. The prince nearly grunted in frustration.

Goten thought about warning the shaii that he made an easy target for anyone while standing with his back to the window, his purple hair shining from afar. Then he wondered why he should even bother – just a moment ago he had wished for a meteor to... 

“Sir, isn’t an honorable death in battle every Saiyan’s wish?”

The prince frowned in distaste. “Both of us know better than this: you’re a third-class, I’m of mixed blood. There’s no need for us to juggle these trite phrases. But really, what is that you wish for?”

Unsure and quite shocked, Goten averted his eyes from the older male. He could hardly wrap his mind around the fact that the Saiyan Prince had just admitted the weakness of the entire foundation of the Saiyan culture. He knew that the prince, who had seen much more in his life than him or many others for that matter, was more experienced; he had seen different places, different worlds, and different cultures. This was probably why the prince was different from what Goten expected the Saiyan Prince should be.

It suddenly made Goten feel as if he had just heard something not meant for his ears. It also made him feel indebted for such a revelation.

The shaii, who had been watching the reflection of the battle of wills on Goten’s face, leaned forward in expectation when the younger male opened his mouth again.

“I want to know what happened to my brother, sir.”

There was a pause while the shaii let this sink in. 

“Gohan? You mean you think that he was…?” the prince didn’t finish the thought, his mind reeling.

“Sir, I’d very appreciate it if you moved away from the window.”

“Huh?”

“For your own safety, sir. Lately…” Goten gave the prince a meaningful look.

Confused, the prince stared back at him then seemed to finally realize what Goten was talking about. Frowning slightly, he shifted away from the window. He returned to his chair and sat down.

“You do realize that if someone wanted me dead, they would just blast me together with this entire building?”

“Yes, sir, but they could only do this from inside the base. It’s been stormy lately and the base shields are up. Any ki would be detected in no time, and I doubt anyone would risk firing a powerful gun inside the base. However, yes, it might be not that difficult to hide it during the bedlam which would follow the explosion. The problem would be first-years who would start running around like idiots.”

The shaii gave Goten a look. “And you would not be one of those running idiots?”

“Oh, I’d be the first to start running, sir. In the opposite direction from the explosion. I think I have very good self-preservation instincts, sir.”

The shaii scratched his head. “In my opinion you have none of them. Now, going back to your brother…”

It was obvious that Goten didn’t want to talk about this. He kept silent for a few seconds, studying the floor under the shaii’s desk. With every passing second his eyes grew harder and harder.

“Goten?”

“You and the rest of the world may think me a fool, sir,” Goten said, raising his eyes to the shaii’s face, “but things like third-classes getting admitted to one of the best officer training schools… We wash and polish elites’ armors and prepare their meals. We clean their houses, wipe their asses and die like animals. We don’t get sent to officer training schools. And we sure as hell don’t fight against elites. We believe everything we are told. And we don’t get promoted for anything. But for getting a golden collar around our neck.”

Now Goten’s gaze was nearly a glare, as if accusing him of all the injustice in the world. And then the shaii realized that it was. In Goten’s eyes, he was nothing else but an elite. The discovery made him upset, angry even. It also made him wonder whether Goten was in his right mind telling all this to an elite, his enemy. And what was with these premature presumptions about his brother’s death? But then, Goten had a prevailing tendency to act first and think later. One day this was going to be the death of him. For now, this loose cannon had to be handled accordingly.

“Just like dogs, isn’t it?” the shaii commented. 

Goten’s eyes went into nova. He bared his teeth in an unpleasant grin. “Yes, just like loyal German Shepherds, Your Highness.”

Were Goten sitting closer to him, he would have probably struck him for good measure. Any other elite would have simply killed him for disrespect. Or at least tried to. The prince doubted that an average elite would have much luck in trying to kill Goten. It would probably go the other way round; the third-class was dangerous.

“Easy to train, easy to feed, easy to dispose off,” Goten continued. “Easy to k-”

“You’d surely bite off your master’s hand.”

This made Goten fall silent for a few seconds. He eyed the shaii carefully. What he thought was scoff on the prince’s face was, in fact, closer to mischief and curiosity. The bastard was just teasing him, playing with him, following his reactions. Annoyed, though his anger was starting to dissipate, Goten relaxed back into his chair.

“Sir, do I really amuse you that much?” Goten asked after a pause, when he was aware that both of them realized the pointlessness of this banter.

The shaii cocked his head to his shoulder. “Well, yes. You’re a very interesting specimen. Also the only third-class who nearly punched my head off my shoulders.”

Ah. So this was what it was about. Did the man hold a grudge against him after all? Was this simply an elite’s pride?

“Ah yes,” the prince nodded, “back to your promotion.”

Goten could only stare at him. He felt he could not understand anything anymore. “Sir, you can’t promote a third-class,” he stuttered finally.

The shaii seemed to think about it. “Right,” he drawled. “I forgot that bit. Officially, you are not even supposed to be here…”

Goten was not sure what the prince was playing at. Obviously he was teasing him again. Damn him to hell. “But I would not refuse a pay raise, sir,” Goten said, testing his luck.

The shaii grinned at Goten. “Ah. You wouldn’t, would you?”

“No, sir, I wouldn’t. I would never refuse a pay raise. My conscience would eat me alive, sir.” 

“Yes, I have no doubt about that.”

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

“Today is supposed to be my day off, sir. Toharu’s, Ario’s, Kyon’s and Ranvera’s as well.”

The shaii leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. He gave the younger male an amused look. “And what would you like me to do about it, Goten?”

Were this any other man, like Ranvera or Kyon, Goten could have sworn that the man was flirting with him.

“We spent half of the day standing on that training field, sir.”

“Hmm… I suppose it’s your own fault for not figuring out about the water tower sooner.”

Goddamn the bastard.

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

“What about the dispute over Shandera’s section between our and Ice-jins’ officials, sir?”

The prince’s face lost all playfulness in an instant. He uncrossed his arms. “In two days they are meeting again to decide under whose control it’s going to be.”

“Recently Ice-jins haven’t been very generous, sir, have they?” Goten drawled matter-of-factly. 

The prince leaned forward, putting his hands on his desk. Goten was right, recently the spoils of war hadn’t been shared equally. Ice-jins and Leiadors had been the allies of The Saiyan Empire for nearly a decade. They planned together, fought together and then shared the trophies. Various disputes were not a rarity but recently they had become rather serious.

Some Saiyans had started suspecting Ice-jins and Leiadors of wanting to unite against The Saiyan Empire. After a few similar opinions had been voiced out, Ice-jins and Leiadors had been quick to deny the accusations saying they were paranoid. The fact, though, was that the Saiyans were the weakest link in the triumvirate. Conquering the Saiyans and removing the powerful Saiyan Empire form the political map would benefit Ice-jins and Leiadors immensely, strengthening their power and influence.

“Sir?”

“I understand what you’re asking, but I don’t know any more than you do,” the shaii said. “For now, I’m serving as a shaii of this base, meaning I’m getting the same information as all the officials in officer training schools.” He shrugged. “Well, as I haven’t been summoned to the court yet, I would presume the situation is under control.”

“In any case, sir, it would be safer to avoid wandering alone and it’s best to stay away from windows.”

The prince chuckled. “It’s good to know you’re worried about my safety.”

“I’m more worried about my own safety, sir, which depends on the safety of the Saiyan Prince.”

The prince rolled his eyes. Really, although he knew that mostly Goten only pretended not to be concerned about anything or anyone around him, any other elite in his case would at least have tried to appear angry. 

“You seem to be certain that this conflict is going to escalate into war.”

“Sir, what I’m sure about is that sooner or later – probably sooner – there’s bound to be a situation where one of the allies would start getting in the way, be it us, Ice-jins or Leiadors. Power corrupts and the more power one has, the more he still wants to have. There’s no stopping, sir.”

“Hmm… Who do you think has more chances of reaching the top?” 

Goten pondered for a few seconds. “I think it would be Ice-jins, sir,” he said then. “They are the ones who contracted us and Leiadors. They have been keeping house in the universe far longer than any of us. I would not be surprised if they also have resources we have never heard about.”

“You do realize that all of what you’re saying is sedition against the triumvirate, treason so to speak?”

“Are you going to arrest me, then, sir?”

“No. But I would advise you not to profess your thoughts to people you don’t know that well.”

In answer to the shaii’s words, Goten offered him a conspiratorial grin. “You think I would, sir?”

Pleased, the shaii chuckled softly. “Alright, let’s say that this time you chose you listener wisely.”

Mutually amused, they stared at each other. Then Goten started in surprise as the intercom beeped. Reluctant to answer, the prince let the phone to emit a few long wailing shrieks then pressed the answer button.

“Yes?”

Although a lot of questions were still left unanswered, Goten was certain that the conversation was over. Indeed, a few seconds later, the prince released the button with words “send him in”. Then he told Goten he was free to go.

After Goten had left, for a minute, the shaii continued to stare at the closed door thoughtfully. He felt somewhat guilty for not sharing the information he knew with Goten. But then…he didn’t know much and what he knew would only lead to further questions instead of answers. He preferred to talk to Goten when he had more tangible leads.

The shaii pressed the call button on the intercom. It was answered almost instantly. 

“Bring me a pay raise form. Yes, I’ll attach my report to it.”

The prince released the button. He stared at the telephone, his gaze slowly turning reproachful. He himself, though, had no idea whether it was directed at himself or Goten. He turned his head to the window to stare at the sky, which was murky with sandstorm. He hummed softly. Maybe he should really order some blinds or something. But what difference did it make? If someone wanted him dead, they would just wait for him to exit the building. The shaii shrugged.

Really, Goten was damn lucky that he was not any other elite. Any other would have reduced his pay instead of increasing it. Goten had a low tolerance for indignity, which resulted in smart-assed remarks and rebuffing as soon as he felt someone was looking down on him. It was no wonder the third-class got into conflicts with various elites. 

Goten looked out for trouble. Or at least tried to. It didn’t really work. He was like a walking magnet, like a catalyst. The spunk and defiance in his eyes presented a challenge. That’s why it didn’t work. People either followed him or went against him. And when you went against him, he retaliated.

The prince heard steps in the corridor behind his door and before the door opened, his fleeting thought was that one could strike sparks out of Goten. Quite a lot of them. And he was up to the task.

ooOoOoOoo

When Goten returned to his barracks, he found a note on the door saying that his friends were celebrating the rest of their day off in Matilda. He tore the note off the door, stuffed it in his pocket, turned around and left for Matilda’s.

It was the middle of the day, everyone busy with their work, and the officers’ club was nearly deserted except for Goten’s friends and another group of three officers sitting at the other side of the club. They glanced at Goten when he entered, but he didn’t rouse their interest and their eyes dismissed him.

“Hey, is everything okay with you?” Toharu asked as soon as Goten was within earshot.

Surprised by the seriousness in Toharu’s voice, Goten gave him a questioning look. “Yeah. Why shouldn’t it be?” he asked stopping at his friends’ table.

“You spent over an hour in his office,” Ranvera explained. “I hope it was not because of what Toharu and I did the other day?”

Goten shook his head then shrugged. He observed the table, which was strewn with empty mugs and tumblers, then took the empty seat next to his roommate. “It was because we have been discussing the increase in my pay.”

Four sets of eyes locked on Goten, who wiggled his eyebrows playfully. 

“Are you prostituting yourself or something?” Kyon said with a touch of mild envy. He yelped as Ranvera whacked him over his head. “What?” he asked, rubbing the sore spot. “I’d also prostitute myself if only anyone wanted me. Especially a prince!”

Goten gave Kyon the finger then dropped the act. “Well, I have no idea whether there is going to be any increase. I was the one to suggest it.”

Kyon gave him a look of pure incomprehension. Ario scratched his head while Ranvera and Toharu met each other’s eyes uneasily.

“You mean, you just went and suggested?” Kyon asked.

“Well, he said I was to be promoted. I don’t want to be promoted, so I asked for the money instead.”

Now all four of Goten’s friends looked at each other then lowered their heads to their drinks. Feet shuffled under the table when Toharu kicked Ranvera with a concluding “told-you-so”. Goten watched their reaction with a confused frown. Kyon drummed nervously with his fingers on the table then seemed to get embarrassed at the loud sound echoing through Matilda and stopped.

Toharu cleared his throat. “I see. Get yourself something to drink.”

Goten gave him a little surprised look then stood up and went to the counter to get a beer. On his way, he realized that he was starving and also decided to buy something to eat. 

“Toharu, relax. It’s impossible for the prince to take an interest in a common second-class,” Ranvera said with a sour conviction as soon as Goten was out of earshot.

“What’s impossible was an elite knocking up my mom,” Toharu snarled at him. “And she was only a pilot of his damned spaceship!”

A stunned silence settled at the table. Only Ario was drinking his beer noisily in big gulps, indicating that he had already been familiar with this piece of information.

“But you…” Kyon stuttered, “…second-class…”

Toharu rolled his eyes. “Of course, I’m no second-class. I’m a cross between an elite and a second-class. Well, sure, I should not have been allowed to be born, but here I am, as there are thousands of others.” He saluted Kyon with his mug then took a swig from it. “Do you really think I bested my opponents in the ring just by sheer will and skill alone? Pfft…” He laughed derisively. He took another gulp and swallowed it loudly. 

“I got to know this, though, when I was already ten. When a second-class female came to the children’s home and told me her story. He shipped her off to some backwater of a planet and I was just given away.” Toharu shrugged. “Nothing much to complain, of course. More than half of the Saiyan population grows up in children’s homes. But she told me she would have kept me if allowed.”

Kyon and Ranvera waited for him to continue but Toharu was just angrily staring at his tumbler of beer, certain that there was nothing to add to what had been said.

“And your father?” Ranvera asked tentatively.

“Ah. I beat the shit out of him a few years ago.”

Kyon nearly choked on his beer. “Fuck, man, he’s still your father… Say what you want, but he also spared your life…”

Toharu’s lips stretched into an ugly unnatural grin, baring his teeth. “Well, what can I say, sweetheart? I’m not all sunshine and flowers. I’m his shame and he’s mine.”

At that point, Goten returned carrying a mug of beer and a tiny portion of cutlet. It was unbelievably expensive but Goten was nearly certain that he was getting the pay raise. This was like a symbolic celebration.

In silence, his friends watched him arrange the petite cutlet and his huge mug of beer on the table then sit down. Obviously wanting to say something meant only for his ears, Toharu leaned forward over the table. Instinctively, Goten also leaned towards him so as not to miss a word.

“Is the prince sexually harassing you?” Toharu whispered quietly, but at the same time loudly enough for their friends to hear. Toharu suddenly felt glad that Goten hadn’t taken a bite of his cutlet yet because Goten would have probably spat it out right in his face in that unexpectedness. Now Goten was just staring at him in utter incomprehension. 

“Doing what to me?” Goten stuttered.

“Well, like touching you or insinuating something se-”

“I know what sexual harassment is,” Goten interrupted Ranvera, glaring at him. “It’s what you’re doing to me all the time!”

Kyon burst out laughing while Ario and Toharu tried to stifle their giggles.

Ranvera blushed lightly. “You’re being cruel now,” he muttered, embarrassed.

Goten snorted at him. With cold radiating off his face, he turned to face Toharu. The second-class realized that Goten took his question the wrong way.

“If you want to have fun at my expense, you r-”

“I’m not mocking you. I’m being serious, Goten,” Toharu interrupted him.

Frowning, Goten took a moment to digest this. Disbelieving, he blinked at Toharu. “The shaii? Sexually harassing me? He knows I’m a th-” he trailed off at the warning on Toharu’s face. “He would not sexually harass me even if I begged him to!”

Kyon grinned. “Have you?”

Goten gave him the finger. “Idiots,” he muttered, concentrating on his cooling cutlet. “Listen, I appreciate your worry, but you’re being too much. He would not touch me even if I were the last Saiyan in the universe.”

“He likes you.”

Goten pointed at Toharu with his fork, the cutlet dangling from it. “I don’t think he likes me. I think he likes the source of constant amusement. He’s bored out of his mind.” 

“Whatever,” Toharu gave in finally. “I just thought I’d warn you.”

“Then why the hell did you discuss it with half of the base?” Goten asked, mouthing the cutlet.

“Hey, now. Don’t be such a prick. We are worried about you.”

“There’s no reason to worry about me.”

Toharu rolled his eyes. “Our ever stoic Goten. You’d probably kill yourself first before asking anyone for help.”

Goten pointed with his fork at Kyon. “I asked him to lend me a uniform. And I borrowed some money from you.”

“Yes,” Ario nodded. “And I think we all got the shit beaten out of us because of him on more than one occasion.”

Goten nodded. “Exactly.”

“I won’t even start about the kitchen duty or that stupid flag.”

Now Goten glared at him. “Well, this was not my fault.”

Ario shrugged. He watched Goten finish his cutlet with a healthy appetite. The younger male didn’t seem to be upset by his words.

“Don’t worry,” Kyon patted Goten on his head. “We love getting beaten because of you.”

Goten rolled his eyes, pushed his empty plate farther from him and took his mug of beer. “And let’s drink to this,” he snickered, raising his mug, emptying half of it in a few huge gulps.

ooOoOoOoo

In an hour, the only two people in the club were Ario and Toharu. They were also planning to leave after finishing their beers.

“Goten is right, you’re clearly over thinking this,” Ario said. “The prince knows that Goten is a third-class. He won’t as much as look at him.”

“Listen, love, you’re a hundred years too early to be teaching me about how people look at each other.”

Ario snorted. “I hate it when you do this.”

“Do what?”

“Sound like a three-hundred-year-old fart.”

Toharu chuckled. “Well, sorry.”

“Besides, why are you so worried about their affairs? We were just told to make sure he stays alive. Nobody said anything about protecting his cherry.”

Choking on his beer, Toharu let out a series of half-laughter, half-coughs then managed to swallow it. “I know this. But I would not want for him to end up in some nook of the universe just because the prince would be afraid of his dirty affair with a third-class reaching the masses.”

“Feeling sympathetic? Do you think he’s also of mixed blood just as you?”

Toharu shrugged. “Fuck knows. I don’t think he himself knows. Even if he knew, he would not tell us. Hmm…” he drawled. “What if his papa is some high-ranking elite plagued by remorse? Why is everyone so watching out for him?”

Ario snorted at him. “Why, really?” he asked sarcastically. “Sometimes I wonder whether you’re more in love with me or him.”

Toharu glared at him. “I can’t help liking him! Besides, in the end it might appear that he’s the prince’s illegitimate brother and the king is his granddad! Then we’d always be in his favor!”

Ario choked on his beer. “You did this on purpose!” he accused his lover as soon as the beer stopped running through his nose. He wiped at his wet and reddish eyes.

Toharu shrugged. “Well, yeah.”

“But, Toharu, love, you have a thing for soaps.”

TBC


	14. Part 14

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 14

Goten was leaning against the wall inside the training hall, watching the other savars prepare for their tests in their ki gathering abilities. It was interesting to see. The air was charged with ki, the drill sergeant’s long hair crackling with sparks, everyone’s tails puffed out. Sometimes colorful blasts would miss their targets and rebound off the ki-proof walls, the Saiyans scattering in all directions to avoid them. The ki-blasts would bounce to and fro until the sergeant or another more powerful savar would disperse them or knock them back towards the marked targets where they would be absorbed.

There were a few noteworthy elites, but it was mostly Ario whom everybody watched. The air around the second-class was hissing and rippling with the ki he could draw and disperse in a flash. The target before him was already blackened, working hard on absorbing the energy.

Goten turned to the door where six officers with scouters appeared. In a second, their hair puffed out in all directions. Not bothering to smooth it out, they went towards the drill sergeant and started discussing something.

Sword fighting theory was over, so now there was more time for other disciplines. There were two savars who didn’t manage to pass the theory, but as far as Goten knew, most of the other savars in squad seven passed with flying colors. That's what being lectured by the prince did to someone. Nobody wanted to be subjected to that pissed off blue stare ever again.

Goten’s days off flew past in a blink of an eye. He still felt somewhat mournful about not managing to fully appreciate them. The first day, he spent the afternoon standing outside under the beating sun, then got drunk in the evening. The second day was spent copying notes. He wished he had done something more worthwhile although he had no clear idea what it should have been.

Finally, the signal to cease all activity was given and the three squads lined up in neat squares. The drill sergeant stood in front of them. He ruffled the papers in his hands, then raised them to his eyes.

“Savars who don’t need to take the tests are: squad five: Athara Rada; squad six: Ario Krameran and Jawara Lyra; squad seven: Hatora Somela. The rest of you, form seven lines in front of the targets.”

The sergeant gave a sign and the first seven savars moved towards the spots marked on the floor. There was no time for preparation, the savars being told to power up to their maximum and perform various types of attacks with their ki. 

Both Ranvera and Toharu were among first savars to show their skills. Goten didn’t have a scouter, but even with the naked eye he could tell that Ranvera wasn’t doing so well. His ki-blasts were dimly lit and of average size. It was hard to discern the level of Ranvera’s ki without a scouter, but Goten figured that it was below average. It was quite a contradiction to Ranvera’s large build.

Goten’s eyes shifted from Ranvera’s back to Toharu. He was in time to see the short Saiyan releasing a pulsing red blast at his target. Not for the first time, Goten wondered where the seemingly short and slender man got all that energy from. His blasts and power-ups were nowhere as spectacular as Ario’s, but he was good in his own league.

Toharu and Ranvera ended their tests at nearly the same time. Toharu appeared to be content after he heard his results while Ranvera sheepishly ruffled through his short stubble at the look the supervising officer gave him. Toharu gave Goten a satisfied look as if to tell him 'beat that'. Goten chuckled at his friend’s ardor.

The third-class stepped forward as it was now his turn. The drill sergeant measured him from head to toe meaningfully, and Goten wondered whether the man had purposely chosen to stand next to the target he had lined up at.

“Well, are you any good at this, seamstress? Better than you are at sewing, I hope.”

“I wouldn’t put so many hopes in me, sir.”

The drill sergeant offered him a curt smile. “Nobody does.” He motioned with his hand towards the mark on the floor. “Now get on with it.”

Goten planted his feet on the black cross on the floor. He gave his drill sergeant a questioning look.

“What are you looking at me for? Power up to your maximum.”

“Yes, sir.”

Goten concentrated. After a month of suppressing his ki, it was a little unusual to feel it flowing through his body. It felt as if his limbs had been asleep for a long time, and only now the blood flow was being restored. Goten figured he should have done some warm-up exercises before this, instead of watching the other savars prepare for the test. Now, he could tell that there was something strange going on with his ki.

“What the hell are you doing?” the sergeant asked after watching Goten’s fluctuating ki for a few seconds.

Goten gave him a somewhat embarrassed look. “I’m sorry, sir. It just feels somewhat different after such a long break.”

The sergeant’s impatient glare told him he would not find compassion here. The man was clearly of the opinion that Goten was a pain in the ass.

Ignoring the sergeant’s frown, Goten powered up carefully to his usual maximum. He watched the sergeant put a tick next to “below average”. Goten thought that it was impressive that he could pass for a second-class, albeit a lousy one. And yet the current of his ki was unsteady, too ample, almost boundless. It was as if he had reached into a bottomless, overflowing pool. 

“Now blast the target.”

“Yes, sir.”

Goten’s eyes fixed on the abused target about ten meters away from him. Kamehameha or Final Flash? He was adept at both of them. With a short cry, he let the wave of his ki overflow him, starting to shape it into a yellow blast; Final Flash had less syllables.

And then something went wrong. Goten had no idea why, he just knew that it was too late to do anything about it. It was as if someone had pulled a plug out. Instead of shaping into a ki-ball, the vast surge of his raw ki suddenly slipped out of his control. It felt as if he was being swallowed by a tsunami.

The unexpected swell of massive, unrestrained power made the officers’ scouters beep in a frenzy. The savars’ heads turned in the direction of Goten’s terrified scream. The sudden explosion cleared the space around Goten in a fifteen meter radius, lifting the savars of their feet and throwing them into walls, scattering them all over the training hall. When the dust and smoke cleared, Goten was lying on the ground, his seizing body covered in burns and forming blisters.

Goten’s throat and chest were burning. He could not breathe. Someone tried to roll him onto his back and he cried out in pain, resisting. Only a second later, when his arms were grabbed and restrained, did he realize he had been trying to claw through his throat and chest in hopes that it would somehow make it easier to breathe. He could feel something was running out of his mouth but could not tell whether it was vomit or blood. 

Through the haze filled with pain and panic, he could hear someone shouting his name but could not make out voices. In his anxiety he did not even care who it was as long as they helped him. He did not want to die. The thought sent another excruciating spasm through his body.

“Goten! Goten, hey!”

“Stay back, you idiot!” One of the officers surrounding Goten shoved Kyon away. Kyon staggered, but was caught and pulled upright by Ranvera.

Toharu’s eyes went from Goten's convulsing body to nearby officer who was radioing to the medical bay for help. His gaze went back to the third-class, then rose this time to Ranvera, who was still unconsciously holding Kyon by his collar. Ranvera’s shaky hand was nearly strangling the shorter Saiyan in the process.

“Inform the taisa,” Toharu said not bothering to look around, knowing his lover was already behind him.

Wordlessly, Ario nodded and disappeared in the midst of clamoring and bustling savars.

Repeatedly cursing under his breath, Toharu continued to watch Goten thrash. The most nerve-wracking thing was that he knew he could not help Goten a bit. The only thing that could help him now was a regeneration tank.

“Don’t you dare fucking die on us,” he mouthed out a half-plea, half-threat. 

During the commotion of shouting and shoving savars, Ario snuck out of the training hall unnoticed. He closed the door with a soft click and dashed straight for Headquarters. He covered the distance in several seconds, then showed his pass to the guards and entered the building. In a quick stride, he reached the landing and started hopping three steps at a time. He nearly knocked the shaii off his feet when the stairs merged into a corridor. 

The prince staggered back into the corridor, Ario managing to grab the railing before he could tumble down the stairs.

“I’m very sorry, sir,” Ario apologized to the shaii who now was glaring down at him.

The shaii moved out of the saluting savar’s way, letting him climb the few stairs to the top. “What the hell is chasing after you? Get into trouble with elites again?”

“No, sir. It’s Goten. There’s been an accident. He’s been hurt.”

The shaii was already half-way down the stairs when he thought of asking where it happened. A little surprised, Ario sent him to the training hall, then hurried down the corridor in the opposite direction of the prince.

When the prince reached the training hall, the medics were already there. They gave the half-conscious savar a shot in the neck. In a few seconds, Goten stopped fighting the officers’ hold, the flinching lessening, his body now listless. An oxygen mask was put on his face. The shaii's senses picked up the smell of burnt flesh, hair, and clothing, as he made his way through the rows of staring onlookers. He arrived just as the medics started putting Goten on a stretcher. He was taken aback by the sight of Goten’s burnt body. 

“Goten! Hey, Goten!”

“Sir, he can’t hear you; he’s unconscious.”

The shaii’s hand halted at the look the head physician gave him. He retracted his hand; it was obvious that it wouldn’t be wise to touch Goten.

Catching up to the medics who were now carrying Goten's stretcher towards the door, he sidled up to the head physician who was walking next to the stretcher. “What happened?” the prince inquired.

“A ki-management failure, sir,” the head physician answered.

“Will he be alright?”

The head physician, who was looking at a small screen, gave the prince a once over. He concentrated back on the screen, showing the prince the blinking scans of Goten’s vital signs. “He has burns all over his body, his lungs are seriously scorched and he’s suffocating. A regeneration tank should do the trick, though. It’s a typical case, sir.”

“Ah. Right. Really.”

Silently, the shaii followed the medics to the med bay. He felt sympathy for the third-class, as every rough shift of the stretcher caused Goten to wince. Once inside the emergency room containing the regeneration tanks, the medics started cutting Goten's clothing off. The shaii had no wish to watch them peel the clothes off Goten’s body, his lymph and blood oozing, thus he left to bide his time in the waiting-room.

Ten minutes later, the shaii realized that nobody was going to inform him about Goten’s condition. He reentered the emergency room to find the medics sitting at one of the operating tables drinking coffee. Five pairs of eyes concentrated on him, then the mugs and sandwiches were lowered onto the operating table and feet shuffled as they stood up, saluting.

“Sir?”

The shaii’s gaze went to the regeneration tanks behind them. Two out of eight regeneration tanks were filled, patients submerged in the precious liquid. Goten’s tank was the nearest to the window. Blue-greenish fluid was leisurely swirling around the unmoving savar’s body. His burnt and scorched tail was floating listlessly. The prince was relieved seeing the mask on Goten’s face clouding with warm breath and then becoming transparent again in regular intervals.

“How is he?”

The head physician turned around to look at Goten’s tank. “His condition is stable, sir. It might take a while, but we expect a full recovery.”

The shaii nodded. “That’s good.” He threw a meaningful look at the makeshift lunch table with sandwiches and coffee. “Well, don’t let me disturb you any longer, gentlemen.”

The medics looked at him awkwardly. They detected the sarcasm but their faces showed that they had no idea what a “gentleman” was. The shaii decided to leave it be and left the room. He closed the door with a soft click. Once the door was closed and he let go of the handle, he surrendered to the urge to lean against it. Letting out a long sigh, he rubbed his face with his hands. 

“A ki-management failure, huh? What are you, a snotty five-year-old cub?”

The prince cursed softly then shook his head. He lowered his hands to his sides and raised his head. Two medics had stopped walking in the corridor and were now staring at him.

“Is everything alright, sir?”

The shaii pushed himself off the door. He nodded. “Yes, everything’s fine.” 

He was already outside the medical bay when his thoughts returned to twenty minutes ago, when he had stumbled into Ario. What the hell had the second-class been doing in the headquarters? Why had he even been allowed to enter? Who had he been going to see? 

Suddenly, the prince stopped in his tracks. Could it be that Ario had known how he would react? The shaii’s eyes widened, but further thoughts on the issue were cut off when he heard something buzzing somewhere above the base. Covering his eyes with his hand, he raised his head to look at the sky. He blinked as an arid gust of wind blew into his eyes. An aircraft was hovering over the other side of the base, landing on the launch pad.

Why the hell had nobody informed him about this?

Irritated, the prince started walking towards the aerospace center. He had reached Matilda when he saw two medics rushing towards him. The shaii’s sharp eyes counted quite a few stars on their shoulder straps. Important people. 

Once again, why the heck had nobody informed him of this?

The medics’ reaction to him was quite similar, though their assessment was done in a different order. As usual, they eyed his hair first, before looking to his uniform and his shoulders.

“Sir.”

“Your Highness.”

The medics gave each other confused looks then averted their eyes to the prince expectantly.

“‘Sir’ will do just fine,” the shaii nodded. Now it was his turn to stare at them expectantly.

“What’s his condition, sir?”

The prince nearly asked who they meant, then turned around sharply and rushed back towards the medical bay, the medics following him closely. “He doesn’t look that good, but we expect a full recovery.” So they had really come for Goten. What the hell…? Well, as long as they believed that he had been informed about everything…

“Oh, that’s good, sir.”

“What exactly happened, sir?”

“I was told that it was a ki-management failure. There seems to have been an explosion.”

One of the medics cursed. “The damn brat is unbelievable. We never had so many problems with Gohan.”

“Yeah,” the other medic sniggered. “Except that the bastard died.”

“His death had nothing to do with the project,” the first medic protested.

The other shrugged.

The prince led them through the medical bay to the emergency room. The doctors there stood up again. Some of them were chewing.

“Bon appetite. I’m Dakora Mella. This is my colleague, Heda Rivjera. We are from National Security. Please ready the access to your database,” one of the newcomer medics said, already moving towards Goten’s tank.

Simultaneously, the doctors’ eyes shifted to their shaii who also seemed to be taken aback. The shaii cleared his throat. “You heard the man.”

The doctors saluted, then the head physician motioned at the row of the computers at the other side of the room. “Feel free to use them.”

“Any passwords?”

“Well…no? What for?”

The newcomer medics met each others’ eyes and grinned. 

“I like this,” Dakora said, continuing to inspect Goten’s vital data on the regeneration tank screen.

“Uh-huh,” Heda agreed. He walked over to one of the computers and took a seat. His fingers started flying over the keyboard.

The shaii walked over to the makeshift lunch table. “Get me a few sandwiches and some coffee,” he said, taking one of the free spots which offered both a view of the tanks and the men from National Security 

“Right away, sir.”

One of the medics took a dirty mug from the operation table and went to wash it, while the others started working on producing sandwiches.

“Well?” the prince inquired a few minutes later. He blew on his hot coffee, then took a bite of his salami sandwich. Chewing, he sipped the coffee again.

“Everything seems fine, sir. The staff here did a wonderful job. He’s recovering nicely. With the help of a regeneration tank, it will take three days at most,” Dakora assured him.

“So fast?” the shaii asked, incredulous. 

Dakora nodded, but now the two agents were looking at him with mistrustful eyes. Heda stood up and started clearing the desk of the file copies he had made for his investigation. Dakora pretended to be very interested in the regeneration tank screen. The prince cursed himself mentally.

A few minutes later, Heda and Dakora were at the medical bay exit. “We’ll be waiting for the reports and a thorough analysis of the accident,” Heda said.

“Of course,” the head physician said, “but for that you’ll have to contact the headquarters.”

“No need,” the shaii said. “I’ll make sure that the necessary information reaches you.”

Dakora nodded gratefully. “Thank you for your cooperation, sir.”

The shaii shrugged.

The head physician sighed. “At your service, sirs.”

“Ah, yes.” Heda motioned with his head in the direction of the emergency room. “Don’t let the brat do whatever he did again.”

The head physician shrugged his shoulders. “It would be easier if I knew what he did. Now, on another note, I’m very interested in the pattern of his brainwaves. When I mentioned this to him, the youth said he knew nothing of this. Besides, it’s not on his case file. Care to explain, sirs?”

Heda and Dakora offered him blinding smiles. “No, not really,” Dakora said. He patted the doctor on his shoulder. “Sorry.” He became worried when the prince moved closer to them, his implacable blue eyes set on them with obvious curiosity. Strangely, the lavender-haired youth didn’t ask anything.

When National Security left, the shaii returned to the emergency room. The doctors had finished their picnic and emptied the room. The shaii stood in front of Goten’s tank, thinking. He felt guilty. What if this happened again? This was dangerous. He should have pushed the agents. They were obligated to answer him. On the other hand, he did not want to make his move yet. He didn’t know enough. He might create too many ripples, disturbing the currently calm waters and scaring the big fish away. 

Nonetheless, there were things that he knew for certain: obviously, Goten was a part of some project, some experiment. Did it have anything to do with genetics? He could only guess, but that would explain a lot of the third-class’s oddities. He would have to talk to the head physician about those brain waves he had mentioned.

The aquamarine liquid swirling around the third-class’s naked body made the burns less glaring, smoothing all contours out. Or maybe Goten was already healing. The prince moved closer to the tank, but it did not make it easier to discern whether the burns were healing. He looked at the screen on the tank. The burn percentage on Goten’s body was already lower. Amazing.

The prince stood on tiptoe to see past the opaque strip that went across the glass, covering the third-class’s genitalia. The opaque strip was one of the Human's contrivances. As soon as regeneration tanks started to be exported to Earth, Humans decided to add that accursed strip for decency and requested that all further models would include the opaque line. The Saiyans and a few other nations had protested at first, arguing that it might also cover serious wounds in that region, but in the end, the strip had been added.

The shaii huffed, as his tiptoeing did not give him the desired result. He tried squatting down and looking upwards. Then he remembered that emergency rooms usually had surveillance cameras. Feeling his ears burn, he cleared his throat and stood up. He crossed his arms in front of his chest defensively. Laughing softly at his curiosity, he looked at Goten’s face.

Well, all’s well that ends well. 

The damn brat had given him such a scare! He had lost it, running into the training hall and then following him to the medical bay. Now here he stood checking out Goten’s nether regions. 

Disbelieving, the prince stared at Goten. He uncrossed his arms. 

“Well, fuck me!” he cursed.

As if on cue, Goten’s eyes opened. The prince suddenly felt glad that Goten hadn’t thought of waking up a few minutes earlier. It quickly became apparent that the third-class wasn’t conscious yet. Apathetically, his eyes slid over the emergency room, fixed on the shaii when he moved, then drifted off of him when he stilled. Testing, the prince waved his hand, and the dark eyes fixed on him again. A spark of recognition appeared in them, then they closed. The prince lowered his hand slowly.

“Fuck!” he repeated.

ooOoOoOoo

Determined, the shaii tried to ignore the wide-eyed, inquiring looks the savars gave him. He brushed past squad six, which happened to be doing push-ups on the training field next to the women’s barracks. His apparent indifference was of no use, as he received a similar share of glances from the other side of the training field where squad seven was doing sit-ups. Frankly, he had no wish to look at his left where he could hear squad five running one of their laps around the base.

Obviously their ki-testing was over. Too bad.

Seriously, one would think that all of them were waiting for his report. He was not obligated to report. Unless it was to the taisa, who would not want him to report because everyone would pretend that the guys from National Security hadn’t come. Never been here. 

The shaii reached the headquarters and made the mistake of looking to his right. Kyon’s large, pleading eyes nearly made him stop in his tracks. Ranvera, who was holding down Kyon’s legs, was also staring at him, but there was something accusing in his eyes.

The prince’s hand reached for the door. He could feel the back of his neck prickling. He dropped his hand and turned around, heading straight for squad seven who – mostly – were just pretending to be doing sit-ups. Motioning for them not to get up, the prince squatted down next to Kyon who was fruitlessly lying on his back with his knees bent. Anxious, Kyon looked up at him from the asphalt.

“Oh alright, he’s okay, your damn Goten,” the shaii gave in. “Will be as good as new in three days or so.” He raised his head to look at the rest of the squad. “You heard that, you lot? Good as new.”

Rejoiced huffs echoed all around. Kyon’s head thumped against the asphalt as he closed his eyes in relief. Ranvera jumped to his feet from where he had been holding onto Kyon’s knees. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Hey, Toharu, the bastard’s alright!” he shouted in the general direction of squad five. “Goten’s fine, you hear me! Man, he’s fine, the fucker!” he laughed, waving.

Cheers and whoops echoed from the other two squads.

“Well, yes,” the prince drawled, scratching himself on his cheek absentmindedly. “I suppose he still has an opportunity to become a porn star.”

Were he not a prince, Ranvera would have told him to shut the hell up and finally let it go. As it stood now, he could only give him another accusing look. He rubbed the back of his head when the prince answered his look with a good-natured grin. All he could do was grin back.

ooOoOoOoo

“Owwww…” Goten groaned. He tried to turn onto his other side and moaned in pain again. He started rousing. His eyes blinked at few times then stayed open. Unsure, he stared at the white ceiling. Before he could sort out his thoughts and memories, an instinctive rush of panic swept over him. He sat up, which made him yelp. Trying to find the source of pain, he looked behind himself. His tail was missing quite a lot of hair. The tufts which were still attached were nearly black.

Stupefied, Goten blinked at it. How the hell had he gotten himself into a fire?! Then his memory came to life and started supplying him with answers.

“Ohyoustupidgodmotherfuckingidiot,” Goten poured out, slapping himself on his forehead. “I didn’t do it. There’s no way I… Crapfuckingtasticohgodkillmesomeone.”

“I see you’re feeling much better already.”

Through the grates of his fingers, Goten looked at the head physician. He removed his hands from his face to give the doctor a look filled with resigned self-loathing.

“Tell me, Doc, how in the hell did I manage to blow myself up?” Then he held out his hand to stop the head physician from talking. “No, maybe I don’t even want to know.”

“Well, maybe you don’t, but I’ll tell you anyway,” the doctor said, walking over to his bed. “You screwed up. Simple as that. You’re nearly eighteen and you screwed up. What the hell do they teach kids in prep school? A ki-management failure?” The doctor rolled his eyes. “What’s next? You wetting the bed in your sleep?”

Goten felt his ears burn. He wanted to defend himself, then thought better of it and took the scolding as deserved.

“Mmm… Anything serious?” he asked a few minutes later when the doctor had started taking down the indications from the small screen next to his bed. 

“No. As sound as a roach. You can get your pathetic ass out of here as soon as I write this down.”

“Oh. Really? Nothing broken? Nothing bruised?” Goten wondered, trying to move around in the bed tentatively.

“Well, not mentioning the bits of hair that you lost, you can count yourself the luckiest guy in the universe. Any other in your place would have probably had his bits and pieces plastered to the walls of that training hall.”

Goten scratched his head, thoughtfully groping at his scalp. It felt like an uneven shrubbery with bald patches. He could bet he looked priceless. The guys were going to cry with laughter upon seeing him. He would have to shave his head again. Damn it.

“Doesn’t this happen a lot to me lately?”

The doctor grinned at him. “What exactly? Getting blown up?”

“Well, that too. But I meant… Mmm… Never mind. Besides, being “lucky” doesn’t include getting sent to the med bay three times in about two months,” Goten pointed out.

“It’s been two months already?”

Goten nodded. “Nearly.”

“Time sure flies fast,” the doctor sighed. He pulled a notepad out of his endless pockets and started scribbling something down. Then he tore the leaf off and tossed it on the blanket before Goten. “It’s your exemption from physical activity. It’s valid for three days.”

“Thanks,” Goten said, taking the note.

“One more thing.” The doctor raised his finger into the air, obviously enjoying this. “The shaii said you are to come to his office as soon as you can walk.”

Goten let out a groan of despair. “You think he’s gonna kick me out? Not saying that I don't deserve it or anything.”

The doctor clicked his tongue. “Well, seeing how you made him jump around so much and then he had to deal with those NS assholes… Yeah, he’s gonna kick you. Hard. Not all the way, though.”

“You are enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Very much so,” the head physician agreed without missing a beat. “He said something about us not using the ER for its intended purpose. Now we are back to that dingy lunchroom. All because of you.”

“What the hell does that have to do with me? Don’t tell me you were eating in there while I was floating in one of the tanks? Ugh…”

The doctor opened his mouth to answer, but then closed it as he became aware that Goten's mind had finally started catching up with the thought that he had nearly died. The youth trailed off, now sitting on his bed quietly, his eyes fixed on the wall in front of him.

“Alright, off you go,” the doctor said, dangling his notebook in front of Goten’s face to bring him out of his trance. “One of your mates brought you your spare uniform. It’s in that cabinet. Dress, talk to the shaii, go eat, have a shower and go to bed. In the exact order I said it. Is that clear?”

“Err…yes. Crystal,” Goten said, after pausing to gather his wits. Then the youth groaned. “Oh shit! I'm going to need another new uniform!”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten reached out for a folder filled with paper that the shaii had pushed over the desk towards him. He really hoped that it had nothing to do with the accounts from the canteen. He was too worn out to deal with that crap just now.

The shaii raised his eyes from a blank file he was pretending to be reading and gave Goten a searching look. The savar’s burnt and patchy tail was lying securely across his lap. Goten had taken his time before coming to him; he had shaved his head, he had taken a shower and he had eaten – the prince could still catch the faint scent of food wafting off Goten’s uniform. He would have chewed Goten out and asked which part of “as soon as he could walk” he hadn’t understood, but the savar looked dead tired. He was obviously having trouble trying not to fall asleep in his chair.

To Goten’s relief, the documents had nothing to do with the kitchen. It was someone’s report on the accident in the training hall. Goten would have cared or felt embarrassed if he had the strength to. As it was, he found himself staring at the report with its floating words and numbers and letters and none of it made any sense to him. Instead, he opted to get on with it, deciding that he’d been looking at the report long enough to give the impression that he had read it.

“Sir, I’m very sorry about the accident,” he said, fighting the urge to rub at his eyes. He was just in time to keep himself from yawning.

“Goten, have you read the report?”

“Everything’s written just as it happened. I screwed up, si-i-ir,” against his will, Goten punctuated the word by yawning loudly. “I’m sorry, sir,” he said blinking his eyes.

“I asked whether you have read the damned report,” the prince growled out at him. He cursed as Goten just looked at him guiltily. He stood up and rounded his desk to stand beside Goten who was huddled down in his chair, expecting to be shouted at or hit. Snorting, the shaii opened the folder again and pushed it towards Goten. He bent down and pointed his finger at one particular number. “Here. Look here.” Impatiently, he thumped with his index finger on the number. “Do you see this number?”

Self-conscious, Goten leaned closer. There was a voice in the back of his head whispering to him that now the prince was going to grab him by the back of his neck and bang his stupid head against the desk a few times for good measure. Despite this, he yawned again. His eyes concentrated on the shown number.

“Three, zero, zero, zero…” Goten trailed off when he saw the look the prince was giving him. “A three and five zeros,” Goten finished lamely, hoping that the blue-eyed stare was not deadly or poisonous. The prince’s eyes strayed towards an empty chair next to Goten and, to his horror, Goten realized that the prince was toying with the idea of smashing it over his head. He was momentarily relieved when the prince’s eyes snapped back to him.

“It’s three hundred thousand!” he hissed out.

“Oh.” Abruptly, Goten stiffened visibly. Suddenly, he did not feel sleepy anymore. “Is this the damage I made to the training hall, sir?” he asked, afraid of his own voice. “Three hundred thousand credits?!” he gave the shaii a pleading look. “Sir?! Three hundred thousand credits?! Oh my fucking god! Three hundred thousand credits?! Three hundred th-”

A growl erupted from the back of the prince’s throat. He threw his hands up. “Oh shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!” he hissed, straightening, waving his hands at Goten, his patience torn to shreds. “Shut up, Goten, shut the hell up!”

Scared by the outburst, Goten could only stare at the prince’s tail, which had unwound itself from his waist and now was drawing enraged circles behind the prince’s back. Hypnotized, he watched the swishing appendage. Purple. Light purple. Amazing. And a white puff at the end! Fuzzy. And so freakin’ electric in all that agitation. Nearly shooting sparks. So freakin’ fluffy! Light purple. Marvelous. And-

“What the hell are you looking at!?” the prince snarled at Goten, whacking him over his head with the folder.

Goten reddened up to his ears and dropped his eyes to his lap. The shaii brought the folder down again, but stopped just a fraction above Goten's bald head. The prince fought a rising blush down. A little thrown off balance, he wrapped his tail back around his waist tightly. He tossed the folder back onto the desk where it fell with a loud “whoosh”. He circled the desk and dropped into his chair. Trying to look busy, he grabbed the same blank file he had been pretending to read a few minutes before. He just needed a few seconds to get himself in order.

A long silence stretched over the office, only to be broken once again by Goten's yawning.

“Sir,” Goten whined a second later, “I’ll never live long enough to earn that amount of money.”

“Shut up, Goten.”

“But-”

“If you don’t shut up right now, you won’t live long enough to reach your next payday.”

Resigned, Goten sagged in his chair. It became silent in the room again. Finally, Goten heard a loud intake of breath. It seemed the shaii had recovered from whatever frenzy he had been in.

“Right,” the prince said. “It’s not three hundred thousand credits. That number is your power level just before you blew your ass up.”

Goten grinned at him. “It’s not the money, sir?”

The prince gritted his teeth. “No, it’s not.” 

“I don’t owe any money, sir?”

“Shut up.” 

Obediently, Goten closed his mouth. The prince waited for Goten's brain to catch up with the second sentence but it did not seem to be happening anytime soon. Reassured that he owed no money to anyone, the savar was just grinning at him mindlessly.

“It’s not the money, Goten. It’s your power level before you blew up,” the prince repeated, mustering up all the remnants of his patience. Goten continued to grin at him stupidly. “Goten, I’m not fucking kidding! It’s your damn power level!” the shaii yelled at him, slamming his fist into the desk, making his pen and the stack of documents jump into the air. 

Goten was watching him mistrustfully. The shaii felt better; finally they were getting somewhere. Slowly, but they were getting there. He continued to give the savar the most convincing look he could. “Yes, Goten,” the prince nodded, drawling slowly as if talking to a retard. “It i-s y-o-u-r power level as it was registered by scouters just before the accident.”

Goten blinked at him. “Well, fuck me.”

“Yes, fuck you,” the shaii agreed.

TBC


	15. Part 15

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 15

It was very quiet in the office. Goten and the shaii had their eyes locked on each other.

“I think there’s been a mistake, sir,” Goten said finally. “I don’t mean anything by it, sir,” he added carefully, “but it’s a very obvious mistake.” He flinched at the glare the prince gave him.

“Oh really?” the shaii purred. “Then how would you explain all seven scouters showing the same number?”

“Erhm… A coincidence, sir?” He sank deeper into his chair when the shaii grabbed the folder from the desk and nearly threw it at him. “Well, alright, sir, it’s not,” Goten agreed. “But it can’t be my power level. I mean, three hundred thousand, sir? No way. There’s just no way. It’s ridiculous to even think about it.”

The shaii considered tossing the folder back onto the desk, then changed his mind. At least this way he had something to threaten Goten with.

“All the scouters fried when you lost control of your ki,” the prince said. He raised his eyebrows at Goten. “At the exact same time. I have seven reports from our officials and all of them claim the same thing. You busted their scouters.”

“I hope I won’t need to pay for that, sir?”

“Goten.” The prince’s voice was as cold as ice, his eyes even colder, and Goten’s mouth closed with an audible snap. “Open your mouth without permission one more time and you will have to pay for them. I’ll personally charge you. One scouter – three thousand credits. Multiply it by seven. Do the math.”

Goten opened his mouth but then closed it and nodded his head quickly.

“I see we are getting somewhere,” the shaii said, giving him a short amused smile. “Nod for ‘yes’, shake your head for ‘no’,” he added. “We took the scouters to our technology laboratory,” he continued. “The techies looked into the last recordings and they all show three hundred thousand as their final measurement.” Discarding the folder onto the desk, the prince leaned back into his chair. “Now, I agree that three hundred thousand is a bit…” he chuckled, “blown out of proportion, in my opinion. Nonetheless, whatever you did was enough to make the scouters malfunction.”

The shaii gave Goten some time to wrap his mind around the information he had delivered. “So,” he said a minute later, “I’d like to hear what you think happened there.”

Unsure, Goten cleared his throat. “The fact is, sir, that I blew myself up. Now, why that happened,” he continued quickly, before the shaii could threaten him, “is somewhat of a mystery to me. I mean, I’m good with ki. I’m not brilliant or anything, but I’m good. I know what I’m doing. Most of the time, anyway,” he added, in case he started to appear boastful, but the addition instead made the prince’s eyebrows twitch aggressively. “Sir, there was something strange going on with my ki. I’m not sure what it was. It was as if…erm…well, there was too much of it,” Goten finished lamely.

The prince gave him an inquisitive look. “Three hundred thousand?”

“Certainly not, sir,” Goten denied at once.

“You sure?”

“I’m not sure about anything anymore, sir,” Goten nearly snapped, “except that I want to-” he caught himself just in time. Having avoided such a fatal mistake, he exhaled in relief.

“…sleep,” the prince finished for Goten, pinning him to his chair with a very long and scary stare. “Alright, beat it!” he growled out suddenly, throwing up his arms. “Come to my office tomorrow!”

Surprised and grateful, Goten scrambled to his feet. Swaying lightly, he saluted. “Sir, yes, sir!”

The shaii rolled his eyes. Now he was getting some respect here. 

“Thank you very much, sir!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved Goten off. “Get the hell out of my sight.” Goten started walking towards the door and the prince’s eyes swiveled to the neat A4 envelope on his desk next to his left hand. He had been considering showing it to Goten, but it would have to wait until tomorrow. He raised his head again as the footsteps suddenly stopped, but there was no sound of the door opening or closing. Goten was standing at the door, looking somewhat abashed. “What now?”

“Well… I didn’t mean to stare at your tail, sir. I’m sorry. I really didn’t.”

The blush, which the prince had somehow managed to hold back previously, was suddenly all over his face. Goten’s reaction to his blush was to go red in the face as well. Red-faced, they stared at each other for a few seconds, then, vengefully, the prince’s fingers started groping around the desk for anything tangible to launch at the third-class. He was going to teach that brainless idiot some manners.

ooOoOoOoo

As soon as Goten managed to escape from the shaii’s office, he headed straight for his room. It was still empty, his roommates in lectures or attending drill. He hardly registered the fact and made a beeline towards his bunk. His body hit the linen before he could even think about taking his uniform off. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Goten didn’t hear either of his roommates return. Nor did he hear the savars moving around him or feel Kyon taking his boots off of him. He felt secure in his room and his body had simply shut itself down, concentrating only on healing. He had sustained a lot of damage and lost a lot of energy during the explosion. Most of his injuries had been healed by the regeneration tank, but his body was still recovering. The best way for his body to do this was to make Goten eat a lot and then prevent him from moving around too much, absorbing all the energy the food could provide.

When Goten woke up, it was because of Kyon pressing a cold, wet hand towel over his face. Startled, he smacked at it vehemently, sitting up in his bunk. 

“Ow,” Kyon complained, rubbing at his hand. “And here I thought there was no way to wake you.”

Still not fully awake, Goten stared at him for a few seconds with his hand still raised. His eyes took in his roommate, then the wet towel. Goten lowered his hand. “What…?” he rasped out, his voice rough like a grater. He swallowed. “What time is it?” He threw a look at the window. It was dark outside. The darkness was intense, somehow different than usual. Then he realized he could hear an incessant whooshing and jarring noise coming from up above. A sandstorm. It was rampaging above the protective shield.

“Just a little bit before six. Our kitchen duty. Are you supposed to go?”

“Oh.” Goten rubbed his face with his hands, trying to dispel his drowsiness. “Yes,” he nodded. “I've been exempted from physical activity only.” He yawned. “I’ve slept for more than twelve hours, haven’t I?”

Fidgeting with the wet towel, Kyon looked at him worriedly. “Are you alright?” he asked. “I mean, is e-”

“Yes, everything’s fine,” Goten cut him off with a nod. “The doc said I’m as sound as a roach.”

Kyon yelped as a pillow struck him on the back of his head.

“Keep it down, you assholes,” Roland cursed. “Let us sleep!”

“Just shut up and die!” Kyon snorted, grabbing the pillow and throwing it back at Roland. The second-year grabbed it and stuck it under his head, rolling over onto his right side. After some thought, Kyon also threw the wet towel he had been holding. Roland did not react to that, the towel finding purchase and sticking to the covers.

“You go; I’ll join you as soon as I take a shower,” Goten said.

“You don’t have time for a shower,” Kyon informed him. “I’ve been trying to wake you for about ten minutes. Now, put your boots on and let’s go.”

“Bathroom first,” Goten said, putting his boots on hurriedly. “I’ll burst otherwise.”

The bathroom and showers were nearly empty, only a few early birds traipsing around. When Goten entered, he was met with a few cordial whoops and a lot of sniggering. Goten figured he deserved to be the object of derision for stupidly blowing himself up, thus he smiled back sheepishly and ignored the laughter.

Outside, the whooshing and grating sounds became much more intense. Goten raised his head to look at the shield overhead. The shield was quite high and it was dark all around because of the storm. A few lampposts were strewn here and there, but the light they provided was reflecting off the shield, thus Goten could only catch glimpses of the swirling sands above.

Goten coughed. Fruitlessly, he tried to cover his nose and mouth with his hand. The air was filled with tiny specks of sand and dust which had seeped through the shield barrier. Clusters of it could be seen swirling in the light of the lampposts. Goten and Kyon sped up towards the kitchens. 

Together they entered the kitchens through the backdoor. Goten was immediately swept away by the variety of smells. Food. He suddenly realized that right now, he would do or give anything for food. Tons of it. His stomach let out a mighty rumble. He was famished. He swallowed quickly, before his saliva started running down his chin.

Kyon grabbed Goten by his sleeve when he suddenly started walking in the direction of the pots on the stoves. “Where the hell are you going?”

“Food.”

The look Goten gave Kyon made him let go of his sleeve. It was just short of completely mad.

“Oh, just great!” Kyon threw his hands up. “Feed him, someone. Oh wait, don't bother. He has already found what he’s looking for. Why the heck did I even bother waking you?” he growled out at the sight of Goten circling one particular pot.

“‘Cause you have the hots for him?”

Kyon turned around to face Toharu. He pinned down the shorter Saiyan with a murderous stare.

“And you were also worried that he would oversleep and be punished again.” Toharu added innocently.

Kyon snorted and turned his head, watching Goten lean over a large pot which contained all of yesterday’s leftovers. He was already stuffing his face. Silently, Kyon and Toharu watched him gobble down cutlets and garnish. He did not even discard the watery salad in the bowl next to the pot, scooping spoonfuls of it into his mouth.

There was no point in trying to stop Goten. There was never any point in trying to stop a famished Saiyan from eating after a serious injury. It was instinctive. Any attempts would probably result in Goten protesting wildly and, keeping in mind his strength, Kyon and Toharu presumed that all they would get for their trouble would be sore bodies and a messed up kitchen. So they didn’t try. Goten was going to stop eating only after he was full or the leftovers were finished.

“So you didn’t tell him,” Toharu stated, staring at Goten’s forehead, grinning. 

Kyon looked a little bit uncomfortable. “Well,” he drawled, “I do feel a little bit…like he deserved it.”

Toharu nodded his head quickly. “Oh yes, he deserved it for sure!”

“What the heck is he doing?” the ringleader asked. “He will be sick later.”

Toharu turned to look at the elite female who had approached them. “I told you that he’s been seriously injured.”

The ringleader sighed. “It seems I’ve missed out on a few things here.” For a few moments, she stared at Goten’s forehead. She crossed her arms. With her chin she motioned at Goten. “Is this your work?”

“Oh yeah,” Toharu confirmed.

The elite scratched her head. “You can’t be serious.”

“It’s the truth, I swear to god,” Toharu vowed.

“You don’t believe in any gods,” Kyon pointed out.

Toharu shrugged. “The most important thing is that they believe in me.”

The ringleader waved them off. She walked over to Goten and did the inconceivable – pulled the pot, already nearly empty, from under his face. “That’s enough for you.”

To protest the magical disappearance of his pot, Goten waved his dirty spoon in the air. Toharu and Kyon moved a few meters away from them. Goten gave the female an unfriendly look, then tentatively reached his arm out and tried to pull the pot back towards himself. The ringleader seemed to consider banging the pot into his face, but then just smacked at his hand. Pouting, Goten retracted it. He drummed with the spoon on the table, then let go of it.

“Oh great!” Kyon groaned when Goten blinked drowsily at the surface of the table. “Now he’s just going to fall asleep!”

“And what else did you expect?” the ringleader snorted, putting the pot on one of the tables farther away from Goten. “Why the heck did they let him out of the med bay? He is in no condition to function anyway.”

“I heard he was made to go to the shaii’s,” Kyon said.

The ringleader winced sympathetically. “Uh-oh.”

Toharu snickered. “Don’t worry. It can’t have been all that bad. You should have seen how the shaii was fussing when Goten got hurt. Just tore into the training hall and all that.”

“Yeah, the scouters Goten fucked up were really expensive,” Kyon said-matter-of-factly. “The floor was also burnt. Not to mention the bruised savars.”

“Aww…man, you just don’t want to admit it,” Toharu groaned.

“Listen, Toharu,” Kyon’s voice took on a serious note, “jokes are fine, but this has gone too far. If someone interested hears this, you’ll be accused of slander; he’s a prince, for fuck’s sake! Now, that’s fine with me, you should be accused. But it’s Goten you’re talking about. I don’t want him to get into trouble because of your stupid tongue.”

“My, my,” Toharu snorted, “aren’t we protective?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, we are. Now shut it and go peel the carrots.”

“Aye, aye captain!” Toharu saluted him, leering.

“If I didn’t know that you could beat me into a pulp any time, I’d sooo kick your ass,” Kyon threatened him.

Toharu flashed him a grin and went off to peel carrots. Kyon turned to look at the table Goten had been sitting at a minute ago. It was empty. Instead, the ringleader was pulling Goten underneath it. Goten appeared to be soundly asleep.

“What the hell are you doing?”

She raised her head a fraction. “He’s of no use anyway. I’ll just move him so he does not get in the way.”

“Under the table?”

The elite gave Kyon an annoyed look for questioning her. “Yeah. And why not?”

“Umm…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Toharu, who suddenly appeared from behind Kyon, nodded.

“I thought I told you to peel the damn carrots!”

The shorter Saiyan raised the peeler and carrot he had into the air. “I am!”

Kyon rolled his eyes. Then his attention returned to the ringleader, who now was trying to push Goten’s arms under the table.

“Do you think she’s fallen for him?” Kyon asked softly.

Toharu sniggered. “Totally. Just don’t tell her that. I’m sure she will have fun figuring it out on her own.”

“But how can she…? She’s an elite!”

“And does that make you feel better?”

“No,” Kyon said dejectedly.

“Listen, you gotta grow a backbone and make your move fast, or…” Toharu waved his hands about, suddenly getting serious. “I don’t wanna even think about “or”. Now, when there’s the prince in the picture…”

“Oh gods!” Kyon groaned. “You gonna yap about that again?”

“Arrgh!” Toharu growled, throwing his arms up into the air. “Why the hell is nobody listening to me?!”

“Sweetheart,” Ario said, taking a hold of the scruff of Toharu’s uniform, “it’s because you’re talking shit all the time.” Ario tugged him towards the tables where the bowls filled with vegetables sat. “Now get down to peeling those carrots!”

ooOoOoOoo

Behind Goten, the door slid shut with a soft click and he found himself outside. There was not a sign that the sandstorm had ever taken place. The sky was clear, the sun high above as it was supposed to be, the air without a speck of dust. He inhaled a lungful and headed towards a small wooded area he could see up ahead. The shiny grass he trod on felt smooth under his boots, soft. It didn’t seem like the sandstorm had caused any long lasting effects.

Goten reached the woods a short while later. Once surrounded by the trees, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that all of this looked somehow familiar. He had a feeling he had been here before. 

The sound of something chattering reached his ears and he started making his ways towards it. The trees were getting denser and taller as he moved more deeply into the woods.

Even though it was smaller, it was the same woods he had been in during that silly Capture the Flag game. Now he could remember it clearly. It was exactly the same clearing they had built their tents in. Goten stopped in the middle of the clearing and looked around. Nothing had changed since the last time he saw it, though the burbling sound had become much louder now. He could see streamlets rising from under the moss, widening, running farther ahead. Goten moved towards the bushes where Kyon had shot the moose. 

As he made his way through the bushes, he inhaled sharply in surprise. Here was another sparsely treed clearing, but it only went on forwards about ten meters, then ended abruptly at a sharp angle. It was just like…like the end of the world. There was nothing in front of him. When he turned his head right and left, he could see trees and grass and the ground. The water that was flowing out of the forest and running all through the ground was falling into the abyss as well. When he looked forward, the world did not exist beyond those ten meters. It was as if someone had cleaved a piece of the ground clean off with an inconceivably huge sword. There was nothing there except the blue sky.

Goten could not see where the water fell, but the spray was spattering upwards as if hitting something. What was there to offer resistance? There was nothing beyond those ten meters. There shouldn’t be anything. 

Curious, Goten moved towards the edge. The water flowed out of the woods and washed over his boots, but the current wasn’t strong and thus there was no danger in it carrying him away. It didn’t feel cold or wet either. It was rather refreshing to feel it swirling around his boots.

Goten stepped forward, then his eyes caught some movement in the woods to his left. He turned his head sharply. He was not very surprised to see Gohan leaning against a nearby tree. His brother gave him an amused smile and motioned for him to come closer.

“You are interested to see what is below, aren’t you?”

Goten nodded. 

“Go on, then. Look.”

He approached the edge carefully and took a look. A large pond hung just over the edge, filled with swirling and rushing water. It was simply suspended in the air and it accommodated all the water that was plummeting over the edge. The falling water caused misting all around. Otherwise, there was nothing in the abyss as far as his eyes could see. Only blue sky.

“Well, what do you think?”

“It’s…beautiful. A little bit scary and unusual, but beautiful.”

Goten raised his head to look around. He had never seen anything like this, never so much water. This was a miracle on its own. Such splendor, the view would take anyone’s breath away. It was like a dreamland. 

Goten faltered. It WAS a dreamland, he suddenly realized. He was dreaming.

“Oh.”

Gohan’s eyes rose, from watching the pool below, to look at him questioningly. “Hmm?”

“I just realized that this is a dream.”

“Hmm… Well, yes, you could say that.”

“Are you alive? I mean, I never saw your face.”

Gohan chuckled. “And what do you think?”

“I think you may be.”

Gohan smiled, his eyes returning to watch the swirling pool. “Then I probably am, aren’t I?”

Silently, Goten gazed at the pool. “What kind of place is this?”

Gohan shrugged. “And what kind of place do you think this is?”

Goten frowned at the pool. Then he looked more closely at it. In the middle of the pool, some shapes were becoming visible. In a few seconds he could even discern that they were spaceships. He pointed his finger at the pool. “What are those?”

“This is what awaits you.”

Intrigued, Goten continued watching the ships. Those were warships. As far as he could tell in the shimmering water, they were similar to Ice-jin warships. The pool was overflowing with them.

“Will I ever fly in one of those?” Goten wondered. “I think piloting one is out of the question…”

“Hmm… Yes, you could say so.”

There was a sudden ripple in the pool and the picture changed. Goten leaned in closer to get a better look. 

Then, suddenly, he was falling.

With a shock, Goten realized that he had been pushed off the edge. He had felt the exact moment Gohan’s hand touched him. He could still feel its presence on his back. Gohan had pushed him. Had pushed him off the damn edge!

Goten plunged into the pool, water sloshing around him in waves. Holding his breath, he opened his eyes and flailed his arms about. He didn’t know how to swim. There was nothing he could grab onto, there was only the water swirling all around him. For a moment, Goten panicked, but his body never stopped falling. He sank deeper, cutting through the water. Suddenly he tore out of the other side of the pool; he was underneath it. He was still falling. Down into the blue sky. Now there was nothing around him, only this.

No, there was something beneath him. Something orange. He was closing in fast on that orange mass and, to his surprise, he realized that it was a mountain of carrots. They were scattered everywhere. Huge piles of them. For some reason, this made Goten giggle.

He fell into the carrots just as he had fallen into the water. He felt a light impact but then he simply slipped through the pile and the carrots were everywhere, an endless amount of phallic orange objects flowing past him. He fell and fell and...

ooOoOoOoo

Screaming, Goten smashed his head into the bottom of the table. The cooks in the kitchen turned to look at him. Goten, absolutely disarrayed, tried to sit up again, only to bump his face into the table's metallic underside for the second time. He seemed close to panicking.

“Fuck! What the hell is this?!” Goten growled out desperately, ceasing his squirming. He was staring perplexedly at the metallic board in front of him. He heard a bout of laughter and turned his head towards the sound. He could see the legs of some kind of furniture, some pots, some… 

The kitchen. 

Goten turned his head to the side even further and saw the familiar faces of the cooks. Again, he turned to stare at the metallic board in front of his face. He realized he was under a table. He exhaled in relief. Thank god it had only been a dream.

“How the hell did I get under here?” he wondered, rolling out from under the table. Ignoring the giggles, he started dusting his pants off.

“Almanda thought you needed some rest,” one cook explained.

“Who’s Almanda?” Goten asked, surprised by the astonished looks the cooks now were giving him.

“No, seriously? You don’t even know her name? You’ve been hanging around her for two months and you don’t even know her name?”

Goten scratched his bald head. He blinked slowly. “Err… Don’t tell me…?” The cooks’ face told him everything and he giggled stupidly. “Almanda… Well, alright.” He looked around. It was still dark outside the windows, the sandstorm still raging. His gaze returned into the kitchen. The stoves were switched off, food was gone from the table. Alert, he turned to the idling cooks again. “Where is everybody?”

“They went to the lectures. It’s nearly ten o’clock.”

“What?!” Goten shot to the door. “Why the hell did they just leave me here?!”

“Well, they tried to wake you up. You weren’t very cooperative, I must say.”

“I was supposed to be at the shaii’s office three hours ago!”

Goten heard the cooks burst out laughing as soon as he shot through the door. He did not find this amusing in the least. The prince was going to skin him alive.

ooOoOoOoo

“Sir.”

“You are late,” the shaii stated with a good measured glare. Then he seemed to squint at Goten a little. He cocked his head to the right. “Interesting.”

“I’m very sorry, sir,” Goten apologized, fidgeting a little. He found the look on the shaii’s face, halfway between angry and amused, was mostly disturbing. He was not so sure what to do with his hands, which suddenly had become an annoying hindrance. They were also becoming damp and sticky and he wiped them off on his trousers. He was hungry again. And a bit nauseated at the same time. The memory of Toharu’s near-decapitated body was still replaying in his mind. He could clearly recall the loud crunching sound when his fall had abruptly ended on top the older Saiyan’s body. The sound of breaking ribs and the warm passive body underneath him and... He could still feel the stickiness of blood on his hands. And a lot of cock-shaped carrots all around him. What the hell was wrong with those carrots? What a freaking nightmare!

“Are you alright? You seem kind of…pale?”

Goten wasn’t sure what to answer. “Err…sir, could we get down to business?”

Lavender eyebrows rose a little. “Yes, Goten, as a matter of fact, we could. Could have gotten down to it three hours ago.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

The prince sighed. He pushed the same reports of the accident he had yesterday over his desk for Goten to take, then motioned for him to take a seat. “Just read them.”

Goten took the reports in his hands and sat down in the chair opposite the shaii’s desk. He shifted around for a few seconds until he settled in comfortably. He opened the folder and started reading the first page. 

The shaii lowered his head and tried to concentrate back on his work. He found the place he had stopped at and continued reading. About ten seconds later, he raised his eyes to look at Goten’s forehead again. Huffing silently, he averted his eyes back to the document on his desk. He continued reading it for two minutes, then the sound of Goten rifling through the pages of the reports made him resurface once more. He looked at Goten again. Against his will, he sniggered.

“No, I can’t work like this,” he said, tossing the document back onto his desk. “Too distracting.”

Goten gave him a confused look. “Sir?”

“Have you been walking around like this all morning?” 

“Like what, sir?”

The shaii tapped his fingers against his own forehead. “Have you seen yourself in the mirror?” he asked Goten. “Never mind, that's a stupid question. Of course you haven’t.”

Goten touched his forehead tentatively. “Mmm? Is there something wrong, sir?”

The shaii shrugged. “Well, I wouldn’t know if it’s wrong, but you should go look at yourself in the mirror. Just open that wardrobe over there,” he motioned at the back of his office. “There’s a small mirror on the other side of the door.”

Alarmed, Goten left the reports and went to the wardrobe. Goten opened the door to find that there was indeed a small, square mirror fastened to the other side of it. He caught sight of a few pairs of good quality military boots, a few uniforms and shirts. There were also two pairs of differently colored jeans and an already familiar black denim jacket. A pile of clean socks was resting in one of the corners of the wardrobe. In another corner, there was a plastic bag which, as Goten guessed, was filled with dirty socks.

Having satisfied his curiosity, Goten raised his head to look at his face in the mirror. He let out a shrill yelp and jerked back from the mirror. Going beet red in an instant, he rubbed at the black lettering on his head. His mouth let out a string of something the shaii was hardly able to catch.

“FuckingToharuI'mgonnakillhimthatdamnidiotasshole!”

Interested in Goten’s energetic reaction, the prince watched him from behind his desk. Goten spat on his palm and rubbed again. Nonetheless, when he removed his hand, the “I’M A VIRGIN” written across his forehead was still clearly visible from as far away as the prince’s desk. Goten cast a quick glance around the office for anything, a piece of cloth, a bottle of some washing liquid...

“GoddamnidiotwheredoeshethinkheisinadamnkindergartenorsomethingI'mreallygonnakillhim!”

“I think it’s a CD marker or something like that,” the prince gave his opinion.

“Seems like it!” Goten growled out, rubbing at his head vigorously. He took another look at himself in the mirror and groaned.

“I think it’s his way of punishing you for making everyone worry,” the prince drawled, not even trying to hide the amusement in his voice. The prank was nothing special, childish, but he found he liked Goten’s reaction. Goten was still blushing, even his ears were bright with color. Even if was hard to believe, it was so obvious now that he didn’t even need those letters on his forehead anymore.

“Is there anything I could wipe this shit off with, sir?”

The prince scowled at the very short distance between “shit” and “sir”. “Not here. Just go downstairs to the janitor's closet. They should have some cleaning stuff.”

“What?! Go there? Like this?!” Goten exclaimed in mortification.

“Goten, you’ve been walking around like this all morning,” the prince said matter-of-factly. “A few more minutes won’t make any difference.”

Goten let out a frustrated whimper. 

“But seriously. Haven’t you noticed anything strange going on?” the shaii wondered.

“Of course I have! I thought they were sniggering because I fucked up during ki measuring. I’m gonna kill him. I’m seriously gonna kill that asshole!”

The shaii watched Goten with interest. Goten was still unsuccessfully trying to wipe off the writing. The prince grinned. “You really are, aren’t you?”

“I'm what, sir?”

“Well, a virgin.”

The shaii grinned brightly at Goten’s wide-eyed face.

“Just asking, you know,” the shaii chuckled. “In case I somehow managed to misunderstand your reaction to the prank.”

Goten stared at the prince for a few seconds, then closed the wardrobe door. “Sir, I’m going to the janitor's closet,” he said calmly, even if his face was burning red.

“Yes, it’s a good idea,” the prince nodded, watching Goten march to the door and into the corridor. He could not help laughing once the door closed behind Goten.

Goten returned about half an hour later. His forehead was shining bright red, notifying everyone to the insistent rubbing it had gotten. But there were no letters anymore. With some of his dignity reclaimed, Goten returned to the chair he had been sitting in previously and continued to study the reports.

Besides allowing him to enter and motioning for him to sit with an offhand flick of his hand, the shaii mostly ignored him, busy reading some documents. Goten was glad that the prince didn’t pursue the topic any further. It seemed that the prince’s impudent question had been a means of getting back at him for yesterday. Goten ducked his head, remembering. He should have just pretended he had never been shamelessly staring at the prince’s tail. These things did happen unconsciously. Saiyans liked checking out each other’s tails; it was something instinctual that made them do it. They weren’t supposed to, and mostly pretended not to, but they did. Why even mention it? He must have really been influenced by his lack of sleep.

“Well, anything you want to comment on?” the shaii asked after Goten had put the reports aside, indicating that he had finished reading them.

“Not really, sir. I don’t remember anything that happened after the explosion. All I know is that I was in a lot of pain. Later, I lost consciousness.”

The prince nodded. Goten seemed unsure as to why he had been made to read these reports. The prince sighed. “While you were out of it, two agents from National Security visited us.”

Goten nodded. “Yes, the head physician said something about that, sir. I presume I have caused quite a lot of damage to the training hall, haven’t I?”

The shaii spun the pen between his thumb and index finger. “You really piss me off,” he grunted out after a short pause. “There’s just some burnt spot where it happened and we can also easily replace the scouters, so just quit thinking about money. Nobody’s gonna try and take it from you.”

“Oh. That’s good, sir.”

The prince rolled his eyes at the way Goten relaxed. Even his posture changed, his shoulders more relaxed and his feet stretching out a bit farther. It was as if he had grown in size in a second. It was such an honest reaction that the prince had to bite back a laugh.

“Now listen very carefully, Goten,” the shaii started. “I haven’t been digging around yet, but these are the things that are glaringly obvious. You belong to some kind of project. I don't know what kind of project it is or what its goal is; I’ll have to use a few connections for that. Your brother seems to have been involved as well.” He fell silent to give Goten a few moments to digest the information.

“The agents,” he continued a bit later, “who came to check on you immediately after the explosion, gathered copies of all of our information on you, and after making sure you were going to recover, they left. They also said something about the project not being the cause of your brother’s death. I can neither confirm nor deny this, though. It’s just what I heard.”

The prince watched the third-class and reached the conclusion that he did not look very surprised. It was apparent that Goten had already deduced some of this on his own. Goten wasn’t stupid after all, even if he acted like an idiot sometimes. He waited for the third-class to say something or show some kind of sign that he had understood what he said, but the younger male just kept silent.

“Goten?” the prince finally asked. “Should I continue?”

“Oh gods, there’s more?” Goten groaned, half in jest, half in misery.

The shaii ignored this. “You’ve probably figured out that this should have something to do with your ungodly power, speed, and reaction time. Also, the time you need to recover from wounds is greatly reduced. I’ve had our staff coming to me with requests to check your background because they could not believe that you are a second-class. I wonder what they’d think if I told them that you’re actually a third-class.”

“I think they’d think you’re a liar, sir.”

The shaii inclined his head, acknowledging Goten’s words. “I’m glad you’re aware of the situation.”

“Well, yes, sir. I’m aware. Painfully so. Have been aware of it for quite some time now. But I have no idea what I should do about it.”

The prince shrugged. “Frankly speaking, I don’t think you should do anything at all. I mean, it’s still not clear what kind of project this is. It doesn’t seem that the people involved wish you any harm either.”

“I beg to differ, sir. I nearly BLEW myself UP.”

The shaii chuckled softly. “Actually, I got the impression that they thought that was the result of your own faux pas.”

Goten did not find this funny in the least. “Sir,” he said, “for all I know, the next time I power up, I will start shooting lasers out of my ears! They are messing around with my body! It’s my body! Nobody has the freakin’ right to mess around with it! Next time anyone touches me, I’m taking his head off!”

“Yes, you could do that,” the shaii agreed, starting to realize that Goten was nearing hysterics. “But it is very likely that you are the one presenting most danger to yourself. I’m saying this because, just before you entered this officer school, our taisa got a call ordering him to make sure you didn’t get yourself killed or expelled.” 

Seeing that he had shocked Goten speechless, the prince stood up. He walked over to a small cabinet and opened the glass door. He took a carafe from inside. “Now be a good boy and calm down. Here, have a glass of water,” he said, pouring one for Goten. He took it over to Goten and put it on the desk before him. Goten grabbed it and drained in two greedy gulps. 

Wanting to give the younger male more space but trying to make him feel like he had someone to rely on, the shaii leaned against his desk, not far from where Goten was sitting. “More water?”

Goten shook his head. Pressing the cool glass to his burning forehead, he tried to regulate his breathing. “What the hell have they done to me?” he spat out a minute later.

The shaii shrugged. “I’m not sure, but there’s a possibility that your father knows something about this.”

Rolling the glass back and forth across his forehead, Goten considered the idea. “Well, yes, of course, he must know something,” he agreed fervently. For some reason, it had never occurred to him to just go and talk to his father. On the other hand, he had never known it was something big like this.

“Do you have any means of contacting him?” the shaii asked.

“No, not really, sir. Besides, most likely he’s on a mission anyway. He always is,” Goten spat bitterly.

Goten was back to using honorifics and the prince decided that the worst of Goten’s shock had already passed. “I see,” he said returning to his seat. “Now, there’s something else.” He scratched his cheek as Goten gave him an incredulous look, as if to ask him 'what more there could be'. “Ermh… Concerning your mother,” the prince continued carefully. “In your profile, she’s listed as “unknown”, but her identification number appears on your brother’s birth certificate. Whoever filled it in knew who she was.” Thinking on how to proceed, the prince hummed softly. “Well, I know she escaped before coming to live with your father. Errr… It’s not my business, really,” he said after noticing a few defensive sparks in Goten’s eyes. “What I’m saying is that she never really escaped.

“Using her identification number, I easily traced her back to the institution she supposedly escaped from and where at first she was listed as missing and then dead. They even had your address in Yasan; they knew where she lived. It doesn’t seem that anyone ever wanted or intended to look for her. They just left her alone after she escaped.”

“They allowed them to escape?” Goten shook his head in disbelief. “But why, sir?”

“Them? Ah, so your father was also involved,” the shaii caught on immediately. “For some reason I thought that they met later.”

Goten closed his mouth. Then he thought that there was no difference whether the prince knew about that or not.

“‘Why’, you ask,” the shaii repeated. “There are quite a few things I can think of, like her also being a part of that “project” or maybe she had made a few friends in the right places and they overlooked her escape. Maybe your father had something to do with that. Who knows?”

Goten rolled this over in his mind a few times. It seemed absurd, but there might be a possibility. No sane person would allow that sort of thing, but maybe, somehow… “And was she really a third-class?”

The shaii gave him an appraising look then shrugged. “As far as the documentation goes, yes, she was. There’s nothing unusual about her. But we both know that there’s a fifty percent chance of the white tip on the tail not showing in mixed blood. With no further information on her, we can’t rule out the possibility that she might have been of mixed blood.”

Goten nodded.

“You don’t seem very surprised.”

“Lately I’ve been thinking about a lot of things, sir. This was one of them. Even though it’s hardly conceivable.”

“I see.” The shaii smiled softly. “And to think that I believed that you were a hopeless idiot…”

Goten sighed. Nonetheless, he could hear something approving in the prince’s voice. He didn’t really understand why. He didn’t even have the strength to react to the teasing. “I’m really a constant source of amusement for you, sir, aren’t I?”

“I think this has become a little bit more serious than that, Goten.”

Goten sighed again.

“What about your father? Could he be of mixed blood?”

“No, sir, it’s impossible. My grandfather was a third-class and my grandmother was a third-class as well. They served the whites all their lives and died serving.”

“The whites?”

Goten blushed lightly. “The elites, sir,” he corrected himself. He glanced at the shaii’s tail. “Well, the white tip and all… Mm…” he trailed off, mumbling.

“Ah, a slang term. Actually, it sounds alright. I’m quite surprised.”

Goten could hardly hide his sudden smile. “No need, sir.”

The prince gave him an inquiring glance, then shrugged. “Well, yes, I suppose there are a lot of other words people have for the elites.”

“Oh yes, sir, but I’d rather bite my tongue off than repeat them.”

The prince rolled his eyes. “Sure you would, sure you would.”

TBC


	16. Part 16

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 16

Leaning on the counter in the warehouse, Goten twirled his debit card between his fingers a few times. He was content. Just ten minutes ago, he had checked his account and learned that his pay had been increased by a hundred credits. The shaii had kept his word. Not that Goten had doubted him, but it was very pleasing to see the appended amount with his own eyes.

Although the weapons had been found, it seemed that the culprits were still on the loose. Goten wasn’t entirely certain about that information since nobody ever bothered to keep the savars informed, but he believed that in this case the officers would have announced a successful arrest, even if only for disciplinary reasons.

“Here you go,” the janitor said, arranging a pile of khaki-colored clothing in font of Goten. He placed the pair of boots he had been carrying with his other hand on top of the pile.

“Thanks,” Goten said with a nod, holding out his card for the janitor to take. Scooping the boots and uniforms up off the counter, Goten watched the register eat up a hundred and fifty-eight credits. He didn’t need two uniforms yet, but with his luck it was better to buy a spare one while he still had the money.

“Next time, we can talk about a discount,” the janitor said, returning the card. “You seem to be buying in bulk.”

Not sure whether it was a joke or a serious proposal, Goten gave him a brief smile. He thanked the man for the wares and left.

He only had about ten minutes until his nightly kitchen duty started. He went to his barracks and stored the uniforms and boots in his wardrobe. When his ki had malfunctioned, his uniform, including his boots, was fried. He had not seen them, but he believed Kyon when he said that they were charred beyond all recognition. Kyon had been the one to buy him a new pair of boots and bring them to the medical bay. 

Kyon didn’t have much money. As far as Goten knew, he sent most of his pay to his family back home. He must have borrowed some to buy those boots. It was probably Toharu or Ranvera who lent it to him. Toharu had a way with money, but Goten suspected that it was actually Ranvera who was rolling in it. He was the one who pulled ten thousand credits out of thin air to pay Toharu to break into that accursed safe. And to think that Ranvera always acted as if he were short on cash! Goten could even remember Ranvera once saying that he had borrowed some from Toharu.

Bullshit.

Nonetheless, Goten could guess why Ranvera acted like he did. And it made him uneasy. It also made him feel grateful to Kyon for his much more practical approach to everything. Rather than doing only what people expected of him, his roommate instead did what he believed was the right thing to do. He bought the boots simply because he knew that Goten would have to walk around barefoot otherwise. For some reason, Goten was sure that Ranvera would have never considered doing that.

Muttering under his breath, Goten left for his kitchen duty.

The sky was going dark and a few savars were scattered around the yard, lazily finishing their daily tasks and thinking only about stretching their sore feet out. Goten was halfway to the kitchens when, with a soft buzz, all the lampposts blinked into life. He looked at the one above his head, then let his eyes stray towards the sky. The sand storm, after having raged for three days, had finally let up early that morning. It was a clear night, a few small stars twinkling in the distance.

There went his wish of being a pilot. Tauntingly, the stars winked at him again. At least he got a raise. And, as long as no one figured out that he was a third-class, he would be able to successfully finish this officer school. Slim chance of that happening, though. Someone was going to find out sooner or later. He might blurt it out accidentally himself. Toharu and Ario were discreet enough, but a couple of beers could change that. And then there was always the possibility of him blowing himself to smithereens. That would definitely be a hindrance to his outstanding career.

Goten snickered. He lowered his head and continued towards the kitchens. He did not want to think about any projects or how he belonged to them. He preferred not to. Because when he did, his head would start accumulating a year’s-worth of headaches. All thoughts about the whys and hows made him panicky. He had no idea what was going on. It was bad enough just to be thrown into this officer school where he was the only third-class among elites and second-classes... Just when he had finally stopped sinking and learned to swim, here came another tsunami. Again, he had to learn to keep his head above water.

He had tried contacting his father three days ago. He was told that the squad he belonged to had been dispatched to Morawa colony due to unrest there. Surprisingly enough, Goten was given the coordinates and the channel frequency of the headquarters there. Goten was under the impression that the man had just recently been appointed to his post.

When he attempted to contact Morawa colony, nobody answered the call. He tried a few hours later and still no one answered. This same scenario repeated itself for several days. Yesterday, someone finally answered and he left a message for his father, asking for him to return his call as soon as he was done with his mission.

There was no reason to worry. This wasn't the first time that he needed to contact his father and could not get hold of him. He had been extremely frustrated when Gohan’s body came in and he could not get ahold of his father. Of course, the body had been embalmed and he did not need to worry about it rotting and smelling, but still… It had been a nerve-wracking couple of days before his father returned. He had been what? Fourteen? Thirteen? There had been no one there to stop him from opening the box his brother's body was in. Actually, he had no idea why he had done that. He knew he shouldn’t have. Maybe it had been some kind of protest. It ended up giving him nightmares about near-faceless, putrefied cadavers chasing him, trying to convince him that they were his brother.

He had never seen his brother’s face. The half-burnt body was obviously male, but other than that… Then again…maybe he did see the face. One can never trust the mind when it comes to things like this. Memories tend to get distorted over time. Maybe he simply wanted to believe he didn’t see the face. It might have been too horrid to see, or maybe he wanted to pretend it was not his brother’s body. One’s mind could play tricks. Especially if one wanted it to play tricks.

They had burnt Gohan four days after his body had been sent in, with all the ceremony entitled to a Saiyan warrior. Goten wasn’t sure how much of a warrior his brother had been, keeping in mind that he had never finished officer school and he had never been in a real battle.

A few neighbors also came to give their final respects to Gohan. When it was all finally over, the ashes scattered in the desert air for the eternal battle with the winds, Goten felt restless. There was something gnawing at his gut, nibbling, worming its way inside. He had never actually hated anyone. Of course there had been bouts of anger, malice, but that never lasted. He was not one to harbor negative feelings for long. But, somehow, it got out of control. He had tried to keep it all inside for a few weeks and then he just couldn’t do it anymore. The first elite he had attacked actually did nothing more than make some stupid joke about the third class.

Gohan had been strong. And smart too. Smart enough not to get into some idiotic training accident. Gohan had also been much stronger than the average second-class. And that was the reason Goten believed that there had never been an accident. Elites. It must have been elites. Elites. Elites.

“Shit,” Goten growled out, massaging his temples in order to relieve his headache. He leaned his forehead against the cool door of the kitchen. A few seconds later, he opened the door and staggered inside. Seven females raised their heads at the sound of the door opening.

“Ah, our golden boy.”

Goten waved at Almanda lazily to acknowledge her, then started looking around for a place to sit down. One female was missing today. From memory, Goten knew that it was the loud-mouthed second-class who was always interested in booze and watching porn.

“You look like shit,” the ringleader commented.

“I feel like shit.”

“Well, yes. I suppose nearly blowing your ass off will do that to you.”

Goten gave her a half-hearted smile and took a peeler from the box on the table next to him. Then he sat down on a flattened cardboard box, previously used to contain noodles.

“You could imagine our surprise when we heard you were in a regeneration tank when we returned from field training.”

“And were you worried?” Goten asked, chuckling.

“Well, of course we were! More amused than worried, but worried nonetheless.”

Goten’s mood slightly improved. He did suspect that the ki management failure had not been entirely his fault, but the light teasing relaxed him a little.

“So what have you been up to?” he asked, grabbing a few potatoes from the pile on the floor.

The second group of second-years had returned four days ago from their field training. There had been a few accidents, a few broken bones, twisted limbs, and several missing teeth, but nothing unusual. 

“Nothing much,” the leader shrugged. “But a recent health check-up showed that Hedera has gotten herself a little bit pregnant.”

Goten wondered whether that was the reason the second-class female was absent today. Not knowing whether Almanda was joking or telling the truth, Goten raised his eyes to look at her. Her eyes were dead serious. Some of other females had stopped peeling potatoes and were now looking at him as well. 

“Err… I don’t believe you told me this piece of information just to gossip…” he drawled, unsure.

“You’re pretty insightful,” the ringleader said, taking another potato and starting to peel it. “She said you’re the lucky daddy.”

“That's really not funny,” Goten said, frowning down on his potato.

“It’s not supposed to be. I think an elite’s the father, so she’s trying to cover it up by using you.”

Goten stared at her with a mild shock on his face. “You mean, you are serious? No way…” He groaned. “Why the hell is all this happening to me? And haven’t they ever heard of condoms?”

“Don’t ask me; I have not the slightest idea,” Almanda said. “Anyway, tomorrow you can expect to be called to an interrogation. It’s best that you don’t play the knight in shining armor.”

Goten shook his head in disbelief. “You think I would?”

“One can never be sure with you. You sometimes want to shoulder more than you can carry.”

“Ah, now you’re being poetic.”

Almanda rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing poetic about that. It’s sheer idiocy.”

Goten sighed. “Why me?”

The leader tossed a peeled potato towards the sink where one of the females was washing them. Then she turned to look at Goten again. “I’d like to tell you that it was because you are handsome beyond belief, or because your wit has never failed you, or that you are every woman’s dream, or that you are a god in bed, but it’s more likely that your name was simply the first to come to her mind.”

“Ah. What a letdown.”

A few females chuckled. Goten shifted about, rearranging his legs, trying to get more comfortable on the cardboard. There was a fairly discernible tension in the air. It felt as if he had accidentally wandered into foreign territory. It did not yet feel dangerous, but the natives were observing his every step. The solidarity of Saiyan females was a thing to watch out for.

“What will happen if it becomes clear that it’s really an elite’s?” Goten asked.

Now the tension in the air became clearly tangible. The females were looking at anything but him or each other.

“The usual,” the ringleader said calmly, although Goten could hear the growl in her voice. “It will be aborted and she’ll be sent to one of those reproduction factories.”

A soft muttering rose from the females.

“And the man?” Goten asked, ignoring them.

“A written warning at worst. He’s an elite after all.”

Goten looked at the potato in his hands, checking to see if he had peeled all of the skin off before tossing it towards the sink. He did not feel like commenting. It wasn’t fair, but there was a lot of unfairness all around. The second-class female had not been fair when she had used his name either. Of course, if she had known that he was a third-class, she would have never thought of using it. As a second-class, he was in no danger at all. But if it suddenly became clear that he was a third-class, he would be executed and she would still be sent to one of those institutions.

“I suppose I could claim to be the father, but there's a problem. If it's born with a white-tipped tail, the baby would be killed anyway, she would be locked up in one of those so-called factories, and I’d be accused of giving spurious evidence and get sent out into the middle of nowhere to herd goats for the rest of my life.”

“Oh my!” the ringleader exclaimed. “And I thought you had no brain at all!”

Goten gave her a look. “If there is no white tip on the tail, I could save the lives of both her and her child. But a fifty percent chance of success is…” Goten sighed. “I’m sure she begged you for help and you were the one to advise her, but…”

The ringleader chuckled. “You’re smarter than you look, it seems.” She shrugged. “Well, I only advised her to find a scapegoat. It did not seem like such a bad idea when she came up with you.”

“Then why were you trying to talk me out of it?”

“Well, men don’t like to feel pressured. The best thing is to let them think that they were the ones to come up with the idea. And some men are idiots in love with idea of noble sacrifice.”

“And you believe that fits my characteristics… Err… I’m afraid you are off.”

The elite shrugged. “It was worth a try.”

The funny thing was, Goten was not sure how he would have reacted if he really was a second-class. He did not dwell on it much, but he had a feeling it might have turned out just as the leader had planned. After all, he had a knack for idiocy.

ooOoOoOoo 

“Here comes trouble,” the shaii said when, after a brief knock, Goten opened the door.

“Sirs!” Goten saluted.

“At ease.”

The shyu, who was sitting opposite the prince’s desk, looked at his wristwatch. “Oh, it’s already half past eleven.” He looked at Goten, who was still standing at the door like he was glued in place. “I suppose we’ll continue this later, sir?” he asked, already collecting his documents into a neat bundle.

“Yes, of course. I’ll give you a call.”

The shyu nodded. “Sir,” he bowed his head, picking up the documents that he had gathered with a practiced ease.

“Well, sit down, Goten,” the prince said after the shyu had left.

Obediently, Goten walked over to the desk and sat down, the chair still warm. The prince was stacking his files, and Goten took the time to look around the office. It was relatively cleaner than the last time he saw it. The shaii’s desk was spotless, not a speck of dust to be seen. 

The office smelled faintly of cleaners and detergents. Goten looked at the windowsill. The pair of dried up flies was absent. Well, the janitors finally got to that. Rest in peace.

It was very hot again. The blinds were closed, but the merciless sun had managed to squeeze itself through the slats. Even though the blinds were closed and there were no other sources of light in the room, it was still pleasantly illuminated.

Goten looked at the floor. It was mostly clean, only sullied by a trail of sandy footprints leading from the door to his chair. Obviously, somebody had been walking around without waiting for the floor to dry off. The floor looked dry already, but, just in case, Goten lifted his feet and inspected his soles. No, it wasn’t him. Must have been the shyu.

“I must admit,” the shaii began, as he finally finished building a mountain of documents to his right, “that I’m getting more and more concerned about your ever growing popularity.”

“I didn’t do it, sir.”

A little surprised by the quick response, the shaii blinked at him. Then he nodded. “Well, yes, I know you didn’t. Even if you’re the suicidal type, you also have your limits. I’m more interested in why she chose you.”

“Oh, must be my magnetism, sir.”

“The only magnetism you have is for trouble.”

Goten pouted at him. 

The prince rolled his eyes at the display. He was used to this already. Goten visited his office nearly every two days for some reason or another. He liked and looked forward to these silly conversations with the third-class. He knew that it was probably because there weren’t that many people he could relax with, instead of always thinking about what to say next. It was not that he did not respect Goten or didn’t value his opinion. Both of them had their own roles to play. There was also the obvious truth that Goten acted like he did in his office simply because he allowed him to.

He was of higher rank and social status and was the more experienced of the two and, naturally, Goten consented to that. Actually, the prince suspected that Goten even consented to the role he wanted the third-class to play. Goten had guessed right, the life on the base bored him out of his mind but this did not mean he wanted Goten to be his personal clown. All he wanted was just someone to…talk to…?

_Ah, I need a good lay_ , the prince thought. _And the sooner, the better._

The shaii noted that Goten seemed relieved that he believed him. To tell the truth, there was not a moment he thought that the third-class had slept with that female. Goten had strong feelings concerning classes. He was very conscious of his third class status. For one, he hated elites. Or seemed to believe he hated them. Secondly, he complained an awful lot about how their tiered society was unfair to the third-class. This meant that there was a slim chance that he would touch a second-class female. Apparently, it was even Goten’s motivation to keep out of that second-class pervert Ranvera’s way. It was a very curious thing that, for one so bent on liberating the third class, Goten was surely too keen on preserving the classes’ boundaries. 

But then maybe it was not curious at all and he probably should not expect anything different. People on Vegeta-sei didn’t know any other way. Goten was smart and he could guess that Goten was pretty well-read in various genres, but revolutionary literature was strictly forbidden on Vegeta-sei. Besides, most rebellious Saiyan writing was just the raving of radical madmen. Or just madmen. Goten had probably encountered a small taste of those works in his lifetime, and quite likely they had left him more confused than enlightened. Having lived as he has his entire life, Goten probably wouldn't be able to stomach a more serious piece of revolutionary literature. His horizons were too narrow and he lacked experience; that was it.

“Hmm…” the shaii drawled. “Have you ever read Marx’s…” he trailed off suddenly, wondering what the heck he was doing.

Interested, Goten leaned forward. “It doesn’t sound like a Saiyan name, sir.”

“No, it isn’t.” To tell Goten to forget it would be like telling him to go and dig it up. His only saving grace was to lie. “There was this romance novel I read long ago. It seems a bit similar to your situation.”

“Oh. Sir reads that kind of stuff?”

The prince eyed him threateningly. “And what’s wrong with ‘that kind of stuff’?”

“Err…nothing, sir. It’s perfectly normal for a young boy to…”

The prince cleared his throat to silence him, “Spare me of your insight.”

Not sure what was further expected from him, Goten patted himself on his head. Short stubs of re-growing hair felt good under his palm.

“So what will happen to the female, sir?”

The prince shrugged. “Well, since you’ve refused to be her scapegoat, she’ll be interrogated further. It all depends on who the father is. But it’s obvious that she wouldn’t have lied unless he's an elite.”

“Or a high-ranking officer, sir,” Goten said matter-of-factly.

“I doubt that,” the shaii denied at once.

“Why, sir? The father could be someone important who already has a partner and would want to hide a relationship with an undistinguished savar.”

The prince gave him a long searching look. “Goten, there are only three high-ranking officers on this base who would give a damn about their reputation. Let me present you with the extensive list: me, the taisa and the shyu. I can vouch for myself and the taisa. Now the shyu…he’s a second-class. You give him one second-class female or a dozen and he’ll acknowledge all his children, even the ones he won’t ever have.”

“I see, sir.”

The shaii nodded. “Besides, I’m sure that to protect herself and the baby, she would have already pointed her finger at any second-class high ranking officer already, be it the shyu, any of the captains or whatever.”

“Yes, sir,” Goten agreed, “she really would have.”

“Alright,” the prince sighed, turning to his right to ransack the pile of documents. “Write a statement denying her testimony.” As he did not find an empty sheet of paper in the stack, he started rifling through his desk drawers. “Here,” he said, pushing a paper he had finally found towards Goten.

“Err…” Goten drawled. “What should I write, sir? That it’s not mine?”

“That would be a good start,” the prince said, taking a seemingly random folder of documents out of the stack on his right. Forgetting all about Goten, he opened the file and started reading.

Taking the cue, Goten lowered his head back to the blank paper. Then he raised his head again and his eyes drifted over the desk, measuring it from his left to his right.

“Sir? Could I have a pen, please?”

“Ah, yes,” the prince nodded absentmindedly, rolling the pen he had been holding over the desk surface towards Goten who snatched it as soon as it was within his reach. The shaii opened his drawer, where the shuffle and hustle of papers was heard for a few moments, and victoriously retrieved a pen with a gnawed out butt.

Goten gave it a funny look, then put his paper on the desk and leaned over it while trying to sort out his thoughts. To simply write “didn’t do it and it ain’t mine” seemed to lack finesse.

About half an hour later, with a loud yawn, the shaii lowered the folder he had been reading to the desk. He started in his seat at the sight of Goten in front of him. He had completely forgotten the third-class was in his office. The thought was disquieting.

The prince stood up quietly and rounded the desk. He took a look at the part of the paper which was not under the peacefully sleeping third-class’s cheek and was not covered in drool. He could make out nearly everything Goten had written down:

_Hataro Officer School  
Savar Goten Bardock, ~~third~~ second-class_

_To: Shaii Trunks Vegeta and other concerned authorities_

_STATEMENT_

_I, namely Goten Bardock, have never been in an intimate relationship with Hedera ??? Consequently, the child she is carrying is not mine._

_Goten Bardock_

There was also a large doodle of a plant similar to a cactus in the margins, probably drawn while Goten had been thinking about what to add to those two sentences. When it came to writing, it didn’t seem that Goten was a man of many words. At least he wasn’t snoring in his sleep.

The shaii sighed and pulled the paper out from under Goten’s cheek. The third-class woke up with a start, instinctively pulling back and looking around. He looked at the shaii’s form looming over him. It wasn’t threatening and Goten could not detect any signs of aggression. On the whole, the other male’s scent was soothing: a faint trace of sweat, clothing, and his unique bodily scent mixed with the soap or shower gel he used. There was something unnamable as well. Something which made Goten think of tranquility. 

Sleepily, Goten blinked at the prince’s face. He had long ago noticed that the shaii’s scent was different from other Saiyans’. One could pick up the peculiarity as soon as they were faced with the prince. The difference was difficult to pinpoint, his scent almost weak and diluted, which in turn sometimes made one feel uncomfortable around the prince. It was only because the other male was standing so close to him that Goten could easily detect all of what he had.

“I can’t really accept that,” the prince said, waving the document in front of Goten’s face. “First, you wrote ‘third-class’ then struck it through and wrote ‘second-class’. Anyone else reading this would think you’re an idiot. Second, her surname is Dirnem. And finally, what the hell is with this cactus over here?” he asked, pointing at the doodle.

Goten scratched his head sleepily, then rubbed at his eyes. “Yes, sir, I’ll rewrite it right away.” He yawned. “Is it any good otherwise?”

The shaii shrugged, then lowered the paper to the desk in front of Goten. “It will do. There’s nothing much to add anyway.” He started walking back to his seat behind the desk, intending to find another blank paper for Goten to write on.

“Yeah, that’s for sure, sir,” Goten agreed, his face being split by another huge yawn.

“I see you still get those spells of drowsiness.”

“Mmhmhm…” Goten hummed something out while trying to wipe his drool off the old statement. He only succeeded in smudging the ink all over his writing. “Damn,” he muttered. “The head physician said they should pass in a week or two, sir. I also eat like a horse, sir. Kind of everything in sight. I also get these terrible mood swings.”

“Oh, do you? Sounds like normal aftereffects of someone nearly kicking the bucket.” The prince pulled out a white sheet of paper and went to push it over for Goten to take, then faltered. “Go wash your hands first.”

Goten took a look at his bluish palms. “Mmmhmm.” He stood up. “Yes, sir.”

“You can use the bathroom on the first floor.”

“Hmm…” Goten drawled, unsure.

“Tell them I told you to.”

“Alright, sir.”

A few minutes later, Goten returned with his hands clean. He carefully rewrote his statement.

“Did you manage to contact your father?”

“No, sir. There seems to be a bit of a trouble with that. But yesterday someone finally responded, so I left a message for him to call me back. No news so far, though,” Goten said, handing over the finished document.

The shaii took it and skimmed through. Apparently satisfied, he dropped it on top of the stack of documents on his right side. “Morawa colony, was it?” he said in a distant voice. There always seemed to be trouble brewing.

Goten nodded. “Sir knows something about it?”

“Yes, I’m more or less familiar with it. It think it was four years ago when we half-crashed, half-landed on it.”

“Oh. And what happened then, sir?”

“We took over their main base. By accident. And then the rescue and the rest of the troops came and…”

Not certain whether the prince was pulling his leg or being serious, Goten was giving him an inquisitive look. Then Goten’s face brightened. “Four years ago, sir? So sir was one of those men who conquered Morawa?”

There was something reverent in Goten’s eyes and the prince suddenly felt uncomfortable. “It was just pure luck. One of their nuclear armories exploded and all that was left for us to do was pick off the survivors after the radiation cleared.”

“Oh.” Then Goten seemed to realize another thing. “Four years ago, sir? Sir, how old were you exactly?”

“I think fourteen or something like that.”

Goten gave him a disbelieving look. “And they let sir go? The heir to the throne? When he was only fourteen years old? Are they all idiots there?”

“Well, look here, Goten. The heir is my father. And it hadn’t been a planned attack; nobody had known we’d run out of fuel and drop on that crap of a planet. Besides, my grandfather was leading men into battles when he was no older than eleven, so I figured it was a damn good time to start my own career as well.”

“Yeah, it was a pretty good one, indeed, sir,” Goten muttered. “Would have been a pretty spectacular ending to one as well.”

The prince glared at him.

“Anyway, sir. About the baby.”

For a split second, without any comprehension, the shaii just stared at Goten. “Oh, that again,” he said then. “What about it? Is there anything else I should know?”

Goten hesitated. He shifted in his seat, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. “And if it’s an elite’s, does it really have to be…?”

“Terminated, you mean?”

Goten nodded. “Well, sir, I mean, there’s nothing good about classes mingling together, but still… it doesn’t seem…err…”

“…Like the right approach?” the prince finished for him again.

“Yes, sir.”

“Now, let me ask you one thing, Goten. Why do you believe that the classes shouldn’t mingle together?”

Goten gave him an uncomprehending look. He waited for the prince to say something, but it seemed that he was really waiting for his answer. Goten shook his head, confused. “What do you mean ‘why’, sir?”

With a sigh, the prince leaned back in his chair. In fact, he had no idea why he had started this conversation. From any point of view, it was unwise to talk about these things on Vegeta-sei. Especially to lower classes. Just as predicted, Goten had reacted as if he had asked why grass grew or the sun shone. It was instilled in their brain. Actually, he found that it was rather annoying that Goten believed all that nonsense.

“What class do you think my mother belongs to? Elite?” the shaii asked softly.

Goten nodded without thinking. Then he caught himself. No, she could not be elite because there were no classes on Earth. Goten tried to discern any awkwardness on the prince’s face, but there wasn’t any. At the same time, the prince knew what that look was for and chuckled lightly. Somewhat abashed, Goten lowered his eyes to the surface of the desk.

The prince had the status of an elite, while in reality, his mother… Goten had already encountered a few cultures where there were no classes at all. Everyone mingled with anyone they wanted. He could hardly wrap his mind around it. 

“But it weakens the blood, sir,” Goten protested faintly.

“Does it really?”

Goten lowered his eyes to stare at the desk again. In fact, he had heard rumors about the prince being stronger than his father, despite his mixed blood.

“It's outrageous,” Goten blurted out finally.

“Is it?”

“Sir, everyone knows that mixing blood waters down the power. If everyone started mingling, soon we would have no elites left and they are the main military power.”

“Oh? Are you really so certain of that? There are not so many elites in comparison to other classes, only seven thousand at most. They mostly breed amongst themselves, and have been from time immemorial. Now, Goten, both of us attended biology lessons. What does this tell you?”

Goten stared at the prince in a mild shock. “That there is not much variety in their gene pool?”

“Spot-on. Now, we shouldn’t forget to add genetic disorders and various inheritable abnormalities which are commonly traded among elites. The fact is, in reality, before choosing their partner, elites look at the list of their genetic flaws first and then at their face.”

“I had no idea…” Goten stuttered out.

The prince nodded. “Well, of course you didn’t. This kind of information is not easy to obtain. 

“Now,” the shaii continued, “you also said that elites are the main military power. And you’re saying so after your father has been on about a hundred successful missions? Then take me, for example. I’ve only engaged a real enemy once. And I got a medal and a promotion for that.”

“But, sir,” Goten argued, “when it comes to the main battles, it’s the elites who fight the strongest enemies. They can wipe out entire fields with their ki.”

The prince nodded. “Yes, it is so. But does that happen frequently? Usually, we just send in a bunch of disposable third-class meat to deal with it. If that’s not enough, then off you go, second-classes.”

Goten stared at him for a few seconds. “Sir?”

“Yes?”

“Why the hell are you telling me all this, sir?”

“Oh, I believe you know very well why, Goten.”

“Nn… Well…” Goten hesitated. “I’m not very sure, sir. Being an elite and all that…”

“Hmm… I’m not really an elite, not by blood. Rather by choice or luck, most likely. But instead, I’d like to think of myself as of a Saiyan. Oh wait, but that’s not true either.” The shaii chuckled bitterly, amused by the look on Goten’s face. “It’s all only in your head, Goten. It’s all brainwashing. The Saiyan Empire is really good at that.

“You feel out of place on this base, Goten? Why should you? You have the best notes in your class. You are stronger than an average elite, not to mention that you’re smarter than some eighty percent of the savars here. Why do you still feel inferior? Because you are a third-class? And what _exactly_ is a third-class, let me ask you? You bitch and moan an awful lot about how unfair it all is, but when it comes time to actually interact with the other classes, you don’t budge an inch, do you?”

By this time, Goten’s scalp had become unbearably itchy. “Sir, I don’t think I follow you…”

“Of course you do!” the prince snapped at him.

“I feel a little bit lightheaded.”

Goten really didn’t look that good and the shaii relented. “Alright, I don’t think I have anything else left to add anyway. Just clear out, will you? And don’t worry. In the worst-case scenario, I’ll just send her and the baby off to some backwater planet. That will take care of it.”

Goten somehow removed himself from his chair. He tried to ignore his legs as they attempted to fold down underneath him. “Thank you very much, sir. I… This was very interesting, to say the least.”

“Likewise.”

TBC


	17. Part 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 1: Officer ranks at Hataro Officer Training School [from the highest to the lowest]:  
>  1\. Taisa [Andera Gendian]  
>  2\. Shaii [Trunks Vegeta]  
>  3\. Shyu  
>  4\. Captain [Laureus Tanko]  
>  5\. Drill sergeant  
>  6\. First-in-command  
>  7\. Second-in-command  
>  8\. Savar [anyone attending any officer training school]
> 
> A/N 2: The Saiyan education:  
>  0\. Preparatory school (pupils 8-13 years old)  
>  1\. Paramilitary school (pupils 14-18). From there to --> boot camps (drafts/grunts) or:  
>  2\. Officer training school (savars 18 – 20). From there to --> military posts or:  
>  3\. Commissioned Officer Academy (ranks)
> 
> A/N 3: A lot of fighting action sequences are used from Monty Oum’s _Dead Fantasy 1-2_. They can be found here: http://www.gametrailers.com/game/monty-oum/4712

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 17

The canteen was bustling with savars. The morning drill had been harsh and all they were thinking about was stuffing their stomachs to the fullest. It was even more quiet than usual; the only sounds filling the air were slurping, chewing and the clinking of flatware against dishes. 

Goten and his friends were sitting in the left corner of the canteen, enjoying the breakfast they themselves had helped to prepare.

“So when do you retake your ki differentiation test?”

With his fork half-way to his mouth, Goten turned to look at Toharu. “I’m still not talking to you.”

Toharu rolled his eyes theatrically. “Oh, c’mon! Nearly a whole week has passed! Forget it already!” 

“Never.”

From across the table, Kyon looked at Goten who was munching on his cutlet. He had already finished one plate and was having seconds. Goten was still pissed off, or pretended to be, because of that prank Toharu had performed on his forehead. The younger Saiyan looked as if he had completely recovered from his accident. His tail still had weird patches of re-growing hair, he still ate more than normal, and sometimes he would get drowsy all of a sudden, but those instances were becoming rarer and rarer. 

“So when do you retake your exam?” Kyon asked, pushing his empty plate away from him.

“Next week, if everything’s okay,” Goten answered.

Toharu booed, “And now you are playing favorites.” He pouted when Goten glared at him. “You do know we did it because we love you?”

“Who’s ‘we’?” Ario snorted. “Personally, I hate him. He’s an abomination from hell.”

“Alright, so you did it because you hate him,” Toharu continued. “But there’s…”

“You! You,” Goten growled out at him, pointing at Toharu with his fork, which had a slice of cucumber dangling on it. “It’s _you_ who did it. There is no ‘ _we_ ’!”

Toharu grinned at him. “But nobody protested.”

“I protested, goddamn you!” Goten sneered at him. “Well, would have if I had been conscious.” Angrily, he shoveled more cutlet and some salad into his mouth. “I mean, I can’t even trust you not to do anything to me when I’m unconscious!” he mouthed around the food he had in his mouth. He choked and grabbed a mug of tea to wash everything down.

“Sounds very…suggestive,” Ranvera said.

“Ah-ha!” Goten nearly choked again in his agitated frenzy. “That’s sexual harassment again!”

Ranvera threw his hands up. “Oh, for fuck’s sake! Now I can’t even make a joke!”

“It’s not funny!” Goten snorted at him. “Not funny at all!”

Ranvera pouted at him. “Now you’re hurting my feelings.”

“And how about my feelings? Eh?” Goten glared at all four of them, taking turns to pin each of them with his stare. “Ever thought about that?”

“I’m gonna sock you one if you don’t shut up,” Ario said, pointing at Goten with his finger threateningly. “You almost blew your ass up and all of us were running around like idiots because of you. You're the real idiot here. How in the world can one get into an accident like that when he’s at an officers school?! So yeah, we were fucking entitled to have a go and play that stupid joke on you,” Ario declared with absolute conviction.

Goten stared at him, then his face flushed red and he lowered his head. He had neither the will nor the courage to protest. “Fine,” he mumbled around the rest of the cutlet in his mouth. “Let’s leave it at that. I’m sorry about the accident.”

“Actually, I don’t understand why your feelings would be hurt,” Toharu said matter-of-factly. “I gave you a free advertisement! Now guys will be tearing at each others’ throats to be your first!”

Ario slapped himself on his forehead. “You just keep quiet, Toharu, or this will never be over.”

“You…” Goten growled, his fork pointing at Toharu again.

“Don’t you brandish that cold steel on me!”

“Food fight! Food fight!” Ranvera hollered after catching the murderous look Goten gave Toharu.

“You shut up!” Kyon yelled at Ranvera from across the table. “Want to add cleaning duty to our list as well?!”

Ranvera shook his head. “Not really. But it would be entertaining as hell, wouldn’t it?”

“If it’s entertainment you want, go to the kitchen and stick your head into a bowl of salad!” Kyon snorted at him.

Everyone in the vicinity jumped in their seats when Ario’s fist hit the table loudly. “Quiet, all of you!” he snapped at them. “My head’s gonna combust because of all this screeching!”

The table was completely silent for a few seconds, then Goten continued chewing. “So what lectures do we have next?” he asked.

“Something about ki measuring,” Ranvera said.

“It’s about scouters,” Kyon specified.

“Is it?” Goten wondered. “Didn't we learn all about them in our paramilitary schools already?”

“Well, maybe we did, but we never had much practice.”

“I did,” Toharu said.

“That’s because you stole one,” Ario pointed out.

Toharu sighed. He gave his lover an accusing look. “Can’t I even try to appear decent in front of my friends?”

“If there’s something decent in this world, it’s really not you,” Ario said.

“Fucker,” Toharu muttered under his breath.

Ario grinned at him. “That’s right.”

“Eww…” Kyon grimaced, “take your bed business elsewhere.”

“I would prefer it here, though,” Ranvera protested.

“I bet you would!” Goten snorted at him.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake! Back to square one again!” Ranvera groaned. “I told you that the guy agreed to be filmed!”

“And you think I would believe you?”

“And why the hell not?!”

“And why the hell should I?”

“Because I already said that I’m serious about you at least twice?”

‘The second time, if I recall, was while you were fucking Kyon, right?” Goten sneered at him.

Kyon’s face painted red all at once while Ranvera’s mouth was opening and closing soundlessly on its own accord.

“You knew?” he stuttered finally.

“Of course, I knew! And y-”

With a moan befitting a ship which had just crashed into a reef, Ario rose from the table. “Enough, I can’t listen to this anymore! I’ll be in the kitchen washing the damn dishes!” he said, gathering the empty plates from the table in jerky, irritated movements.

“So you knew,” Ranvera repeated numbly after a few seconds of silence over the table.

“Yeah, I did.”

Ranvera looked at Kyon, who shook his head. Ranvera looked at Toharu, who shrugged. 

“I have nothing to do with this,” Toharu denied the obvious accusations on Ranvera’s face. “He figured it out by himself,” he said. Then he grinned at Ranvera. “Well, you have to admit that you weren’t all that discreet. Why Kyon? The guy shares a room with Goten. He could probably smell you all over him.”

“Oh gods, I know I deserve this,” Kyon moaned softly, hiding his head behind his arms so that only his burning ears could be seen, “but, please, at least consider where we are!”

They looked around. The canteen was completely silent, everyone staring at them. The friends turned back, glanced at each other, then lowered their heads to forlornly gaze at the surface of the table.

“So you knew that he knew?” Ranvera hissed quietly at Kyon.

“Yes,” Kyon answered in a weak voice. “Just sort of happened.”

Ranvera’s gaze went to Goten, who had finished his tea and was standing up. “Hey, wait!”

“What for?” Goten motioned with his head at Kyon. “It seems to me that you have to clear things up between yourselves first.”

“Wait, goddamit!” Ranvera rose as well, grabbing Goten by his arm. “There’s absolutely nothing between us. It was just a convenient…arrangement.”

It did not slip past Goten that Kyon actually winced at the pause in Ranvera’s words. It could not be more obvious that his roommate was stewing in his own shame. Goten turned back to Ranvera. “Listen, Ranvera, there’s absolute no way on my part. You get it?”

Ranvera was frowning, seemingly unwilling to “get” anything, never mind what Goten was talking about.

Goten sighed. “Just…” At a loss, he gestured at Kyon with his free hand, then at Ranvera and himself. “Just…ah, hell, I have no idea. It just won’t work.”

“But why?” Ranvera asked, gesticulating wildly.

“Listen, buddy.” Toharu stood up as well, so now three of them were standing at the table while Kyon was sitting meekly; it was obvious that he was not going to interfere, no matter what. “Ever heard of ‘not my type’?”

Relieved, Goten gave Toharu a thankful look. He was bad at these things. Actually, awful at them. Now he was almost prepared to forgive Toharu for pulling that prank on him.

“And why the hell are _you_ interfering?” Ranvera snorted at Toharu.

“I’m not. I’m just helping him to express his thoughts.”

“That’s right,” Goten confirmed.

“I’m afraid you’ll just have to take ‘no’ for an answer,” Toharu continued.

“Well, this is just unfair,” Ranvera said, pointing his finger at Toharu, then at Goten. 

“This is not unfair,” Toharu corrected him. “This is called teamwork.”

Ranvera threw his hands up. “Go and shove your teamwork up your ass,” he mumbled under his breath, starting to gather his dishes from the table. He had an insulted look about him. With his dirty dishes in his hands, he straightened. “And I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” he said, lifting his hand, a mug in his grip. Then he turned around and left for the kitchen.

“A tough guy, he is,” Toharu commented. “Probably has never had anyone reject him. Why don’t you just beat the crap out of him?” he suggested.

Goten sighed. “He’s my friend, you idiot.”

“He’s a potential rapist,” Toharu shot back.

Goten raised his eyebrows. “You don’t really think that.”

“Well… I don’t,” Toharu agreed. He waited for Goten to reply, then, when nothing came, gathered his dishes from the table and left.

Goten heaved another sigh, put down his dishes back onto the table and, ignoring Kyon, sat down. One could say that he was a late bloomer. While starting his paramilitary school, he had no interest in sex. Later, after Gohan’s death, all of his energy had been directed elsewhere. He had adored his elder brother, looked up to him. He had been his personal hero. His sudden death had been a fatal blow. The only things he had been interested in were grieving over Gohan and beating elites.

Now he was surrounded by elites and second-classes. Besides him, there were no third-classes on the base. Even if he would have liked a steady or casual relationship, there was no one he could turn to. Just the thought of himself with Kyon or Ranvera… They were second-classes. It was just…not right.

ooOoOoOoo 

“This is a standard edition Mera 5697,” the lecturer in New Technology was saying while walking along the rows of savars who were fumbling with scouters in their hands. He was a young man, aged 22, a second-class, fresh out of Commissioned Officer Academy. He was of average height and had a friendly face. He also had a huge mane of hair falling over his shoulders and down his back, ending somewhere below his knees. Anyone else would have cut it just to get it out of the way. He usually spoke in a patronizing tone, which was weird, keeping in mind that he was addressing men only a couple of years younger than himself. Even though he was a little strange by Saiyan standards, he was one of the few lecturers most savars liked.

Goten inspected the scouter he was holding. It was a standard black and blue Mera. They weren’t very efficient, but they were also inexpensive. One could find this type of scouter among the equipment of almost any Saiyan soldier. Mera could do only two things: measure ki and serve as a transmitter. They came in different shapes, sizes, and colors, but it only served those two functions. If one had more money, he could buy the Vega edition. Those scouters came with numerous additional functions, like ultraviolet or thermo sensors, which were useful if you wanted to find someone who was suppressing their ki. There were also scouters which could double as medical scanners. A lot of them had built in computers and could be used as terminals. Others still, depending on the software installed, could be used to manipulate vehicles at a distance.

“Now we need someone to summon his ki. Are there any volunteers?” the lecturer asked.

“Goten!” someone shouted amidst the rows and the whole training hall burst out laughing.

Red-faced, Goten flipped all of them off.

“Ah, so you’re the one who blew himself up,” the lecturer said, looking at Goten when the laughter had finally faded away. “You’re quite lucky. Usually it ends up with a mess on the walls and floor. Anyone else?” he asked, turning away.

Toharu raised his hand. “I suggest Ario, sir. He’s good with ki.”

“Alright,” the lecturer agreed. “So where’s that Ario?”

Ario stepped out in front of the rows. “Sir,” he saluted.

“Oh, what a big fellow. C’mon, put your scouters on, everybody,” the lecturer ordered. “Goten, I didn’t give the command to turn them on yet.”

“Sorry, sir.”

“Never mind. Turn them on, everybody. You, power up,” with his chin, the lecturer motioned to Ario. “So now, you should all see his ki.”

“It’s all fuzzy, sir,” someone shouted from the rows at the back. “And there’s this screeching sound.”

“Just give it a few slaps. How is it now?”

“Worked like magic, sir! Thanks!”

“Good, good. Now power up to your maximum,” the lecturer said to Ario. “Oh, that’s quite the power level. So you see that red flashing light at the corner of the screen, everyone? It appears when the object’s ki exceeds a thousand. It means you should not engage the target if you are on your own. Unless you are an elite, this guy would probably just tear you apart,” he said, motioning with his head towards Ario.

“I would, sir,” Ario agreed.

“Older Mera versions don’t give warnings. They just display the power level,” the lecturer continued. “Anyway, if you want to use the transmitter, just press this button,” he showed. “You can set the necessary frequency here.” He watched the savars try it out. “The biggest disadvantage to a model like this is that it can’t pick up more than three ki signals at a time. And even then, it might go bonkers and you’ll have to turn it off. Goten, get me that box by the door.”

Goten saluted. “Yes, sir!” 

“This is Vega 212,” the lecturer said, pulling a small scouter out of the box Goten had carried over to him. “They are expensive as hell, but they can read over two hundred ki at once. They can show the highest and the lowest level within range and are good at measuring proximity. They come with a language translator installed and the tiny microphone for audio input is right here,” he showed. “They work as night vision binoculars as well. They also have thermo and ultraviolet sensors. This model also features a program made to identify various vehicles. It can count them fairly accurately, but it is still in development and it has been reported that it can mix up jeeps and tanks. You can also enter your coordinates, which makes it easy to travel and organize strikes from within enemy territory. This button here brings up a touch sensitive projective keyboard. The computer has a 4 GHz processor and a 250 GB hard drive, so all of your favorite porn should fit on there.”

“Hardly,” Ranvera muttered.

“There are only twenty of them in the box, so you will have to take turns. If I find that any of them are missing, I’ll make everyone pay for it. The price is thirteen thousand credits.”

Somebody whistled. Goten gave Toharu a meaningful look. Toharu smiled at him innocently.

ooOoOoOoo 

The training hall was nearly empty, only two lone figures standing opposite each other in the middle of it. Two khaki-colored jackets lay on the floor a short distance away.

“Sir, I don’t think this is a very good idea,” Goten said nervously, shifting from one foot to another.

“I don’t particularly care what you think,” the shaii said dryly. “We won’t use our ki, so there won’t be any complications.”

Goten’s face went through a gamut of emotions: worry, unhappiness, interest, before finally it settled on concern. He had been invited into the shaii’s office right after the evening drill specially prepared for him by his sergeant. The prince had asked him how he felt. The third-class could not answer much, except to say that he was perfectly fine. The prince seemed to have already talked to the head physician who had assured him of the same. Only two weeks had passed since the accident and Goten had fully recovered, already attending drill with the other savars. It was hard to believe that two weeks ago he was in a regeneration tank, unconscious and barely alive.

The third-class wasn’t very surprised when the prince said that he wanted to have a friendly spar with him. He had figured it would come to this. Saiyans loved a good fight, and the prince seemed particularly interested in his abilities. Nonetheless, Goten really didn’t want to be standing here in the training hall.

The prince eased off at the sight of Goten's nervous demeanor. “Don’t worry, I promise not to expel you in case you win,” he chuckled softly.

Goten gave the prince an awkward look. “I don’t think there’s much chance of that, sir.”

The shaii rolled his eyes. “I saw you fight Toharu. Let’s me say, that fight left quite an impression on me.”

“It was just pure luck, sir.”

The prince snorted at Goten’s overplayed act of modesty. “Don’t start that shit with me. And if you fight half-heartedly, I’ll beat you within an inch of your life.”

“I think that is bound to happen one way or the other, sir,” Goten said apprehensively. “Why, in the world, do we have to do this, sir?”

Goten was nearly whining in that annoying, clueless manner of his and the shaii scowled at him. “Will you stop that charade?” He hated when Goten did that. It was a part of Goten’s character and, even if the third-class might be somewhat worried, the prince knew that he was mostly feeling playful. There were times when he found it funny, there were times when he could tolerate it, and there were times like these when it was just annoying as hell. Well, this was a good opportunity to show Goten exactly how much he hated it.

The prince took his fighting stance and motioned for Goten to come at him. The third-class took a step back. Angered, the shaii made his first move. He ran forward, then, just as Goten was prepared to block him, he ducked, sliding the rest of the way over the floor and kicking at Goten’s legs. Goten jumped over him. The shaii performed a sidekick from a crouching position, but the third-class easily slithered aside while turning around to face the prince. Goten’s own leg whooshed past the lavender-haired man's head, and the shaii managed to avoid it only at the last second by leaning forward, nearly merging into the floor. 

Goten performed a roundhouse kick but, already halfway to his feet, the shaii caught him by the left leg. Holding Goten’s leg and using all of his strength, the shaii moved forward, intending to simply throw Goten on his back. It did not work as Goten suddenly fell to the ground, turned sideways, and drew the leg which the prince was holding onto towards himself, pulling the prince along with it. Then he kicked out with his right foot at the shaii’s chest. The prince let go of Goten and crashed onto the floor. He cursed softly.

Goten retreated farther and took his fighting stance. The shaii stood up slowly. He rubbed at his chest. They stood silently, sizing each other up with their eyes. This short but effective warm-up had been very exciting. It was hard to believe, but it seemed that the third-class had easily been able to keep up with him. A common third-class would never be able to match his speed or equal him in strength. Goten’s fighting skills were admirable as well. The most noticeable thing about his fighting was that he preferred to use a mix of styles, rather than favoring only one of them. Because of that, it was hard to predict Goten’s next move or how he would react to an attack. Goten was exceptionally resourceful when it came to fighting. 

The prince smirked; Goten had passed the test. It was no wonder second-classes and even elites had trouble with bending Goten to their will. But now, it was time to get serious. He didn’t have many opportunities to spar with someone this good and was prepared to use this one to its fullest. With a soft grunt, he charged.

Goten avoided the fist targeting his head by drifting aside, his own fist shooting out to return the favor. With a yelp, the prince staggered back onto the ground, then rolled to the side as he saw Goten’s foot coming for him. He avoided Goten’s second kick by flipping over. As soon as he landed back on his feet, he kicked the oncoming Goten in the stomach. The third-class mostly managed to avoid the full force kick by jumping back, but it was still enough to make him stagger backwards.

He managed to block the prince’s next side kick with his crossed forearms. Then Goten ducked in order to sweep him off his feet. The prince had no time to regain his balance and tumbled back onto the floor. Again, he stood up, but he didn’t have enough time to turn around and the third-class was already behind his back, taking ahold of his hair. The prince tried to shake him off, but there was no way he could turn around in that position. Goten used the shaii’s head as leverage as he jumped into the air. Airborne, he flipped over the prince, nearly pulling his hair out. The prince grimaced at the combination of the neck-wrenching force of Goten's movements and the pain in his scalp. He hunched down to protect his core as Goten came down in front of him. Goten’s knee found purchase on the prince’s chest, hurling his opponent away from him.

There was no time for the prince to feel shocked that the third-class had dared to grab him by his hair as he landed on his backside and skidded over the floor. His chest hurt like hell. He had to ignore the pain and rolled out of Goten’s way, who came at him like a locomotive at full speed. The prince shifted his weight, placing his palms at the sides of his head and rolling back onto his shoulders, his legs in the air. He forcefully pushed himself away from the ground and landed upright, moving into an offensive position. He went after Goten with vigor. Goten blocked his punch and turned aside, his leg kicking out at the prince’s left side. The shaii defended himself by bending and raising his leg. And then Goten performed something hardly comprehensible, suddenly lowering himself to the floor in a half-cartwheel while his both legs shot out to kick the prince in the stomach. The power of the kick threw his opponent to the floor.

The prince pulled himself up, but then, with alarm, he realized that Goten had somehow gotten behind him. The third-class kicked towards his back, intending to send him face-first into the wall. Instead, the shaii jumped into the air, somersaulting. Goten’s heel slashed at the space the shaii had been occupying only a millisecond before. While he wasted a precious second pulling his leg back and regaining his balance, the prince flipped over Goten and kicked out at the third-class from behind. Goten tumbled onto the floor, pain lancing through his left shoulder. 

Still airborne, the shaii’s foot came towards him again, but Goten had already plunged to the floor, moving out of harms way. The third-class cushioned his fall with his right arm, then rolled aside to avoid a possible attack. He stood and faced the shaii.

The prince ducked to avoid Goten’s reverse sidekick and the third-class’s leg whooshed above his head. Retaliating, the prince performed a high roundhouse, his knee aiming at Goten’s face, but the third-class blocked it with his right arm. The shaii fell back while the third-class used the same arm to punch him. He whirled aside, unexpectedly appearing behind Goten. Grabbing Goten by his midsection, he lifted him into the air. The third-class gasped, tried to kick out backwards but with no success. Then, his shoulders and upper back smashed into the floor. For a few seconds, Goten saw nothing but stars. Were the floor made of wood, he would have gone straight through it. 

Goten grunted, pain washing over him as the shaii flipped him onto his front, grabbing his arm and securing it behind his back. He winced at the prince’s weight on his back. He could hear the prince panting, short of breath, trying to keep him down. Goten gritted his teeth and tried to throw the prince off him, but the shaii had gotten a good hold on him and his struggling nearly earned Goten a dislocated shoulder. He cried out in pain and stilled, admitting defeat.

The shaii let go of his arm and rolled off him and onto the floor where he lay on his back. Panting, he closed his eyes, then brushed his hand over his forehead to wipe the accumulated sweat off. 

“Hey, you alive?” he rasped out.

Goten heaved a groan. “More or less.” He pushed himself off the ground. He winced, as the movement caused pain in his shoulder, and curled back up on the floor. While trying to catch his breath, he turned his head to stare at the high ceiling. A short while later, he turned his head to the side to look at the prince. “Well, that was…” he drawled, a touch of shocked amazement evident in his voice. “Awesome!”

“And to think you didn’t want to do it,” the prince laughed, his blue eyes opening a crack to look back at Goten.

Goten grinned. “I still don’t want to. I think my spleen has relocated south, somewhere near my knees.” He could not help grinning. He had just had the crap beaten out of him, but he had fully enjoyed every second of the process.

“You are the one to talk,” the prince groaned, rubbing at his chest. “What the hell were you intending to do with my ribcage?”

Goten chuckled. “It was in the way of your more vital spots.” He met the prince’s eyes. “You’re not bad at all, sir, I must say. Your defensive is a little weak, but a few more years and your fighting style will be decent.” He grunted in surprise and then burst out laughing when the prince rolled onto his side and smacked him on the stomach a few times.

The prince snickered, “Smartass. Had we been using our ki, you w-”

“Oh yes, sir, how does the saying go? …I’ve got power, no need for a brain?”

“You’re really begging to be punished,” the prince mumbled, slapping Goten again. Despite the fact that he had intended his tone to be reproachful, there was a wide smile on his face.

Goten beamed at him. “Oh, sir still hasn’t given up on that thought?”

“I’m going to make you clean toilets with a toothbrush!” the prince threatened.

“What an efficient way to use manpower, sir!”

“It doesn’t have to be efficient. It’s enough if it makes me satisfied.”

“True, sir, I’ve noticed that harassing poor third-classes is your favorite pastime. Is it really so satisfying?”

The prince turned onto his stomach and raised himself on his elbows, so now he was nearly above Goten. He gave Goten the most satisfied smirk he had ever managed to muster. “Oh,” he purred, “you have no idea.”

Goten grinned back at the man above him. “I think I do, sir. It’s easy to guess, sir, as your satisfaction must be proportional to my dissatisfaction.”

The prince chuckled softly. “You sure don’t look that dissatisfied to me. Neither do you look harassed.”

“Damn! And I’ve been trying so hard!”

The prince laughed. He looked down at Goten’s innocent face and gullible eyes. “You really do get a kick out that, don’t you?”

“Out of what, sir?”

“Out of pretending to be an idiot.”

Goten’s dark eyes became lucid, a tinge of amusement in their depths. He chuckled softly. “Well, sir, I’m not very sure how much of the idiot is pretend and how much of him is real.”

The prince waited for Goten to add something to his words, but that was all he said. On the other hand, the comment was as good as any. 

They gazed at each other silently for a few seconds. Then the prince shifted his body forward, lowering his head. Goten closed his eyes instinctively. 

The prince’s left arm found purchase on Goten’s left shoulder, making him grunt with discomfort. The third-class’s eyes flew open, as much in pain as in sudden realization. The prince had immediately removed his hand from the injured shoulder, but he was now staring down at him, his face reflecting something akin to astonishment. 

Goten was gaping back at him with shocked eyes, the obvious question “ _What the hell just happened?!_ ” clearly seen in them. The shaii decided to make the first move. He cleared his throat and rolled off Goten, as casually as it was possible in this kind of situation. He stood up and started dusting his trousers off.

“Well, this was fun. We’ll do this again,” he said.

“Which part of it, sir?” Goten asked numbly, then kicked himself mentally when his brain caught up.

The shaii gave him a look. Goten stared back at him for a few seconds, then got up from the floor. His brain had already decided that nothing of interest had ever occurred. These things did happen sometimes. All the adrenaline and excitement which accumulated during fighting had to express themselves somehow.

The shaii’s eyes caught a stumble in Goten’s step. He turned to give the younger male a more careful look. Goten was walking towards the exit, but there was something unstable about his gait. “Are you alright?”

It took Goten a little more time to answer than the prince would have liked. “Err…yes, sir, absolutely. Not,” he added suddenly, leaning heavily against a wall. He dug his shoulder into it to keep himself upright. It worked at first, then his knees started to buckle, his body sliding down along the wall.

“Goten!” The shaii caught him before he could slump down onto the floor. “Hey, Goten! What’s wrong?” The prince kneeled and turned the younger male over, cradling Goten's upper body in his lap. He lightly slapped Goten across his face.

Goten grunted and waved his hands about, pushing the offending palm away before it could land on his face for the second time. His movements lacked coordination, which made the prince worry even more.

“Goten?”

Goten was also having trouble focusing his eyes on him. His gaze settled on the prince’s face at the sound of his voice, then it skidded upwards past his shoulder. The prince raised his hand, intending to slap him again, and Goten’s first instinct to the movement was to try to pull back. Impossible, with the way the shaii was holding him. The prince reconsidered when Goten’s mouth opened.

“`M di… I’m dizzy,” Goten finally managed to say after a few seconds of hard concentration.

“I can see as much,” the prince nodded. “Do you feel sick?”

It took a few moments for Goten to absorb the question. “N-no,” he answered. “Just di-” he swallowed, his throat dry, “zzy. Everything’s sw-swimming.”

Varicolored dots danced past Goten’s eyes and disappeared somewhere behind his field of vision. A new set of spots took their place. In addition to this multicolored festival, it appeared that the training hall was moving. Every five seconds or so, it seemed to be trying to fold up on itself and then would suddenly spring back, unrolling in all directions. He had no sense of his body, feeling as if he were floating in some sort of nightmarish void where he was made of weightless jelly.

The prince touched the side of Goten’s head. It was cool, but Goten’s forehead and temples were glistening with sweat and he couldn’t tell if that was from their exercise or because of Goten’s current state. He wasn’t sure what to do. Apparently he needed to get a doctor, but should he move Goten? It could worsen the matter. To run and get a doctor would be a good idea, but he was dreading the thought of leaving Goten alone. Who knew what could happen in those few minutes while he was gone. So instead of taking any of these actions, he just observed Goten’s reactions.

At some point, Goten’s eyes closed. His breathing was faster than usual, but the shaii guessed that could also be caused by anxiety. He softly brushed his fingers over Goten’s forehead to wipe off the crystals of sweat. Goten turned his head to the side to press his forehead against the shaii’s stomach. 

Slowly, the dizziness began to dissipate. Goten still felt as if he were afloat, but now he was able to tell he had limbs. He was also suddenly aware that he was breathing. In and out, in and out, steadily. Sweat, clothing, apple soap and that specific scent of tranquility drifted over his senses. This time, the scent seemed somehow alert though, even a great deal nervous. Unconsciously, Goten smiled; so he _did_ worry about him.

The shaii felt Goten sigh against his stomach. The breath which passed the fabric of his T-shirt felt warm and ticklish and he squirmed. Goten shifted in his hold. Overtaken by a weird impulse, Goten’s right hand fisted loosely into the shaii’s T-shirt and tugged a few times at the clothing, as if trying to console the prince. 

“Don’t worry,” Goten mumbled drowsily, “you smell just right.”

Taken aback, the prince stared mutely at Goten for a few seconds. Then his face turned red. Goten seemed to have fallen asleep peacefully without giving a damn about any of his words or their effect. How in the world could Goten know? He had never given anyone any basis for suspicion. 

Still blushing, the prince gazed at the serenely sleeping youth. He did have a complex about his scent. In fact, he felt insecure about his distinctive looks as well. He knew Saiyans found him weird, his hair, his eyes, his tail, his scent. Since childhood, he had been aware of surprised, searching, and sometimes even appalled stares. It all happened when they thought he wasn’t looking, but he could feel them turning around to stare at him or hear whispers behind his back. He could not really blame them – he was different after all. 

The only way to fight this was to ignore it. People could get used to his looks. It took some time, but they did, stopping to fidget or trying to pretend they weren’t staring at his hair. But there was still distance. The prince suspected that it would always be that way. It did not matter that he was their prince – or maybe that made it even worse – because he looked like an outsider. 

It appeared that Goten knew that, or at least suspected it. How… Actually, when one thought about it, it was not a big surprise. Goten was alone among second-classes and elites and it made him self-conscious. As a result, he was also much more perceptive about the situations of those around him. And truth be told, he and Goten’s situations had similarities.

The prince could not help feeling somewhat disturbed as he realized that it was probably for this reason that Goten acted as he did around him. The thought of the third-class seeing both of them as equals was somewhat disturbing. Although he was not as narrow-minded as the rest of the Saiyan population, he still mostly grew up on Vegeta-sei and a lot of the standard thinking had rubbed off on him. In spite of what he had said to Goten earlier, he still had some reservations about matters like these as well. 

At the same time, stronger than that uneasiness, was delight. He felt…elated. There had been no reason for Goten to lie, and, in his state, he probably couldn’t have managed to. Maybe it was because Goten was a country bumpkin, but it seemed that the third-class minded neither his coloring nor his scent. Goten did not detest his looks. He seemed to find it strange, but… Just a few weeks ago he had caught the savar shamelessly staring at his tail. Instead of detest… Actually, it seemed that Goten was positively fascinated by him.

The prince fought his blush down. He suddenly realized that he had been sitting there, stunned, holding Goten’s sleeping form for several minutes when he should have been taking action. He looked around the hall. It was still empty, of course. The most sensible decision was the medical bay. Heaving the third-class up, he stood up. Goten didn’t even stir. 

Walking towards the door, the shaii wondered about it all once again. He could just be right about Goten. But… Yes, Goten might not feel indifferent about him, but, very likely, Goten was not aware of that. Knowing Goten and his outlook on class boundaries, he would even expect that. The third-class would probably have difficulties even trying to comprehend it. The shaii sighed. He kicked the outside door open. And where was he supposed to go with this now? Could he even go _anywhere_ with this?

Well, at least Goten didn’t blow anyone up this time.

TBC


	18. Part 18

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 18

Goten hummed under his breath and shifted in his bed to get into a more comfortable position. Warm, soft and so sweet was his sleep: no one snoring, no one walking around him. His throat emitted another blissful purr as he hugged his pillow. His tail hung limply over the edge of the bed, a part of it visible from under the covers. The tip of it was curling and uncurling lightly in pleasure. 

The head physician watched Goten rub his face against the pillow. He cocked his head at the sight. “What’s the data?” he asked the nurse who was reading the data from the monitor next to Goten’s head.

“According to the records, the pattern of his brainwaves stabilized completely about five hours ago,” the nurse answered after pushing a few buttons on the left side of the monitor. “The muscle spasms ceased at about the same time as well. He’s in a perfectly normal state of waking up now. He seems to be enjoying it a lot as well,” he added.

“Make him wash the sheets if he enjoys it too much. His shoulder?” 

“Healing already.”

The head physician motioned with his head at the screen. “Have you transferred the data to National Security?”

“Yes, I have,” the nurse nodded. “They even thanked me. There was a big bouncing smiley attached to the email. Nice guys, those two.”

“Check it again. It might be a virus. 'Nice', my ass. National Security is never nice.”

“Oh, c’mon boss. They were pretty civilized while they were here.”

“I would not call usurping our computers and ordering us around ‘civilized’. Damn savages.”

“You should relax sometime, boss.”

“And I see that your problem is that you have too much time for relaxation.”

“Why is that a ‘problem’, boss?”

The head physician thumped him with his notebook. “You young cheeky bastard! Go and make me some tea. And a few sandwiches.”

“Lunch break as usual in the ER, boss?”

“Yes. And no purple-haired shaiis are going to stop me.”

“Err… Way to go, boss!”

“Yes, just promise me you’ll attend my funeral.”

“Of course, boss! You don't even need to ask.”

ooOoOoOoo 

When Goten woke up, there was not a living soul in the room. He looked around, then sat up. His shoulder was somewhat painful and stiff. The other five beds were empty. It was quiet in the room except for the occasional beeps from a monitor next to him. Goten could also hear random bursts of laughter somewhere in the corridor.

Goten’s memory obligingly threw up the most recent events it had recorded: he had been sparring with the shaii, they nearly kissed, and then he blacked out. Goten lingered on “nearly kissed”. He touched upon the idea very carefully, warily poked it around with a ten-foot pole, then dismissed the whole thing as a very dubious incident. He might just have dreamt that. 

It would be better if he had.

At least he didn’t have a headache. Goten cheered up. Usually blackouts like that were painful in nature, but this time there wasn't any pain. True, there had been a bout of disorienting dizziness, but he would choose dizziness over pain any time.

He felt fine now. His left shoulder had sustained some damage, but he was ready to go. He looked to his other side where a small bedside cabinet stood. There was a folded piece of paper on it. Goten lifted an empty glass off it and straightened the paper. It was his exemption from physical activity for the next three days. There was also a smiley on the other side of the page and a few lines in a different handwriting. They were congratulating him on beating the record and becoming an official medical bay mascot. 

Goten scratched his stubbly head and folded the piece of paper again. Holding it, he pushed his covers aside, threw his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. As soon as his feet were on the floor, his tail wound around his waist automatically, as any other Saiyan’s would. Goten headed for the wardrobe next to the door where he knew his clothes would be.

After dressing, he left the ward. He could not tell what time it was, except that his senses said that it was early in the morning. He asked one white-robed passerby for the time and learned that it was seven o’clock. It meant that the morning drill was already over and savars were eating in the canteen. Without giving it much thought, Goten headed there.

His stomach took over his brain as soon as he entered the canteen. Without noticing friendly call outs and greetings wafting from around the tables, he went over to get his portion, then looked around, found his friends sitting at their usual table, muttered a brief greeting, dropped onto the bench, and his jaws got down to work.

Goten’s friends stared at him silently, then met each other eyes. Finally, Kyon erupted. “Would you stop getting sent to that damn med bay?! Do you even know how worried we get every time this happens? Can’t you be more careful, you idiot?!”

“Don’t call me ‘idiot’,” Goten mouthed around a chicken leg. “Besides, do you think _I_ don’t get worried? But everything’s fine. I’m fine. You’re fine. Everyone’s fine.”

“So what actually happened?” Toharu asked. 

“Well… I was returning from the Laundromats and suddenly it all went blank. I just fell and th-”

“It would be a good explanation if not for your mottled left eye,” Toharu said, glaring at him. “Besides, people saw you and the prince enter the training hall and then watched him carry you out of there.”

“Well,” Goten shrugged, “then why are you asking me if you know everything?”

“I’m gonna sock you one,” Ario threatened.

“What the hell were you doing in there with the prince?” Ranvera demanded. “Alone! For thirty whole minutes!”

Goten gave Ranvera a look. He could not understand whether the tall Saiyan was serious or not. “And what the hell do you think we were doing in there?” Goten snorted at him. “I lost my consciousness, damnit!” The table was silently looking at him. A second later, Goten pointed at Toharu’s slowly opening mouth. “No, don’t bother. I bet I know you’re going to say something like: so he fucked you unconscious?”

“Actually,” Toharu drawled, “I was going to ask what was wrong with you, but that’s a suggestion worth consideration as well.”

“Damn.”

“So did he fuck you unconscious?”

Goten gave Toharu a pleading look. “We had a friendly spar.”

“A horizontal one?”

Now Goten turned to Ranvera. Could Ranvera be really jealous? Unbelievable! “I said ‘friendly’!”

“Horizontal spars are the friendliest of all,” Ranvera muttered.

“Oh, just shut up!” Goten turned to Ario as he apparently was the only one who was more or less sane here. “So after the spar, I blacked out. Remember, the same happened to me the previous time we had that swordfight?”

Kyon cocked his head to the side. “It’s like you faint every time you see him. Why is h-”

“Please,” Goten groaned, “I beg of you. At least you... At least _you_ give me a break.”

“I will give you the notes from the classes you skipped,” Kyon said, “so I feel entitled to a little play with your dignity.”

“Anyway, why did he want to spar with you?” Ario asked. He thought for a moment. “No, I think I know why,” he said then. “Hmm…”

“Uh-huhhh,” Toharu drawled as well. His face started radiating genuine interest. “So who won?”

“The prince, of course,” Goten answered.

“You did fight with your ki suppressed, right?” Toharu guessed. “He’s older and stronger than you, but it must have been a close tie.”

Goten hesitated a little. “Well...more or less,” he admitted.

It was silent at the table for a few moments. 

“You’re not normal,” Ranvera said then.

“Yes, I also have zero communication skills, my outsides are just as ugly as my insides, I get on everyone’s nerves a lot and… Oh. And I also tend to explode on my own. So I suggest you forget about me forever.”

Ranvera scowled at him. 

“Well, I find you attractive,” Kyon admitted, grinning. “A bit rough and a bit square – you’re a classic Saiyan beauty.”

Goten put out his hands in front of him. “Whoa, whoa, slow down or I might combust again from the overload of compliments. Or are those…?”

“Compliments, compliments, the most cordial ones,” Kyon confirmed with a chuckle.

“Cheap ass-kissing asshole,” Ranvera muttered. “I was first to confess so, of course, I find him attractive as well.”

Goten scratched his head, then blushed lightly.

From the other side of the table, Toharu stared at the three Saiyans. He elbowed Ario. “Listen, is it only me, or you also think that they are all idiots?”

“Worse than idiots.”

ooOoOoOoo 

The shaii was leaning against the wall in the training hall, watching Goten do warm-up exercises. He felt guilty for making Goten postpone his test for other five days, yet it seemed that now the third-class’s shoulder had completely healed. Based on Goten’s warm-up, there were no long-lasting effects from their spar. 

There were a few reasons for the prince being in the training hall. First, he wanted to make sure Goten wouldn’t have any accidents with his ki like he’d had earlier. Second, he indeed felt guilty for hurting Goten’s shoulder. Third, he wanted to know what Goten’s power level was. Finally, he simply needed an excuse to see the third-class.

Since their spar five days ago, Goten had been acting as if nothing had ever happened. Of course, he was _supposed_ to act as if nothing had happened. The prince also acted as if nothing had happened. But still…that annoyed him. He didn’t know what signs he had expected Goten to display, but this was frustrating.

The prince’s eyes followed Goten. He had finished his warm-up and now stood in front of the target his drill sergeant had shown him. Some part of the prince could still hardly believe a third-class was on about the same level as him. He was certain he could easily overwhelm Goten with his ki. Their speed was about the same, their fighting skills were also similar. However, during their spar, while using only physical force, he should have also overcome Goten without much trouble using sheer strength. He was a little older than Goten and his musculature was more developed after all. Either Goten’s enhanced physical power was a part of that project or maybe he had been slacking off.

Making a mental note to do something about his training, the shaii concentrated on the sight in front of him. The sergeant had a highly displeased air about him. The shaii knew better, though. The sergeant was pretty fond of the lad. Just the other day, he had asked him about Goten’s health. He had also inquired about the news on Goten’s background. He was still convinced that Goten was of mixed blood. 

It was not clear what the sergeant intended to do with that information. Anyone who suddenly appeared to be of mixed blood could expect a lot of problems. Half-breeds were not accepted into officer schools. They had no status at all, being considered the lowest the low, even lower than third-classes. The sergeant had seen the world, though. From his comments, the prince had gotten the impression that he was more interested in finding out why Goten was as he was, rather than being interested in reporting him. He had once said that Goten was a very successful half-breed. No man set against mixed blood would ever say that.

The prince was aware that Goten also knew that the sergeant was not as displeased with him as he tried to appear. Goten could be very perceptive when he wanted to be. After spending over two months in Goten’s near-constant company, the shaii knew some of the ways Goten used to measure people’s feelings about him. One of those ways was to decide how much damage a person could cause him and then see whether they chose to cause it. There was no doubt that, despite all his threats and barking, Goten considered the sergeant to be lenient with him.

The shaii watched an aura of blue ki surround Goten. The sergeant was following Goten’s ki, but so far his scouter showed nothing out of the ordinary. This time he did not hurry Goten, letting the youth choose his own pace. 

It did not feel any different than usual. Goten flared his ki up another notch. It was a steady, constant current, just as it was supposed to be. Not sensing any disturbances, he started powering up.

A second later, the sergeant’s scouter started beeping softly. Alert, the prince pushed himself off the wall. Goten stopped powering up. He looked at his sergeant with questioning eyes.

“Obviously, this isn’t your maximum,” the sergeant said, giving the savar a dubious look. “Just ignore the beeping.”

“Sir, it’s really my ma-”

The sergeant held his notepad in front of Goten’s face. “Don’t.”

The shaii saw the sergeant’s face. The man was getting pissed. The sergeant knew all about Goten’s games, just as he did. The prince averted his eyes to Goten’s face. For a moment there, he thought that the third-class would refuse. Then Goten’s eyes met his. The prince nodded.

“Yes, sir,” Goten said, concentrating back on the sergeant, his ki proceeding to rise.

The beeping became more insistent. 

“It’s fifty thousand, sir,” the sergeant said without turning to the shaii, “and still rising.” He cleared his throat then continued counting, “Sixty thousand, seventy, eighty, ninety…” The sergeant smacked his scouter. “Damn.”

“Here,” the shaii pulled out a _Vega 213_ from his pocket and tossed it towards the sergeant. “This one can read over five hundred thousand.”

The sergeant caught the scouter nimbly. While taking his scouter off, he turned on the _Vega 213_. He fitted it over his right eye.

With interest, Goten observed the scouter above the sergeant’s eye. “Is that the newest model, sir?”

“Yes, I pre-ordered it quite some time ago,” the shaii nodded. “It should appear on the market in a few weeks.”

“It looks very fancy, sir. How much does it cost?”

The prince shrugged. “About twenty thousand credits.”

Goten’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. “It’s a f-!”

“Concentrate, seamstress!” the sergeant barked. “Or do you intend to blow yourself up again?” He gave a meaningful look to the shaii. 

The prince scratched his head sheepishly. The sergeant turned away to continue watching Goten.

“It’s over a hundred and fifty, sir,” the sergeant informed the prince a few seconds later. “His ki-flow is becoming unstable. There seem to be some abnormalities.”

“Abort the powering-up immediately.”

“Yes, sir. Alright, that’s enough, seamstress. Now, blast the target.”

“Yes, sir.” Goten reached his hands forward and abruptly gathered his ki into a ki-ball.

The shaii’s eyes went wide. “No, wai-!”

The blast shook the training hall. Clouds of dust rose into the air, turning everything white, effectively blinding everyone in the room. The sergeant coughed and waved at the air in front of his face with his notepad. He coughed again. “Damn you, Bardock.”

“Sorry, sir.”

The shaii heaved out a relieved breath at the sound of Goten’s shaky voice. He waited for the dust to settle. Soon he could see the sergeant’s and Goten’s silhouettes. Goten seemed to be rubbing at his eyes. He looked past them at the wall. The target was missing and there was a considerable hole in its place with melted ki-absorbing material around the edges. It hadn’t been able to absorb this much ki at once so quickly. The hole was still smoking and glowing with heat. He turned to look at the third-class who now was having a coughing fit.

“Who was the one saying ‘I’ve got power, no need for a brain’?”

“Err…me, sir,” Goten coughed out. “But, sir, I was ordered to bl-”

The shaii waved his hands in front of him. “Don’t wanna hear it.”

“Hmm…” the sergeant hummed while checking out the smoking hole in the wall. He seemed to be impressed. “You just look at this hole! Amazing! Tell me, seamstress. Why is it that despite the fact that you look like an idiot, you are still efficient?”

“Oh, sir, I must be one of those efficient idiots.”

The shaii groaned. “Oh, for gods’ sakes, don’t spur him on!”

“Did I pass, sir?”

“With flying colors,” the sergeant said, writing something down in his notebook. “Even though this was only a differentiation test,” he added.

Goten’s face brightened. “Thank you, sir. May I go now?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Goten saluted. “Thank you, sir.” He turned to go, but then stopped and looked back at the hole in the wall. It was already dark outside. “Mmm…”

“No, you won’t need to pay for it,” the shaii spat.

Goten gave him a blissful grin. 

The prince watched the third-class go. Then he looked at the wall and the debris surrounding it. He frowned. To hell with the wall. The fact was that the third-class had more power than five average elites put together. This was insane.

“Sir?”

The shaii turned to the drill sergeant. “Yes?”

The sergeant waved the notebook in the air. “What should I write in here, sir?”

“Mark him as ‘above average’.”

The sergeant lowered the notebook slowly. “Sir, is this…” The sergeant reconsidered his question at the look on the prince’s face. He sighed. “Alright, I’ll keep quiet about this, sir. But who will pay for the wall?”

“Send the repair cost to me.”

“And the report on how this happened?”

“Tell them I was having a shitty day.”

ooOoOoOoo 

Goten was humming under his breath while watching Kyon write a letter home. Kyon dutifully wrote home every Saturday. He was hunched over the table, a desk lamp pulled close and a sheet of paper in front of him, while he traced out every letter with exacting care. 

Kyon also received letters. He was probably the only one on base to receive regular mail and parcels. Ranvera had tried to teach him to use e-mail, but Kyon and technology had strong disagreements. The only technology he could use was the fridge and the oven. And to Goten, whose experience with technology exceeded Kyon’s only in using Laundromats and scouters, that seemed like plenty enough.

Goten yawned. It was about time for him to attend his nightly kitchen duty. There were only two days of it left and then he'd be free. He hoped he would stay free of it for a long time.

Goten blinked sleepily, then shook his head. He stood up and headed for the door. He opened it to find himself looking at a passenger’s cabin. Rows of seats stretched out in front of him. They were vacant, not a living soul to be seen. Yet the aircraft was airborne, the soft, soothing hum vibrating through the floor and the empty seats.

Everyone must have gone to their cabins after the plane had taken off. Goten looked back in the direction he had come from. Behind him, he found a bathroom. Ah yes, he must have become violently ill during the take-off.

Goten closed the door behind him softly and started walking towards the spot where he knew the cabins should be. He wanted to go back to his room, but suddenly could not remember which one it was or whether he had one at all. Probably not. He was of no importance after all. 

Goten’s step faltered. For a few seconds, he stared at the door leading towards the front of the plane. Then he picked one of the empty seats next to a window, sat down, and took a moment to think about it. 

Clouds were flowing past the plane. He had never been on a plane before. He was sure of that. He had seen many photographs of different models, though, which easily enabled him to recognize one. He could not remember ever boarding a plane either. Suddenly, this reality did not seem so real anymore.

Goten turned his head towards the sound of an opening door. 

“Oh, here you are,” Gohan said, walking out of the bathroom.

Goten had just taken a look at the bathroom a minute ago. It had been empty. 

“Ah, a dream again,” Goten realized. Now he wondered why it had taken him this long to figure it out.

“Well, yes, something like that,” Gohan agreed.

“Where is everyone?”

“I don’t think they have boarded yet.”

Goten gave him a confused look, then shrugged. For some reason, he could not care much about what was happening. He didn’t feel like questioning it either. Now, knowing that this was a dream, he was just going to take things for granted instead of wondering about them.

“Aren’t you interested where this plane is headed?”

Goten shrugged. “Even if I’m not, you’re going to tell me anyway, right?”

“I’d rather you figured it out on your own.”

“I see. So how is life? Or death? You never answered me. Are you dead or alive?”

Gohan smiled at him. “Can’t I be both?”

Goten frowned at his brother. “I really don’t think so. But how i-”

An explosion shook the plane, Goten’s chest ramming into the seat before him. It took him a few moments to recover, then his still somewhat dazed eyes flickered over the main cabin. Nothing extraordinary was happening. He looked out of the window. He could see four military aircrafts exchanging fire.

Goten grabbed at the seat in front of him as the plane made a sudden turn. “What the hell is going on?” he demanded, his interest in the surroundings suddenly returning with a vital rush. Although this was only a dream, the smell of smoke flooding the cabin and the burning ache in his chest felt all too real.

“It’s an attack,” Gohan explained calmly.

“I can see that!” Goten growled at him. He finally managed to struggle out of the row of seats and now stood on the gangway. “Why are those planes attacking this one? Where are we, for gods’ sake?”

Goten started as there was a loud bump somewhere above their heads. He tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. A small burning red dot appeared. Immediately, it turned into a red line, spewing sparks. Smoke and the smell of molten metal filled the passenger cabin. 

Instinctively, Goten covered his mouth and nose with his hand. Glued to the spot, he watched the glowing line make a sharp corner, then proceed further. A few seconds later it made another sudden turn.

Goten turned his head to Gohan, who had tugged at his sleeve. Gohan motioned towards the front of the plane and moved forward. Goten shook his stupor off and started following him. 

They reached the door and, just before opening it, Goten heard a loud crash. A deafening whoosh of air followed. Goten turned around to see a large piece of metal lying on the gangway, crushing the seats. Loose things and broken pieces of chair were sucked out through the hole in the ceiling. Then Gohan pulled him forward through the door.

The sudden feeling of free falling was so unexpected that Goten cried out. He was still screaming when he plunged into the water. Water got into his mouth and nose. Panicking, he started coughing and gasping for air. He flailed his arms and legs around, but it appeared that he hadn’t sunk too deep and his head and shoulders suddenly tore out of water.

It took Goten a while to get his breath back. Still coughing and wiping at his eyes, he looked around. He was in a large body of water which hung suspended in blue nothingness. The same pool he had seen before. Goten looked upward to see the edge of the world hanging above him.

Someone cleared his throat behind him. 

Goten’s head turned and he splashed around in the water to face his brother. Gohan was standing on the water and looking down at him, arms crossed.

“You seem to have learned to float,” Gohan said, amused. “Quite a feat, considering this is only the second time you've gone for a swim.”

Goten stared up at Gohan, then he lowered his eyes to his brother’s feet. A few questions popped up in his head. Then Goten blinked in realization. He summoned his ki and rose above the water. Now he and Gohan were hovering and facing each other.

Gohan grinned at him. “Took you long enough; slow as usual.”

“Yeah,” Goten agreed. He looked his brother squarely into the eyes. “Are you really Gohan?”

“And what do you think?”

“I’m starting to think that you aren’t.”

Gohan smiled. “Then I’m not, am I?”

Absently, Goten slid his hands over his sides, making the excess water run down his uniform and back into the pool. He was starting to shiver in his wet clothes. “Then who are you?”

“You mean right now?”

“Uhh…”

“I’m…Goten.”

Confused, Goten blinked. “What?”

“Goten!”

Goten frowned at his brother’s face. “What the…?”

“Goten, wake up! You are late for your kitchen duty!”

Goten gasped as he plunged back into the pool. Just before he woke up, he heard Gohan laugh.

ooOoOoOoo 

It was the next day and Goten was in the kitchens, scaling fish for lunch. They had been cleaned and gutted, but there was still a considerable layer of scales left. It wasn’t hard to scale them and Goten was quickly going through the mountains of defrosted fish.

Fish was rare in the region he had grown up. It was expensive and was usually set on the table only on special occasions. It was also less satisfying and gave less energy than other kinds of meat. Nonetheless, it was easily digestible and put less strain on one’s stomach.

Despite the smell, Goten was happy with the current task. The fish was still cool and he preferred it to the scorching heat outside. He had also moved as far from the windows as he could to stay out of the sun.

He was worried about his father. He had left the message on Morawa’s colony a week and a half ago. There was no news so far, only steadily flowing reports about the unrest there. There had been cases when his father would disappear for months and then reappear with bits of news about grand battles and victories which had taken place in the territories he had just returned from.

Goten had given this some thought and he was not a big believer in coincidences. It was suspicious, to say the least. Now, with this newly discovered power inside him, his thoughts had taken on a different tone of speculation. He was nearly sure that his father knew what was going on. He wanted answers.

Nothing really disquieting had happened since he had blown himself up. He felt fine and was functioning normally. Nonetheless, there was nothing normal about him. He realized that perfectly. It was frightening. He was just a tool for someone’s experiments, just a playground. He liked being in control of his actions and now he didn’t know what was happening anymore. It was as if his body was someone else’s. He didn’t know if what was happening to him was a good or bad thing. He was afraid that all these changes were leading to his slow death. How much could his body handle?

The same must have happened to Gohan. He wished he had talked to his brother when he had the chance. He had always felt that there was something weird with Gohan’s rising power. Just before his death, it had been frightening. Just as his was now. Although the prince said that National Security claimed the experiment had nothing to do with Gohan’s death, there had to be a connection.

Goten wished the prince would simply pull a few strings and provide him with answers. Nobody would refuse him. On the other hand, even if he was curious, this was just a hassle for the prince. And now, after that incident in the training hall… Both of them acted as if nothing happened, but something had changed. There was something…

Goten sighed. He stopped scaling the fish and turned around, casting a look around the kitchen. Everyone was hard at work: Kyon was arguing with one of the chefs about which spices to use; the females were grating carrots; Toharu, Ario and Ranvera were mucking around with onions and were openly crying, making fun of each other for it at the same time.

Smiling, Goten watched them. He wished time would stop and he could stay like this forever, with all of them laughing, flirting, talking shit, drinking, throwing up, fighting and simply having fun. He knew he would feel guilty if it did, though.

Goten jumped at the sudden shriek of the alarm from outside. Everyone looked out the windows. Then the alarm broke off and a microphone screeched. 

“Everyone, including the staff and officers, form columns in the training field around the flag to greet a distinguished guest.”

The loudspeakers screeched off into silence. Everyone in the kitchen looked at each other, then filed through the kitchen door. Outside, other savars had started forming columns. Goten was aware of another group of officers standing in a separate formation. He could discern a purple blob in the front row.

Goten smiled sheepishly as the savar beside him sniffed at him, frowning.

“Fish for lunch,” he explained.

“Oh. I see.”

Goten and the rest of the savars looked up at the sky where a dot appeared. Goten shielded his eyes against the glaring sun. It was a spaceship. Not one from Vegeta-sei. Goten continued inspecting it as it got closer. It was one of the Terrans’. Intrigued, he lowered his hand. What kind of business did Humans have here?

The spaceship started to land behind the aerospace center. Goten figured it was as big as the launch pad itself. Everyone’s attention went to the six armored Saiyans who appeared from behind the buildings. The bulky men wore scouters and all of them were armed with serious looking ki-guns.

At the taisa’s command, the whole Hataro Officer Training School saluted, their fists hitting their chests. Goten still had no idea who he was saluting as a tiny blue-haired female pushed the armored Saiyans aside and rushed into the training field.

“Your Highness!”

The blue-haired female stopped, but only to take in the whole training field. Then her eyes sparkled and a huge grin appeared on her face. She spread her arms happily and ran towards the officer columns. 

There was some commotion in the ranks as she lunged at the red-faced shaii. 

“Trunks!” she beamed, grabbing the prince’s face in her palms and kissing him on both cheeks quickly. “It’s so good to see you, baby!”

“Yes, yes, Mother,” the prince tried to calm her down, patting her on her back as she embraced him. “I missed you too.” He was afraid to even look around him, so kept his gaze trained on the back of the blue head. “Nice haircut.”

Wiping at her eyes, his mother raised her head. “Oh yes, just got it a few days ago. But never mind that.” She looked him up and down. “You’ve grown.”

“Yes,” the prince nodded. “It’s been about two years since we saw each other last, hasn’t it?” He squirmed uncomfortably as his mother started tearing up again. He let go of her. “Mother, I think we should finish the official part of the visit. Then we’ll have plenty of time to catch up with everything.”

His mother looked around. She seemed to regain her senses. She nodded and patted him on his arm before turning around and returning to the sanctuary of her bodyguards. The prince’s eyes caught a familiar figure among them. He nodded at his former mentor, acknowledging his presence. The elder man offered a short smile in return.

Silence reigned in the rows while Her Royal Highness, the Princess Vegeta Briefs Bulma, was being introduced. Goten was curiously studying the tiny female. Now he knew where the shaii got his purple hair from; the woman’s blue hair shone brightly from afar. All Saiyan females he had seen so far were at least a whole head taller than her, not to mention their stronger builds. She was older than the savars but she was somehow…very delicate, graceful. This Human female made him want to protect her.

Goten’s eyes shifted a few centimeters away from the charming female. He froze as he met a blue stare. The prince was staring at him with both eyebrows raised, his face reflecting utter disbelief. Goten flushed red to the roots of his hair and dropped his eyes to the asphalt. Mortified, he could feel his cheeks burning.

What Goten didn’t know was that, when the shaii’s gaze left him, the prince saw about eight hundred similar stares directed at his mother. This was like a scene from a nightmare. Irritated, the prince started leading the group of newcomers towards the headquarters. He gritted his teeth as Goten’s gaping face resurfaced in his mind’s eye. So readable, no different from the others. What a simpleton.

He could not believe that he was jealous of his own mother.

Behind him, the shaii heard the officers commanding the savars to return to their previous tasks. He guided the group into the headquarters. Not certain where to go next, he stopped in the middle of the hall. He didn’t know the purpose of his mother’s visit.

“Where should we go next? To the taisa’s office or mine?” he asked.

Bulma gave him a surprised look. “Yours, of course.”

“Alright,” the prince nodded, continuing to walk forward. 

He showed them into his office and took a seat at his usual place behind his desk. He watched the six bodyguards file into the room. He gave his mother a questioning look.

“Is there a pub or a bar or something on the base?” Bulma asked her son.

The prince nodded. “Yes, it’s right next to this building.”

“Right.” She turned to her bodyguards. “You may go and have a decent meal and a drink or two. I’ll send someone to fetch you when you’re needed.”

“But, Your Highness…”

Two pairs of cold, blue-eyed stares made the voice trail off. The captain of the group saluted. “Yes, Your Highness. We’ll await further orders.”

Once the bodyguards left, Bulma made herself comfortable in one of the chairs in front of her son’s desk. 

“What’s with the mass of bodyguards?”

The princess shrugged. “Your father thinks that the situation is turning unstable.”

“He always thinks all situations are unstable.”

“This time it’s more unstable than usual. And I believe that this time he’s right.”

“What is the real purpose of your visit?” He smiled awkwardly. “Not that I’m unhappy, quite the opposite.”

Bulma chuckled. “I just thought I’d make a surprise visit and wish you all the best during your birthday party.”

The prince’s eyes widened. “Oh, I completely forgot!” He scratched his head. “But it’s in two days. Besides… I don’t think there will be a party; you know that Saiyans don’t particularly care about birthdays.”

Bulma winked at him. “They will. As long as we give them a reason to drink.”

The prince laughed softly. “True.”

ooOoOoOoo 

About seven o’clock in the evening, Goten was summoned to one of the phones to answer a call from Morawa colony. While running towards the headquarters, Goten begged whatever Gods there were that this wouldn’t be one of those calls informing him about a deceased family member. He grabbed the receiver with a shaky hand and fitted it over his ear.

“Yes?”

“Hello, Goten. I was told you called.”

A relieved exhalation was torn from Goten’s throat at the familiar sounding voice. “Yes,” he nodded, forgetting that his father could not see him. “There are a few questions I wanted to ask you. But are you alright? What’s going on there?”

“I’m fine. We were ambushed and our spaceship was destroyed, but we beat them back and restored control.”

“I see.” It was amazing how his father could squeeze over a week’s worth of events and bloodshed into only one sentence. 

“And what about you? Is everything okay? Beating the crap out of elites as usual?”

Goten rolled his eyes. His father didn’t have much sense of humor. “Yes, I’m perfectly fine. That is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about – just two days ago I was having a ki differentiation test. Could you try guessing what happened?”

Except for the static sounds in the receiver, it was silent. Then he heard his father clear his throat. 

“I would presume you were better than you’d expected,” he said in a soft drawling voice.

“Would you care to guess _how much_ better?” Goten asked in a soft hiss. Although he had expected this, the shock was making him angry. His father knew. The bastard knew what was going on.

His father cleared his throat again. “This is not a conversation we should have on the phone. It might take me over a week to return to Vegeta-sei. I’ll contact you then.”

“I nearly blew myself up!” Goten growled out at the receiver. “I spent three days in a regeneration tank! I nearly died!”

There was a shocked silence on the other end of the receiver again. “I…I see. I’m sorry to hear that.”

Goten snarled. “Sorry, my ass! Why the hell has nobody told m-”

“Calm down, Goten. We’ll talk about this face to face.”

Goten managed to keep himself from lashing out again. He inhaled deeply. “Alright. I’ll wait for you.”

“Good. Goten… Hmm…”

“What is it?” Goten asked impatiently as his father just trailed off indecisively.

“There is one thing I want to ask you. Well…”

“What is it?” Goten repeated impatiently. 

“I was just wondering... have you met the old man at the end of the world?”

Shocked, Goten simply stared at the wall in front of him. For a few seconds he simply stared at it. Then he shook it off and laughed awkwardly. “What the hell are you talking about? The end of the world? What do you mean?”

“Hmm… So you haven’t. I see. Alright then, see you in a week or so. Bye.”

There was a click and the line went quiet. A few seconds later, Goten took off the receiver and lowered it to the desk. Silently, he watched the receiver wobble back and forward on the smooth surface. 

What the hell had just happened?

TBC


	19. Part 19

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 19

It was about seven o’clock in the evening and Bulma Briefs Vegeta was having dinner at Matilda’s. This was her first experience with the so called officers’ club which was not exactly an officers’ club. From the opposite side of the table, with a somewhat amused smile on his face, the prince was watching his mother’s exploration of the contents of her plate.

“I have eaten worse,” she said defensively, after noticing the look he was giving her. She shuffled a piece of what reminded her of a rat’s snout to the other side of the plate. After that, her fork nipped at a tiny morsel of meat from the miniature haunch. Bulma wanted to put it into her mouth, then she caught the “rat” staring at her forlornly. She lowered her fork back to the plate.

“It has eyeballs,” Bulma whispered.

“They are considered to be the best part,” the shaii noted. “Costs twenty credits each.”

“You’re kidding me…”

“Yeah, I am. Just leave them out,” he said. “They are only decorations. Nobody eats them.”

Bulma gave her son a slightly accusing look. He shrugged. 

“Yes, I know I deserved this for ordering the most expensive dish on the menu, but still…a rat?”

“It’s not exactly a rat. It’s one of those near-extinct marsupials living out in the desert. They are very hard to catch, but their meat is soft and juicy. Besides, it’s very nourishing.”

Bulma frowned at her plate. “I’m eating something which is about to become extinct?”

“Yup.”

Bulma lifted the fork to her mouth and pushed the morsel of meat past her lips. “Well, maybe it’s alright, considering it’s so ugly,” she said, chewing.

The prince rolled his eyes and concentrated back on what was on his plate. He had chosen one of the common meals – a steak with cabbage salad and mashed potatoes. He had never been a fussy eater. The dish was well-done and he was eating it with a healthy appetite.

Apart from him and his mother exchanging occasional phrases over the meal, it was silent in the officers’ club. There were sixteen other people, including the royal bodyguards. All of them were watching the royalty while pretending not to.

The prince took a peek at his former mentor. The large, bulky man seemed to be fine, maybe a little older since the last time they had seen each other. His sharp eyes were exploring the club’s visitors. It was no wonder he had been appointed to be the captain of the bodyguard team – he was one of the best soldiers the prince had ever seen. His experience and wisdom were well-known among the Saiyans. In fact, that had been the reason why he had been selected to be a nanny for a five-year-old Saiyan prince.

Ealdira felt he was being watched and his eyes met the prince’s. They exchanged a brief look. The captain nodded, then his attention went to the door where a handful of noisy savars appeared. 

“How is he doing?” the prince asked, turning his head back.

“Who?”

With a discreet motion of his head, the prince indicated the captain.

Bulma looked over at the next table. “Oh, Ealdira?” Not certain, she shrugged lightly. “I don’t really know. I haven’t seen him for ages either. But he seems to be doing just fine. These might just be rumors, but I heard his mate is expecting a child; should be due in a few months.” Her eyebrows rose questioningly at the prince’s face. “Why are you so surprised?”

“Uhh…” The shaii reached for a glass of juice and took a few large gulps. He wished there was something stronger in there. “I’m not even sure,” he said after swallowing. 

“What? Feeling like you’re getting a younger sister or brother?”

The prince gave her an awkward smile. “Probably something like that.” He noticed that his mother wanted to say something to this, but then changed her mind and continued eating. He wondered how much she knew about their relationship. He wouldn’t be surprised if she knew more than he would have liked her to know.

“Well, how was it?” the prince asked when his mother had pushed her plate away. It was still half-full.

“Actually, it was very good.” She rolled her eyes at the way her son looked at her plate. “You can’t expect me to eat all of it, can you? It’s enough for three of me.”

“Hmm…” the prince drawled thoughtfully. “I was always amazed at how much less Humans eat.”

“Well, we don't make ki-blasts either…” she made several odd moves with her hands, trying to imitate a Saiyan summoning his energy for a ki blast. 

“Yes, I know that. It’s just…”

“…Nor do we fly or whatever for that matter.”

“Actually, some Humans can.”

“Those are extremely rare cases, you know.”

“Well, yes,” the prince agreed. He had finished his steak and pushed his plate aside. His gaze found one of the waiters who rushed over to them in an instant.

“Sir?”

“Two glasses of white wine, please. The usual.”

“Of course, sir.”

In a minute, he and Bulma were sipping from their sparkling glasses. Bulma found the wine too dry, but she didn’t say anything to her son, deciding not to let anything ruin this splendid evening. She could see that he was doing fine. He was a little unbalanced as well, but she presumed it must have been her unexpected visit which made him feel that way. 

Despite him spending much more time on Vegeta-sei, they had always had a warm relationship. This was probably due to the fact that their characters were similar. Both of them were curious by nature, had a sharp mind, and put all of themselves into their work. Nonetheless, she had always wanted more time with him. But now, seeing him sipping his wine leisurely, she thought that maybe it was alright that she didn't get more time. She probably would have spoiled him.

They rose from their table at about nine o’clock. The bodyguards also shuffled to their feet. Two of them moved forward while the captain and the other two let the royalty pass. While walking past him, the prince’s head leaned towards the captain’s discreetly. 

“Eleven o'clock. My room,” he whispered. “216.”

The captain said nothing, falling into step behind them, but the prince knew he would come.

ooOoOoOoo

Wearing a white bathrobe, the shaii appeared from the bathroom. He walked into the room while toweling his hair down. He moved the towel off his face and started at the unexpected sight of a man’s silhouette on his sofa. Then he heaved a sigh of relief, “Oh, it’s you, Ealdira.”

“Yes, the princess dismissed us earlier than expected. I hope you don’t mind?”

The prince shook his head while a pang of suspicion went through him; his mother probably knew. “No, of course I don’t.” He motioned at his cupboard. “There’s some liquor in there. Pour me some as well. Thank you. I’ll get some eats,” he said, walking to the fridge.

Ealdira watched the prince open the fridge, then he left the sofa and walked over to the cupboard. Through the glass doors, he could see a few bottles of red and white wine, half a bottle of brandy, a large bottle of vodka and another one of whiskey. 

“Quite a collection you have here,” he said, opening the glass doors. “And all are brands from Earth. I always thought you were not much of a drinker?”

“I’m not. I just bought them for show. You know, in case someone pays me a friendly visit.”

Ealdira picked up the bottle of vodka and two shot glasses. “Doesn’t happen that often, does it?” he said, carrying everything to the round table in front of the sofa.

“No, it doesn’t. Everyone avoids me like the plague,” the shaii muttered somberly. He kicked the fridge shut. He was holding a plate laden with sandwiches. “Sometimes I feel as if I have some contagious disease.”

“Hmm…” Ealdira hummed, pouring the shots. “Want me to give you a speech about your low self-esteem again?” He looked at the plate the prince had set down on the table. The sandwiches were obviously bought, not made by him. The prince had always been useless at preparing meals. Neither was he very interested in them; Ealdira could bet that there was nothing else in the fridge.

“I think I’ve grown out of that. Besides, it doesn’t really bother me.”

“And now you’re lying, Trunks.”

The prince chuckled softly. “A little bit,” he agreed. He pulled the towel off his head and tossed it onto one of the chairs sitting along the wall where it flopped down with a wet smack. He walked over to the sofa and dropped onto it, bouncing a few times. He crossed his legs and leaned against its back comfortably.

Ealdira held out one of the filled shot glasses for him. “You need to learn to relax.”

“I don’t think my title exactly allows that,” the prince muttered, taking the glass. “It’s more about upholding decency and instilling fear in my subjects.”

Ealdira raised his glass to clink with the prince’s. “You can instill fear in me all you want, but I promise that there won’t be much decency tonight,” he assured the shaii with a chuckle.

The younger man gave an amused snort. “If I had wanted decency, I’d have gone and read some poetry with my mom.”

Ealdira laughed. “The word ‘poetry’ doesn’t belong in a decent Saiyan’s vocabulary.”

The prince grinned at him. “True.” He raised his glass, saluted the elder Saiyan, and downed it. Then he grabbed one of the sandwiches from the plate. He waited for Ealdira to empty his glass. “Another one?”

His former mentor shrugged. “Yes, why not.” He watched the prince while he was filling their glasses. His student had grown, his body filling out into that of a mature male. Even though it was hardly discernible and mixed with the scent of soap, the prince’s bodily odor had also shifted into a sharper one. But he hadn’t gotten much taller. Ealdira suspected that the prince had already reached his full growth. He was a little shorter than an average Saiyan. That was such a shame, but there was nothing to be done about it; his mother and father weren’t tall either.

The prince’s longish lavender hair was drying quickly, becoming lighter in color. As if on cue, the younger male brushed it behind his ear so it would not get into his eyes. 

The prince’s face didn’t have as sharp of features as the other Saiyans. His face also missed that particular tan other Saiyans had after spending years and years under the scorching sun of Vegeta-sei. Ealdira knew from experience that the prince’s skin was paler and quite sensitive to the sun; there had been a few incidents of blistered skin in his childhood. 

Due to his unique heritage, the prince’s looks were seen as exotic. Some Saiyans even called them outrageous. In fact, even if one got used to them, there was also a different mindset to consider. He was less influenced by the stimuli other Saiyans reacted to. Being half-Human, half-Saiyan made him neither and at the same time he was someone who knew both cultures extremely well.

When he was first appointed the task of becoming a mentor to the prince, he had expected to meet an arrogant youngster as most children of prominent elites were. However, when they had met, it appeared that it was nearly the opposite. The five-year-old had been silent and shy, disconcerted by his unusual looks and different way of seeing things. However, he had a never-faltering determination to become a man worthy of the throne. Maybe that determination had been too strong for a child. Maybe it still was, even for a grown man.

Ealdira took the offered shot glass and both of them drank silently, enjoying each other’s company. Once one knew the subtleties of the prince’s character, it was easy to get along with him.

“You seem somewhat desperate,” Ealdira said, lowering his glass to the table. “It’s only my first evening here; we still have four days.” The shaii blushed lightly, which made his former mentor raise his eyebrows.

“A year of abstinence does that to someone,” the prince muttered. He shrugged at the look the elder male gave him. “I don’t want to get involved in anything political and the rest of them here are just too…unprepared for this.”

Ealdira watched him silently, then swung his head from one side to another, sighing. He was actually surprised the prince hadn’t attacked him by this time. “Yes,” he agreed, “that is a wise choice. A relationship like this requires a lot of responsibility.”

The shaii lowered his empty glass to the table and pushed it aside, indicating that he was done drinking. Ealdira, though, not bothering to ask for permission, pulled the bottle closer and poured himself another one. The prince leaned on the table, putting his right elbow on it. His chin found purchase in his palm. Smiling, Ealdira saluted him with his glass. The lavender-haired youth had been admirable as a youngster, and now he was even more stunning as a man.

Ealdira emptied his glass in one gulp, made a face at the burn at the back of his throat and lowered the glass down onto the table. He moved along the sofa to get closer to the shaii who had removed his elbows from the table and was now giving Ealdira all of his attention. Ealdira leaned forward, brushing his lips over the younger man’s.

The prince’s lips were pliant under his, opening and letting him in at once, their tongues meeting; the younger male was desperate for contact. In a few seconds, though, the prince’s mouth turned aggressive. His palms settled on Ealdira’s chest where they started to unbutton his shirt, then slipped under to roam freely, exploring. He pushed at the older male’s chest, flattening him to the back of the sofa.

Ealdira thought about letting the prince do as he wished, but then his hands moved to the younger man’s wrists. The prince suddenly found their positions changed, Ealdira now being the one pressing him into the sofa. He shivered as warm lips pressed to his neck. Ealdira let go of his left wrist to move the fabric of the robe out of his way while his teeth grazed at the shaii’s collarbone. 

The prince sighed softly. The attention felt nice but he wanted more and right now he was getting impatient. He pressed his body against Ealdira’s, wishing he had shed his annoying bathrobe earlier. The elder man, though, paid no attention to his insistent hints. Quite the opposite, he was taking things slower and slower.

“Listen, have a little compassion here,” the prince hissed, his breathing ragged. “It’s been a long, boring year. I’m not in the mood for this…crap. I just want a good hard fuck.” He pushed at Ealdira with the intention of changing their positions again. “Ah!” he gasped as the elder male’s hand snuck under his bathrobe to grab him by his balls. 

“What’s the rush?” Ealdira chuckled, massaging the handful. “The night is young.” He let go and moved to stroke the already hard length.

The prince’s body tensed in pleasure. “Whatever,” he gasped out. “Just keep doing that.”

Without untying the fluffy belt, Ealdira brushed the bathrobe off the prince’s thighs, freeing a jutting erection. He dropped to his knees in front of the sofa, then grabbed the younger male by his hips and pulled him closer to the edge of the sofa. The shaii’s head thumped against the back of the sofa as Ealdira’s mouth engulfed him. His tail uncoiled off his waist and slithered slowly to droop next to his thigh, the white tip of his tail twitching and curling of its own accord.

The prince wallowed in sensations, soft grunts spilling past his lips. His fingers slid into Ealdira’s short cut hair. It was thick and just the right length for him to hold on onto. He came about a minute later, pulling the older male’s head away from him.

“Mmm… Rather messy,” Ealdira said, wiping at his face with his hand. 

“Ti-tissues, there,” the prince pointed, breathless. “Sorry.” Gracelessly, he dropped onto his side, the sofa bouncing. He closed his eyes. “That was good.”

“That was messy and too fast,” Ealdira corrected him, cleaning his face. He carried the tissue box closer to them, then pulled a few of them out and dropped them on the lavender-haired male who was still stretched on his side blissfully, nearly purring. He chuckled at the way the bathrobe was parted around the prince’s waist. It was still tied together by the belt but it was covering nothing, looking absolutely redundant and ridiculous. The prince was better off naked, rather than having his privates hanging out through the gap.

The shaii, meanwhile, had opened his eyes and was staring at what appeared to be the front of Ealdira’s trousers. “That doesn’t look very comfortable,” he said. 

“There’s a very quick remedy for that.”

“I hope not too quick,” the prince chuckled, pushing himself upright. He reached out for the elder male’s belt. He caught Ealdira and tugged him closer, making him drop to his knees on the sofa, straddling the prince. The prince’s fingers started working on the belt. He tugged, freeing the buckle tongue. Then he pulled the belt off, tossing it onto the floor. 

While the shaii was working on the button and the zipper, Ealdira’s hands reached for the prince’s shoulders. By the time the younger man was done with the zipper, Ealdira had hooked his fingers under the bathrobe. His palms slid down the muscled arms and pushed the robe off the prince’s shoulders, letting it pool down behind the prince’s back. The prince was sprouting a light erection again.

“Damn, it’s good to be young.” 

Ealdira grunted as the other man’s hand slid into his pants to pull his cock out. “Where’s the lube and condoms?” he grunted out after a few slow but firm strokes.

“Over there,” the prince pointed at the same cupboard containing the collection of liquor bottles. 

Ealdira slid off the prince. He took his pants off, then undid the rest of the buttons on his shirt that hadn’t been undone by the prince. He walked over to the cupboard.

“In the left drawer,” the shaii pointed. He stared at Ealdira’s bare backside while he was retrieving a bottle of lubricant and a pack of condoms. 

“Not even unpacked,” Ealdira said, holding out the small packet for the prince to see. He grinned when the prince’s eyes rose to his face belatedly.

“I told you I haven’t gotten any since I started working here.”

“What a waste. But the lube seems to be well-used,” Ealdira shook the bottle. “Not that much left.” He leered at the prince.

The shaii rolled his eyes. “It’s plenty for today. Stop mucking around and come here,” he held out his hand.

Obediently, Ealdira returned to the sofa. While letting his shirt slide off his back, he eyed the sofa, imagining a few possible poses.

“Let’s unfold it,” he suggested.

In a few seconds, they had it unfolded and both of them dropped onto it in a mesh of limbs. At some point, the prince, who had already had his first release, realized that this felt more nostalgic than exciting; they had been sleeping together on and off for the past eight years.

“This is the last time, isn’t it?” he muttered between their kisses.

“Yes,” Ealdira murmured, his lips leaving the prince’s mouth and trailing down his chest.

“I was surprised to hear…”

“Now’s not the time to discuss that,” Ealdira said flatly. His teeth bit down on the prince’s right nipple and – even if the prince had wanted to say something – everything was swallowed by a painful grunt.

“H-hey!” the shaii protested, trying to push Ealdira’s head away. His palm fell away when his former mentor changed tactics, and his tongue flicked over the abused bud. Then Ealdira’s mouth traveled down his chest and stomach, his tongue dipping into the prince’s navel. The prince squirmed, bracing himself for further onslaught, but Ealdira moved on, his interest concentrated on the lower regions. His palm stroked the other man leisurely.

A minute later, Ealdira’s hands found purchase under the shaii’s thighs and lifted them lightly. Getting the drift, the prince lifted and spread them, planting his feet on the mattress. The elder man looked around for the packet of condoms and the lubricant. He found the packet on the other side of the bed and, shredding it open impatiently, he pulled out the garland and tore one piece off. Then he picked up the lubricant.

The shaii moved to his hands and knees while Ealdira was putting the condom on. He felt the sofa shift and then a hand landed on his ass. He shivered and his arms felt weak when the elder man’s hand wrapped around the base of his tail. He bit back a moan and arched as the hand slid over the fur. But the hand only moved the tail out of the way carefully. Slick fingers slid down his crevice, then settled down on rubbing around his anus.

Spreading his legs wider, the shaii licked his lips impatiently. He tensed instinctively as the fingers breached him. It took a few seconds for him to relax, then the digits moved deeper into him. They slowly pushed in and out a few times. The shaii tensed, a few sparks of heat shooting down his groin.

Ealdira rubbed at the spongy nub a bit more, eliciting soft grunts of pleasure from the younger man. Deciding that was enough preparation, he pulled his fingers out and, positioning himself, took a hold of the shaii’s hip.

The muscles in the prince’s back strained as Ealdira pushed into him. Vaguely, he felt Ealdira’s right hand settle on his other hip. It was slippery. He shivered at the feeling. The prince’s forehead dropped onto the sofa. He groaned softly when the elder male had stopped pushing finally, now fully sheathed inside him. 

Ealdira started thrusting slowly. At first, even though he had made sure that there was enough lubrication, the prince still flinched a few times. The younger man really hadn’t been using this part of his body. Smiling lightly, Ealdira leaned over the shaii's smooth back to plant a few soothing kisses along it. He thought about making a bit of small talk to distract the prince, but then decided against it.

He rocked unhurriedly, letting the other male adjust to him. He increased the pace when the prince became more active, starting to meet his thrusts. 

They rocked in unison, Ealdira grunting, the prince gasping with every thrust. Ealdira soon felt he was going to come. His hand snuck around the prince’s waist to grab his cock and start pumping it in tune with his thrusts. His hips now were slamming against the prince’s. The prince’s spine arched, his thighs spreading further apart. 

“Oh gods, yes,” he groaned, his senses overloaded, not sure whether to push back onto the pleasuring cock or forward into the gratifying fist. “Yes!”

“I’m… ‘m going gh-…”

“Ti-ssues! T-tissues!”

It took Ealdira an enormous amount of self-restraint to look behind him. Through his blurry vision, he spotted the box of tissues to his left. He let go of the other male’s cock, grabbed the box and shoved it under the prince who hurriedly pulled a handful of tissues out of it.

The prince came first with a strangled groan, pushing back onto Ealdira as far as he could go. Ealdira followed him by just a few seconds.

Exhausted, both of them dropped onto the sofa. A minute later, the prince shifted. He dropped the soiled tissues onto the floor.

“Hey, you’re heavy.”

Ealdira rolled off of him and laid down on his back. He took the condom off and tied a knot. He dangled it in the air, not sure where to put it. The prince turned over on his stomach, then took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. He heard a wet flop somewhere in the general direction of the bin.

“The bedding is in that box,” the shaii indicated with his head towards a large wooden box in the corner of the room. “I don’t think you’ll be walking back to your room now, will you?”

“I certainly should,” Ealdira said, rising and walking over to the box, “but I won’t.”

The prince propped his head on his elbows to give his former mentor’s backside a grateful look. “Thanks. For everything. Really.”

“Let’s not get too sentimental, shall we?” Ealdira said, picking up the blankets and pillows. He gave the prince a look. “These come in twos here?”

“No, but never did I imagine that I wouldn’t have a lay for a whole year.”

Ealdira chuckled lightly, then dropped the bedding onto the prince. “Here, sort this out.”

The lavender-haired man gave another sigh and slid off the sofa. He put the sheet on, dropped the pillows at one end of the sofa, threw the blankets in the middle, and was back on the sofa in a few seconds.

“You’ve gotten efficient while I wasn’t looking,” Ealdira complained, sitting down on the sofa.

The shaii ignored this and rolled over onto his stomach again. He fluffed one pillow and stuck it under his head. He closed his eyes. Damn, the feeling was good.

Ealdira’s palm slid over the prince’s smooth and relaxed back. The prince hummed softly, appreciating the closeness. Ealdira brushed the lavender hair off the prince’s shoulder, then kissed it. “You grew up into a fine man,” he said.

The prince snickered softly into the pillow.

Ealdira sighed. “I see that you still don’t know how to accept compliments.”

It was silent in the room for a few seconds, then the prince shifted, crossing his arms on the pillow and leaning his head on them. He stared at the speckled sofa pattern before his eyes, which was not covered by the sheet.

“Someone has recently said that he likes my scent.”

The captain looked at the back of the lavender head. He wondered what exactly the words meant. He could not gauge the expression on the prince’s face this way, but the body language was as good an indication as any.

“You like him.”

“Mmm… Yes,” the shaii answered honestly.

And yet the prince was here in bed with him. A few alarm bells rang in Eldira’s head. He did not think the prince would be too shy to approach the man and could not think of many reasons for him to reject the prince. 

“He already has a steady partner, or is he…a second-class?” He was giving the back of the prince's head a questioning look. There was no answer, but the muscles on the prince’s back had tensed. Ealdira waited for the prince to break the silence, but no words came. He sighed. “Really, a second-class? Trunks, this is…” He shook his head, then moved to sit closer to the other man. Now he could see the prince’s face. “This might escalate into a scandal if you are not careful.”

The prince laughed softly. A little surprised, Ealdira gave him an awkward smile. The prince raised his head to look him in the face. He brushed a few lavender strands of hair out of his eyes.

“You’re too serious about this. It will never come to that.”

Ealdira watched him with knowing eyes. “I think it is serious. You wouldn’t have mentioned him otherwise. You do want him. Either for sex or company or both, but you do want him. Is the feeling mutual?”

The prince looked discontent with his questions and Ealdira thought the conversation would end here. 

The prince frowned at him, then lowered his head back onto the pillow. He knew Goten’s head was filled with thoughts about his brother’s death, vengeance, confusion, Ario and Toharu, elites, third-classes, his studies and other things, leaving no space for anything else. “I’m not sure. Besides, it’s just… It’s simply ridiculous!”

Ealdira reached out to brush a lavender strand off the younger man’s face. “Is it?” He continued, his palm sliding over the lavender head and then settling on a pale shoulder. “Is that how you really feel about the entire situation?”

“I feel…lost. This should not be happening,” the shaii admitted. Then he remembered overhearing a few savars talking about how Goten’s two friends were contesting for him openly. “And annoyed,” he added. “I definitely feel annoyed.”

“I see. What will you do if it appears that your feelings are mutual?”

The prince’s blue eyes snapped at him. “Nothing! I will do absolutely nothing and let’s just leave it at that!”

Taken aback by the sheer amount of displeasure in the prince’s voice, Ealdira nodded. “Alright.” He cuffed the prince over the back of his head. “And don’t you speak to me in that tone!”

“Ouch! Hey!”

“Spoiled brat,” Ealdira said fondly, ruffling through the lavender hair. He stroked it a few times, then removed his hand and continued watching the steady rise and fall of the prince’s back and shoulders. The younger male had already drifted off to sleep.

Ealdira stood up carefully and went to the fridge. He opened it only to find that he had been right and there was nothing inside it; Except for a bottle of water, it was empty. Sighing, he returned to the bed where he unfolded the blankets and threw one over the prince and another over himself. 

He was hungry. Little selfish brat. Not so little anymore, in fact. Trunks had become a powerful man and was a high ranking warrior. He had fallen in love as well. Ealdira heaved a sigh. It didn’t seem that the object of the prince’s affection was aware of that and if he was…he had to commend the man. There were a lot of those who went through life on their hands and knees with their asses raised in the air. The problem with that was that, in such a position, it was impossible to keep one’s head high. Eldara had to admit that he was curious about this particular specimen the prince was so attracted to.

ooOoOoOoo

“So what do you want for your birthday present?”

The shaii raised his head to look at his mother. “I believe your arrival is the best present I could’ve expected,” he said giving her his best diplomatic smile. 

Bulma’s fingers tapped on the desk before her. “Riiight,” she hummed cheerfully. “Now, you do know that my birthday is also in less than two months?”

“Yes, of course,” the prince nodded, happy that she had not asked when; he had no idea. Nonetheless, he was becoming suspicious of this sudden turn in the conversation.

“Now, do you know what would be the best present for your dear mommy?”

“Uhh…” the prince drawled. He knew, he really knew, but no one could make him say it.

Bulma put her hands together and crossed her fingers. She looked at her grimacing son. “A grandchild, Trunks, a grandchild,” she prompted.

“Oh gods,” the shaii groaned loudly. “This again? I don’t want children! Not yet anyway. Let’s talk about this in ten years’ time?”

“Trunks, let’s face it, you’re never going to be ready. It’s now or never. Do you currently have a steady partner?”

“Well…no.”

“See? So why not now? It will be difficult when you do find one. Trunks, speaking in Earth terms, you’re gay. This was one of the reasons why you were never very fond of Earth and would rather stay on Vegeta-sei. Nobody here discriminates against gay people. Almost everyone here is bisexual. Your father, your grandfather, nearly everyone. Saiyans fuck anything that has a hole. It’s a paradise for you!”

The shaii now was giving his mother a somewhat disgusted and skeptical look. “In fact, that has very little to do with why I prefer Vegeta-sei.”

Bulma rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you are the descendant of the Vegeta House and your priority is the Saiyan Empire, sure. You have a rank and everything here, but c’mon, Trunks. I know you don’t feel at home here. I remember you telling me once that a lot of what Saiyans do seems strange in your mind. _'A completely different world.'_ Those were your words, Trunks.”

“That was a long time ago, Mother. Besides, it’s not like I feel at home on Earth. People there stare at me like I’m a freak.”

“Ah, that is just because of your tail. You can just cut it off.”

For a moment, the prince looked horrified. “What the hell are you saying?” he choked out, his tail wrapping around his waist protectively. “It’s like…like…”

“…cutting your penis off?”

“Mother!”

“Yes, yes, I know. Your father reacted the same way when I suggested it. I was warned not to touch yours or anyone else’s tail under any circumstances.” She smiled lightly. “Well, except for h-”

“Mom,” the prince raised his hand warningly, “I really don’t want to be having this conversation.”

“Yes, yes, I’d rather be having one about your future children.”

“Mother, if you don’t stop this now, I’ll make sure not to give you grandchildren. Ever,” the prince threatened. 

Bulma sighed. “It’s not that I find this funny, believe me. I’m a little…”

The prince watched his mother silently. She had always wanted more children, he knew that. Only her body could not give them to her. She shouldn’t have had a half-Saiyan baby. She had nearly died at the time, and the damage had been long-lasting. This was also one of the reasons that he felt a little awkward around her. At times like these when he felt pressured and manipulated, he wanted to give in because he felt guilty.

“Yes, I understand your wishes,” the shaii conceded to acknowledging her longing, “but I am not ready.”

“I hope you find a Saiyan male lover. It would be difficult to have this kind of a relationship triangle with someone from Earth.” She sighed at the look of confusion on her son’s face. “Your partner will be a man and then you'll need a woman to give birth to my grandson. A man from Earth might have some trouble with that kind of arrangement.”

The prince gave her a look balancing between resigned disinterest and annoyance. “Look around. Do you see any Earthlings here?”

“Can be arranged,” Bulma said cheerfully. “As long as I have a grandchild.”

“Doesn’t it disturb you, all these talks about my sexuality and me having sex? I’m absolutely certain that any other m-”

“Sweetheart, I don’t care about your sexuality. I just want a grandson.”

The shaii sighed. “I don’t think we’ll get anywhere with this.”

ooOoOoOoo

During the past three days, Goten had been doing a lot of thinking. About what his father had to say about his anomalous power, about the whole mystery of him getting into the school and about that old man on the edge of the world. He knew he could not reach any conclusions from the little information that he knew. Nonetheless, his mind could not stop going round and round over the dozens of questions that he had.

He didn’t have those dreams with the pool and edge of the world anymore. Probably the “old man” was afraid to come because he felt he would be seriously interrogated. On the other hand, Goten knew from experience that while dreaming, he perceived his surroundings quite differently and might just forget to ask questions.

It had been shocking to realize that, what he had thought was only in his head alone, was… He had no idea what it was. Another curious fact was that his father had been talking about some old man while he had only seen Gohan in those dreams. This convinced him that the “Gohan” he was seeing wasn’t really his brother at all. Who the hell was he and what was “the end of the world”?

The only thing he was sure of was that his attempts to answer these questions only gave birth to even more questions. He was starting to feel that if he came up with any more, his forehead would split in half. He decided that this was a good time to pay a visit to _Matilda’s_.

Recently, just as he had promised his friends, his visits to the club were rare. He had finally finished his nightly kitchen duty and caught up with his studies. He would have progressed even further but for the current stress – not only didn’t it let him concentrate, it also robbed him off his sleep.

Goten left his barracks and headed for _Matilda’s_. His eyes found his friends at the end of the officers’ club as soon as he entered. First, he went to the counter to get some beer. Once he was holding his mug in his hand, he headed towards his company.

“…seen that tall bulky man among the princess’s bodyguards?” Toharu’s questioning voice wafted over the table where his friends were enjoying their drinks.

“All of them are tall and bulky,” Kyon said.

“You mean the captain?” Ranvera specified.

“Yes, yes, that one. So remember when we went to _Matilda’s_ two days ago and saw the bunch of them here? And just before they left, I saw our shaii whisper something into the captain's ear? Sure enough, he went to the headquarters later that night. And guess when he left? At six! At six in the morning!”

“No way!”

Ario shook his head. “Oh c’mon, I heard he worked as the prince’s mentor since he was a five-year-old brat!”

“You naive idiot… He’s fucking the prince!” Toharu snorted. “What a brilliant way to serve the Saiyan Empire! He’s practically fucking it!

“What?” Toharu snapped at Kyon who had been trying to get his attention for a few seconds by tugging at his sleeve.

Behind Toharu, Goten cleared his throat. “I’d be very interested to hear the rest of the details of your marvelous theory,” he said, setting his mug down with a loud thump.

“Aw man!” Toharu groaned. “Me and my damn mouth!”

TBC


	20. Part 20

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 20

The taisa loved parades. This was obvious from the way he was looking at the columns of marching savars. His eyes glistened and his face shone with pride. He, the officers, and the most important guest on base were sitting on a platform with a canopy stretched over it to protect their distinguished heads from the sun.

Farther ahead, on the training field, rows and rows of tables were arranged with glasses and snacks on them. This was a symbolic gesture in celebration of the prince’s nineteenth birthday. This was, or more precisely – the food was, the reason the savars were in high spirits and their feet nearly moved of their own accord, striking the ground.

A squad of second year elites was first to proudly march past the platform. They stopped to salute the platform, then moved on. They were followed by nine squads of second-classes, then ten squads of first years. 

Curious, Ealdira noticed that – even if he had been hardly paying any attention to the parade previously – the prince’s eyes lingered on the seventh squad of first years. He hadn’t noticed the prince showing particular interest to any of the officers either. Ealdira felt like a kid who had just gotten a new toy – it was so much fun to try and guess which one of these nameless savars was The One. 

After the parade, the savars were allowed to sit in the shade and enjoy a drink and a few elaborate sandwiches. Throngs of them were sitting on the stools, leaning around on the temporary pillars erected above the tables that were blanketed with covers.

“Maybe Her Highness would like to see a performance from our most advanced students?” the taisa asked the princess.

Bulma smiled politely. Her troubled gaze shot to her son, who shook his head discreetly, indicating that she really didn’t want to say yes. “Oh, let them rest,” she said, offering one of her best smiles. “The sun is scorching.”

“Hmm…” the taisa drawled while raising his eyes to the sky. “No different than usual.” He lowered his head and sipped from his glass. “Pity,” he said, and there was a pout in his voice.

“Why don’t we go and join them instead?” Bulma suggested. “This is a joyous event for the whole Empire, after all.”

The shaii wasn’t sure whether that was a good idea: he knew the savars would be hesitant to talk or interact with her. They would stare at her with those hungry eyes, though. Well, that would go both ways – he knew his mother was also excited by having so many fit young men around her. She always was. 

So was he.

It went just as presumed – groups of savars who were previously laughing and horsing around would quiet down as the royal family approached. Most of them would smile sheepishly and there were only a few who were bold enough to start a conversation. But it was good enough, and soon the atmosphere started warming up again.

At some point, Ealdira felt someone looking at him. He turned his head slightly to meet a young savar’s gaze. Ealdira had expected the savar to turn away, but the youngster gave him one more curious look. The savar was about to turn away when his eyes locked on something beside Ealdira. The captain turned to spot the prince standing next to him. Smiling softly, the prince saluted the savar with his glass. The youngster answered in kind and took a sip.

Ealdira looked at the savar again. A second-class, with shorter hair than everybody else’s, of average height, of average looks. He watched the youngster empty his glass and wander off to join one particularly loud group. The captain looked at the prince again.

“Could this be the one?” he half-asked, half-joked.

“Hmm?” the prince hummed sipping his wine absentmindedly. He nearly choked when his brain deciphered the question. His eyes shot to the spot the savar had been several seconds ago then, realizing he had given himself away, he blushed. “Gmm… What makes you think…?” he started, then dropped the unfinished sentence as there was no use in denying his obvious reaction. He blushed even more.

Incredulous, Ealdira’s eyes began rifling through the savars, trying to find the guy again. “No way, that one? But… Damn, where did they go?”

The shaii downed the rest of his wine in one gulp and suddenly choked. Caught in a coughing fit, his eyes watering, he stumbled forward as Ealdira placed a few well-aimed thumps on his back. “Th-thanks,” he breathed out a minute later while grabbing the napkin his former mentor offered. He wiped at his nose, glad that he had chosen to drink white wine.

“So what’s his name?” Ealdira asked after the prince got a hold of himself. He chuckled at the look the lavender-haired man gave him. “You know, I can just as easily find him and ask him personally.”

The prince glared at him. “You wouldn’t.”

“You sure?” He laughed softly at the flustered prince. “Nah, I wouldn’t,” he agreed a second later. “Because, first, I can’t leave my post. Second, it seems I’ve already caught his attention.”

“What do you mean?”

Ealdira shrugged. The look the savar had given him had been…somewhat disturbing. That hadn’t been any hero worship in his eyes like the looks youngsters usually gave him. This one seemed genuinely curious about his persona, but there hadn’t been much friendliness in that gaze. 

“I think there are already rumors about us floating around on base,” Ealdira concluded. “I might just be thinking too much into it though.”

The prince was looking at him closely. He groaned. “Seriously?” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly when Ealdira shrugged again. “Crap. Was he…jealous?”

Ealdira’s brow rose at the hopeful tone. “Well, if I’m any judge, I think he might have been more…intrigued than jealous.”

“That annoying little bastard.”

Ealdira chuckled, “You two seem to share a rather unusual relationship.”

ooOoOoOoo

The savars had the rest of the day off. Most of them started it by leaving their empty glasses of wine behind them and proceeding to the officers’ club for more. Goten was also one of those who had suddenly found themselves at one of _Matilda’s_ tables with a large mug of beer in one hand and a piece of dried fish in the other. He wasn’t certain how it happened, but figured that Toharu sitting across the table and grinning at him must have had a lot to do with it.

“I was serious when I said I was done with drinking,” Goten complained, staring at his mug greedily. Realizing that he didn’t appear very convincing, he waved the fish in the air to give his protest some additional weight.

“Don’t be an asshole – this is the Saiyan Prince’s birthday,” Kyon admonished. “It’s only proper to celebrate it.”

“Hmm… True,” Goten said, giving into temptation rather quickly. He lifted his mug. “To the prince.”

“To the prince,” his friends echoed, clinking their mugs together.

Goten glugged down half of the mug at once. He slammed it down on the table, letting out a sound full of satisfaction, then burped loudly. He turned his head to the side and tore at the fish in his left hand with his teeth. He was in heaven.

“It seems that you’ve been missing it,” Toharu pointed out. “Why torture yourself?”

“Beer’s good for digestion,” Ranvera endorsed him.

“Yeah, after having some beer, I always look for something more to digest,” Ario snorted. “Ah!” he yelped as someone pinched his ass. He turned to glare at Toharu beside him.

“I’ve always liked guys with big asses, so don’t you worry about that, sweetheart,” Toharu said, patting Ario on his abused behind. 

Ario considered saying something, then decided not to bother. His interest went to his mug of beer. He did seem to be pleased, though.

Toharu grinned at Goten, who was chewing on the stretchy fish. “See? One compliment and he’s all silent.” He drew his arm around his lover’s broad shoulders. “My big shy mountain of a hunk,” he purred fondly, rubbing his spiky head against Ario’s uniform.

Ario’s eyebrows rose while he was giving Toharu an amused look. “Who the hell are you calling shy?”

“Well, you never express your affection for me in public,” Toharu whined, somehow managing to grin and pout at the same time.

“What are you? A dog? Do you want me to pat you and play fetch all the time?”

The whole table started sniggering at the theatre. Toharu sighed, “Bad owner. If…” he trailed off at the sight of a group entering the club. The rest of the table followed his gaze. The prince and the princess, followed by the taisa and five elite bodyguards were maneuvering amongst the tables towards the one in the middle of Matilda. For a few seconds, a startled silence reigned inside the club then, slowly, the soft buzzing of the crowd restarted. The group of newcomers settled at the table, the guards taking places at the nearby tables. The waiters rushed over to the royalty at once.

“Goten?” Kyon drawled indecisively a few minutes later.

“Mm?”

“Is it only me or is the captain of the bodyguard team staring at you? What the hell did you do again?”

Goten turned around, but the captain wasn’t looking at him anymore. Still, through the corner of his eye he had noticed him avert his gaze. Goten dropped the fishbone on the table.

Toharu groaned. Ario looked at him, then back at Goten. “A catfight?” Ario ventured in an overly cheerful voice. “Listen, Goten, baby, I’ll take your head off if you so much as look funny at the captain. For your own good.”

“Wha-?” Goten gasped in protest at this turn of events. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he demanded.

“You tell me!” Ario growled out at him. “He just came in here and, the next thing we know, he's staring at you!”

Ranvera spat some of his beer back into the mug and wiped at his chin as the bits and pieces fell into place in his head. “Don’t tell me…” he said in a fretful voice, looking at Goten. “You’re jealous. You’re jealous of him fucking the prince, aren’t you? Oh gods…”

“No way!” Kyon gasped.

His eyes wide, Goten stared at Ranvera. “Wha-?”

“Shhh, you idiots!” Ario barked at them. “Do you even realize where you are? They’re sitting only a few meters away from us!”

“Ah fuck,” Toharu cursed, ignoring his lover. “And I tried so hard to beat some sense into you!”

“Can we do that literally?” Ario suggested. “He’s been getting on my nerves lately.”

Goten looked around the table. Contrary to what he had thought, no one seemed to be very amused. Stunned, he raised his hands. “Wait. Wait a moment, everyone. You’re making some premature conclusions here.”

“The only premature thing here is your hair loss!” Toharu snarled, whacking Goten on his baldish head.

Goten slapped the hand away angrily. “Will you quit that?” he growled at Toharu. “I interact a lot with the prince,” he whispered softly, turning back to the table. “So of course I was curious. I went to check the guy out. No big deal, you see?”

“Curious?” Toharu sniggered. “More like green with envy!”

“I’m a third-” Goten’s sentence was muffled by Toharu’s palm. Goten moved it away. “He’s an elite. The prince, for gods’ sakes, you idiots! You can’t be serious!”

“Either he’s stupid or he's in denial,” Toharu said.

Ario raised his hand. “I vote for ‘stupid’.”

“Hmm… I refrain,” Kyon said.

“I vote for another drink,” Ranvera announced, lifting his empty mug.

“I vote for a change of topic,” Goten demanded. “I have had enough of this!”

“You don’t have the right to vote,” Toharu informed him. “You never had.” He got a little worried at the way the third-class’s expression changed – this was getting personal. If you wanted to really piss Goten off, you just had to mention something his class had no right to do. Even if Goten realized he was only being teased, he could not suppress his anger.

“Alright, alright,” Ario reached out to clap Goten on his shoulder, seeing the younger male’s irritation rising. “Calm down. We’re just fucking around with you.”

Goten’s eyes left Toharu. Toharu gave his lover a grateful look, then patted Goten on his head. “Just don’t get involved with any of them and it will be alright.”

Goten groaned, “Here we go again. I’m not involved in anything!”

“We are just worried about you.”

“More likely you're just looking for a good laugh at my expense,” Goten muttered.

“That too,” Toharu nodded. “But I think ‘worried’ prevails.”

“Yeah, you’re still my favorite,” Ranvera saluted him with his empty mug.

“Out of how many?” Goten could not help biting out.

“Uh-oh,” Ario grunted. He elbowed Toharu. “Do something, they are starting again.”

“You’re so unfair!” Ranvera complained.

“Yeah,” Kyon nodded at him. “And because you love being fair, you never refuse to fuck a few individuals at once, do you? Just to be fair to all of them.”

“I’m gonna kill you one day,” Ranvera said, pointing his finger threateningly at Kyon. He turned to Goten. “Don’t listen to that idiot. He was the one who seduced me in the first place!”

Kyon gasped. “I did not!”

Goten was playing with the fishbone on the table, his thoughts far away from the two bickering males. All he could hear was a few random words filtering through the pleasant buzz in his head. He sighed as the fishbone shed he had been trying to build fell apart. He stood up abruptly. “Toilet,” he informed the four pairs of eyes which rose to him questioningly.

Since the evening was only beginning, the toilets were deserted and mostly clean. Goten took care of his business and soon stood at the sinks washing his hands. He started as someone’s large body leaned next to the sink he was washing his hands in. Goten raised his eyes, tracing the muscular silhouette. He stared at the face framed by a halo caused by the light bulb hanging overhead. 

“Oh, it’s you,” Goten said, relieved. He lowered his eyes and continued washing his hands.

“And who did you expect?” Ario asked.

“No one in particular,” Goten said, shaking the water off his hands to dry them before wiping them on his trousers. “But better you than anyone else.”

Ario shrugged. “You do realize that Toharu is simply worried about you?”

Goten rolled his eyes. “Well, yes. But he’s being nasty about it.”

“Not really. He doesn’t really distinguish between classes; he means no harm. You know that he’s of mixed classes as well.”

“Eh?”

Ario was surprised. “So neither Kyon nor Ranvera told you? Hmm… It seems they can be pretty discreet when they want to be.”

“But Toharu… You don’t mean?”

“Oh yes, I do mean,” Ario laughed, seeing how Goten was shocked. He knew Goten had a lot issues when it came to classes. “A mix between an elite and a second-class,” he added, feeling some perverse satisfaction at the way Goten was reacting. 

Goten stared at him for a few more seconds, only now starting to realize why Toharu was so bent on trying to prevent the imaginary relationship between him and the prince. This was exactly why Toharu could so easily envision different classes together – he was used to it. After all, he had the blood of two different classes running through his veins.

Ario calmly met Goten’s wide and questioning stare. “Yes, Goten, I’m fucking a cross between an elite and a second-class, and I love it. You know, I’d fuck him even if he were a third-class like you, had one eye, one arm and no legs. I don’t care about all that bullshit. All I know is that he’s good for me. I’d give my life for him and I know he would do the same for me. I found him, I worked my ass off to get him, and I’ll never let him go. Even if he wants me to.”

Goten’s eyes, half-horrified, half-fascinated, bore into Ario, who was looking right back at him with malevolent intensity, as if daring Goten to protest. Then Goten dispelled the moment by shaking his head. “I need a drink,” he said. “This is too much to take for a sober mind.”

His muscles flexing, but at the same time his body losing its tension, Ario pushed himself off the wall. “Oh, that can be fixed in a minute or two.”

In an hour, Goten could be found laughing happily at a joke Toharu had just told. He had emptied six mugs of beer and was in love with the entire universe. He was also in love with Kyon, who had somehow appeared next to him and was now talking about how to prepare his favorite dish. For some reason, Goten found the topic unbelievably boring but very amusing at the same time. 

Goten’s love for the whole world expanded even more when he felt Kyon’s tongue in his mouth. Kyon was a good kisser. Not that Goten could impart any serious judgment at the moment. It simply felt good. Feeling Goten respond, allowing to do what he wanted, Kyon did exactly that – his arms wrapped around Goten’s neck and shoulders and he pressed himself against the younger male. Goten liked the body warmth and shifted closer to him.

A few minutes later, Goten yelped loudly as he was suddenly flung back off Kyon and onto the floor. He fell on his behind with a loud thud, his legs still half-hanging on the bench. He saw Ranvera’s profile swim into his vision, then Ranvera’s fist collided with his roommate’s eye. At that point, Goten stopped looking because someone was lifting him off the ground. It appeared to be Toharu.

Toharu seated Goten on the bench next to himself. He watched Kyon’s leg catch Ranvera in the stomach, sending him crashing over a nearby table. Ario was faster than the waiters and grabbed Kyon by the scruff of his neck before he could get to Ranvera. Ranvera, meanwhile, had launched himself at Kyon but Ario moved aside, pulling Kyon out of Ranvera’s way and tripping him. Ranvera tumbled to the ground and Ario bent to pick him up with his left hand. He shook both of his captives violently.

“There, there,” Toharu said, patting Goten on his head soothingly. The third-class was oblivious to the incident and was leaning against Toharu, half-asleep. 

Still keeping the two males apart, Ario told the names to the club owner who immediately added the amount of the damage done to the club to Ranvera’s bill. After that, the bulky Saiyan walked to the door and threw both of them outside, leaving them to clear up the situation on their own.

Ario’s eyebrows rose at the sight of Goten sleeping on Toharu’s lap. “What the hell is this?” he demanded, peeling Goten off his lover. “You seem too comfortable there, you little bastard.”

Goten blinked his sleepy eyes at him, then smiled sweetly. “Ario,” he said, clinging happily to the tall Saiyan.

“He’s all sunshine when drunk,” Toharu commented. “Sweet like a kitty.” 

“Well, I must admit that he isn’t that bad when sober either. Just less…clingy,” Ario said, pushing Goten off him.

Toharu chuckled. He got up off the bench. “Let’s go to sleep.”

ooOoOoOoo

Saluting, Goten watched the spaceship disappear from sight. He was itchy all over: his back was sticky with sweat; his short hair was under the beret, his scalp tingling. At least the officers were sensible or merciful enough not to make them stand while facing the sun.

Finally they had left. Not that Goten was complaining – he had gotten some free time to spend with his friends. He also valued the experience of meeting the charming princess and the prince’s… He wasn’t very sure what the former prince’s mentor was to him, but it certainly had been interesting. Nonetheless, it was good that they were finally away.

The command to stop saluting finally came and Goten’s hand instantly shot out to peel his beret off and give his scalp a good scratch. He sighed contently and put it back on. He liked routine. Unexpected surprises and changes annoyed him. Now to do some more running around the base as usual and everything was going to be fi-

“Everyone, get into the training hall!”

… _fucked up_ , Goten finished in his head, groaning. He, and the rest of the seventh squad, ran after their sergeant. Goten knew that his squad had already had a few sessions where savars practiced martial arts on each other. Luckily, he had skipped those while being preoccupied at the medical bay and then by using his exemption from physical activities. 

Goten looked around, searching for a way to relieve himself from this unwanted activity. Pretending to trip over the threshold and hit his head on that box over there would be… There was also a heavy metallic rod leaning against the wall further ahead. It could accidentally fall on his foot or something.

“Don’t even think about it!”

Goten’s eyes nearly shot out of their sockets as the sergeant’s fist whacked him over the back of his head. Goten was sensible enough not to ask what he shouldn’t be thinking about and simply saluted yelling out a simple ‘yes, sir’.

Once all of them were inside, the sergeant, after fishing around in his pocket for a few seconds, pulled out a crumpled list with the squad members and the results of their physical tests. While the sergeant was reading the list in order to pair up savars with similar fighting abilities, Goten looked around. Only squad seven remained. That meant they were going to be strictly observed, mentored, and yelled at.

The sergeant finished reading the list and stuck it back into his pocket. Goten suddenly found himself looking at a burly elite standing in front of him. Goten smiled politely, then turned around and jogged over to his sergeant.

“Sir?” he saluted.

“Yes?”

“I believe there has been a mistake, sir. I have an elite for a partner. I can’t have an elite for a partner! I don’t like…”

“Nobody gives a damn what you like,” the sergeant barked out. “Now, get back!”

“Yes, sir!” Goten gave him an unhappy look, then jogged back to the waiting elite. He offered his partner another polite smile.

“What the hell are you grinning at?” the elite snorted at him. 

“I’m trying to appear friendly,” Goten said. “I’m not excited about this either, you know.” 

The elite shrugged. “You looked quite good while fighting that Toharu guy. But if you're so worried, you can just pretend to drop unconscious and I will drag you to the med bay.”

“Why not other way round?” Goten asked. “You drop unconscious and _I_ will drag _you_ to the med bay.”

The elite wasn’t sure what to make of that, so he just gave Goten a quizzical look. Goten offered him another smile. He really didn’t want to fight with an elite. Nothing good ever came out of fighting an elite. Only some blood, a few broken bones, and some spit.

“Listen, Goten,” the elite started, and Goten was impressed that he knew his name. “I’m not interested in your fights with some of us at the Laundromats. I think they were asking for it. So let’s not turn this into some revenge game, okay?”

Goten thought about hugging the elite, then decided not to. After all, he didn’t like elites in general. Even the ones who were sensible. “Sure!” he agreed, his mood improving. He turned back to the sergeant, who was now standing in front of the mass of bustling savars. He whistled to get everyone’s attention, then told them to spread out to make some room for fighting.

At the start signal, the elite moved forward, his fist flying out at Goten’s head, but the third-class jumped out of his way, his leg shooting out at the elite’s stomach from the side. There was a loud “uff” as all the air was knocked out of the elite and he flew backwards. He hit the ground with another loud grunt. Gasping for air, he rolled over and stood up. The elite was just in time to divert Goten’s punch to the side. Goten leaned back to avoid the fist that swung past his ear. With his left hand, he grabbed the elite’s wrist, tugging him forward and ramming his knee in the elite’s stomach. The elite doubled over and Goten finished his partner by locking his hands together and ramming them into his back, making him collapse.

Uncertain if it was over or not, Goten carefully moved away from his partner while still ready to switch over into defensive at any time. He exhaled the breath he had been holding in. The elite didn’t show any intention of getting up. The man moved onto his hands and knees, shaking his head and groaning painfully.

It had been different than fighting Toharu or the prince. Toharu had been slower than him and not as strong, but Toharu had a lot of fighting techniques to fall back on. He and the prince were about the same speed and the prince’s defensive was more slack. However, being a couple of years older gave the prince more strength and experience than Goten. The fight with this elite was…he had neither speed, nor strength, nor was he good at martial arts.

Goten felt someone looking at him and turned to meet the sergeant’s eyes. The sergeant pulled out his crumpled list again. He whistled.

“Sorada and Eridan,” the sergeant said after he got everyone’s attention, “join Goten in two versus one.”

Goten looked at the two elites who were advancing towards him. He knew that both of them were very good. This must be a joke. Even if he took these two down, the sergeant would just send in three more. If a miracle happened and he somehow took out those three, then… This would drag on until the group of elites beat him senseless. Goten groaned. He should have listened to his partner and allowed him to knock him out. Then that would have been it. At least there were only four elites in his squad.

“You don’t look very happy,” the one Goten knew was Sorada said.

Goten sighed. “Could it be that two versus one means that I pair up with you and we have a go at Eridan?”

Sorada laughed.

“Doubt it,” Eridan said. With his head he indicated to Goten’s former partner who now was leaning heavily against a wall. “I saw what you did to Malom.”

To fight the two elites at once was demanding. They were much better than Malom had been. Goten was faster and his reaction time was better than theirs, but their skill was about the same and giving his attention to both of them at once had earned him a hail of punches, a split lip, a bleeding forehead, and two or three broken ribs. In the end, when it finally was over and Goten was sprawled on top of a motionless Eridan, who was lying on top of Sorada, he realized that he could hardly wait for his father to come and explain all of this. To just tell him what the hell was going on and why he, a third-class, had somehow managed to beat three elites.

ooOoOoOoo

With a plaster on his forehead and a few meters of bandage wrapped around his torso to keep his ribs from getting aggravated, Goten was in his room, reading. He had much more free time now that his nightly kitchen duty was over. He also slept more, though he wished Roland wouldn’t snore so loudly.

Goten lifted his eyes off the book and looked at Kyon, who was sitting on his bunk, clipping his toenails. There was still a bruise of considerable size under his left eye. It had just appeared one morning after one of their visits to _Matilda’s_. Goten had wanted to know how he had gotten it, but his roommate had just glared at him and said nothing. Goten had asked Toharu. Toharu had given him a weird look and said that it had been Ranvera who punched Kyon. When Goten wondered why, Toharu smacked him over his forehead and just left it at that.

Shrugging, Goten returned to his studies. Lovers’ quarrels were not his problem. He rubbed at his eyes with his fist and yawned. The book wasn’t very interesting. He had never had much interest in ki-guns. All the tiny components of ki-guns he needed to learn were giving him a headache. Kyon, on the other hand, had never even opened the damn book, nor had he ever shown any intention of reading it at all. Goten suspected that his roommate was perfectly familiar with nearly every type of gun, be it ki-guns or simple ones.

Half an hour later, feeling that he was going to just fold up, Goten put the book aside and went to sleep.

When he opened his eyes, it was early morning, but it was still dark behind the window. Nonetheless, when he turned the lights on, he saw that he was the only one left in the room. He guessed that the others were already attending drill. Goten wondered why Kyon hadn’t woken him up, but then thought that maybe Kyon was still not feeling like himself because of whatever had transpired between he and Ranvera.

Goten dressed and rushed outside. It was absolutely quiet, not a single person in the training field. He could detect the strong scent of something burning, but it was impossible to tell where the smells were coming from. Goten raised his head to look at the blinking lampposts overhead. 

A moment later, he heard the familiar sounds of a fight somewhere in the direction of the airspace center. He ran there, rounded two corners, and caught sight of the shaii fighting two masked men. A third man was already lying on the ground, a large bag sitting next to him. Goten was not certain what the situation was, but he moved forward, intending to help the prince. The rest of the action sequence happened as if in slow motion: Goten managed to take only two steps before the shaii backhanded one of the attackers into the asphalt. Then the prince turned his attention to the second man. That was a huge mistake. The man who had just been sent flying onto the asphalt pulled out a ki-gun. Goten shouted a warning, but it was too late. The prince dropped to the ground. A few spasms ran through his body before he was finished off by a shot to the head.

Goten woke up panting, sirens blaring all over the base. Trying to gather their wits, he and Kyon lunged towards the window simultaneously, nearly knocking each other over. Goten yelped and cursed loudly as Kyon bumped into his ribs. It was dark outside, but people could be seen running in fields under the light shed by the lampposts. 

“What the hell is going on?” Daram huffed out, sitting up in his bunk.

“No idea,” Goten said, moving away from the window and rushing towards the wardrobe to put his uniform on. “Somebody has just hit the alarm button. The reason will come a-”

The microphones screeched to life.

“…About now,” Goten finished.

“Attention. Fire in the second armory. Find your commanding officer and help eliminate the fire.”

“Fuck,” Daram grunted, jumping to his feet when the final signs of life left the microphones. “Do you know how much shit is in there? It might just blow into the air, taking half of the base with it!”

“And us,” Goten added joyfully.

“Always the optimist!” Kyon said, jumping up and down, getting both his trousers and shirt on at the same time. He ran towards the door, got entangled in his trousers, stumbled, waved his restricted arms about like a drunk pigeon, and was near whacking his head on the edge of a cupboard before Roland grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, pulling him back up.

“Thanks, man,” Kyon panted, heaving a sigh of relief, pushing his arms through the sleeves. He pulled his pants back on and belted them. He and Goten rushed out first, leaving the second-years to dress in the room. 

They ran straight across the training field and towards the headquarters. On the half-lit training field, there were hundreds of savars running towards the headquarters. They were half-dressed and disordered. Then everyone ducked instinctively at the sound of an explosion, shielding their heads

“Sounded like a ki gun exploding,” Kyon said after raising his head. “One of the heavily suppressed ki capsules of RHMH by the sound of it.”

“Why do you know what exploding ki guns sound like?” Goten asked, removing his arms from his head and rushing forward, slightly wincing with every step taken. “And how in the world can you tell the type?”

“Had an accident or two,” Kyon said, following him.

The sight that lay before them after they rounded the headquarters made them stop momentarily. The armory was smoking. Through the cracks in the blocks and the absent door, black smoke was coiling outside. Someone had driven a few jeeps over and turned on the headlights to increase visibility. Most savars were just standing around, not managing to get past the crowd which had formed around the armory. The savars who were in the middle had formed chains from the officers’ barracks to the armory and were passing buckets of water while others had hoses. The problem was that the armory had no windows. 

Goten turned back to where the water tower stood, but it seemed that someone had the same idea that he did; the huge metal barrel was being flown by a handful of Saiyans towards the armory. Someone blasted an entire corner of the armory clean off, making the fire spring right up, splinters raining down on the savars below. Goten could see the molten edges on the hole and deduced that it must have been a very powerful someone. He turned to look at the barrel which had nearly reached the armory. Still looking at the barrel, Goten blinked slowly. He lowered his head and looked around. Everyone was here. Officers, guards, savars, everyone was either trying to put the fire out, or help, or watch, or just stand and admire the fire. 

Everyone.

Goten cursed under his breath. His eyes scanned his surroundings quickly, but Kyon had disappeared in the mish-mash of savars and he could not spot any of his other friends. 

Goten turned around and started elbowing his way out of the crowd. It was torture squeezing through the throngs of people, trying to aggravate his ribs as little as possible. Once he was free of the mob, he broke into a run in the opposite direction of the fire. He ran past the canteen, then powered up and rose into the air where he scanned the roof of the spaceship hangar, but there was nothing suspicious. He landed on it.

The third-class knew he was risking it. Even if he could see pretty well in the dark, the shadows could be deceptive. His physical condition wasn’t good either. But there was no time to waste. Goten slithered over the roof to its edge. He stuck his head out a fraction to take a peek at the heavy doors of the first armory. Nobody was standing at them and they were closed. 

Careful as could be, Goten moved forward, now walking above the aerospace center. Luckily, he did not need to be that quiet – the ruckus from across the training field masked nearly all sounds. Once he had passed the second door leading into the armory, he peeked again. And here it was – the heavy door was open a fraction. He could see no one around it, but he could guess where the lookouts for accidental passersby were stationed.

Maybe he was careless or just noisy, but Goten felt that he was already in the game. Had been since he had found those weapons in the water tower. He looked around, but there was no one around as far as he could see. He thought about returning and getting help, but then the door opened and he ducked, leaving only his forehead and eyes peeking over the edge. He saw a man appear in the doorway. He was wearing a mask and was carrying a ki-gun. He also had a large bag with him. Two more masked men appeared from behind him, also with ki-guns and dragging bags. 

Goten grew confused as fragments of his dream flashed red in his mind and the visions overlaid what he was seeing. He had seen a very similar scene. The thieves were even wearing the same clothes. Goten shook his head to clear his mind – now was not the time.

Goten was sure that, while he would be getting help, the three of them would disappear without a trace. Trying to get anyone’s attention by shouting would be absolutely pointless in this chaos. All he'd get for his trouble would be a few holes in his body; the ki-guns they were wielding looked serious. He could not risk it and blast them, just in case they were carrying explosives in those bags – the armory could fly into the air as well. To charge at a brigand carrying this amount of guns was simply suicidal. 

A hand suddenly covered Goten’s mouth and his heart nearly jumped out of his chest, his whole body jolting. 

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 21

“Shh, it’s me.”

As the words were uttered, Goten was pulled upright and backwards into a body behind him. At this point, the muffled words meant nothing to Goten as he was more focused on the pain in his ribs, but before he could headbutt the attacker’s nose off his face, his own nose deciphered the familiar scent.

The shaii’s hand left his mouth and he let go of Goten as soon as he felt the hostile tension ease away from the younger man’s body. Goten turned around to face him, but the prince said nothing, just put his finger to his lips and moved closer to the edge of the roof. Two of the thieves were waiting for the third, who was locking the door. The shaii turned back to Goten and nodded swiftly, then he turned back to the thieves.

Goten had no idea what the nod meant, but his apprehension grew tenfold. 

“Drop your weapons and surrender!”

Goten jumped back to avoid being fried. Just a split second later, a large piece of the roof near where he had been standing rocketed off and fell noisily to the ground. He could not believe the man had just done that.

“Are you out of your friggin’ mind?!” Goten yelled at his commanding officer, ducking and then sprinting forward. “Why don’t we just walk over there and ask them to shoot us?”

“These are the rules. I can’t just shoot them on the spot!” the shaii hissed back at him while both of them were half running, half flying along the roof.

“And why the fuck not? I wouldn’t have told anyone anyways,” Goten growled under his breath, boiling with anger. He hurtled off the roof onto the shoulders of the lookout standing below, dropping onto the man like a ton of bricks. The lookout's head slammed into the asphalt with a sickening crack. He didn't even have a chance to open his mouth as he was unconscious in an instant. Goten soothed his ribs with his hand, then stood up quickly.

The shaii was already stealing a look from behind the corner. The three thieves were just a couple of meters away from them. Goten took a look as well. He nearly jumped back, frantic because of the proximity. He had no idea what to do as they could not blast the men and risk the armory and their own lives. He thought about calling for help, since they had already exposed themselves anyway, but then his attention was caught by a glimmer of light.

Goten’s eyes widened as a streak of ki appeared from the prince’s finger, embedding itself in the forehead of the lead thief. There was a soft click and then the thief's head exploded. Goten recovered from his shock just in time to see the other two aiming their guns at the shaii. Just then, the entire dream came back to Goten in a rush. This was when the prince was going to die.

The shaii yelped as Goten shoved him aside so hard that he rammed into the asphalt face-first. Just before that, he had felt a burning sting in his left arm. Slightly dizzied, he raised his head just in time to see Goten’s palm connect with one of the attacker’s faces. Amidst a flash of blue ki, Goten’s foot connected with the second man’s stomach, tossing the man onto the ground like a rag doll. He was broken and bleeding, very likely dead. Another, now headless, body slid from under Goten’s right hand and slumped onto the asphalt.

The shaii staggered to his feet. He touched his face where it hurt from hitting the asphalt, then looked at his hand. There was some blood. He raised his eyes to stare at Goten’s back.

Goten had just bulldozed those men, simply bowled them over, going through their protective ki-shields as if they weren’t even there. The third-class was still glowing with overwhelming ki. Now he was standing with his back to the Saiyan prince, obviously intending to protect him from further danger. The prince tensed when the third-class’s burning eyes set upon him – they were hard, calculating, dangerous.

“There’s still one lookout left,” Goten informed him.

“No, I took care of that one,” the shaii said. Unable to hold the intense gaze, he lowered his eyes and checked his lightly stinging arm. There was an open stripe in the sleeve of his uniform. He stuck his fingers in to spread it out. There was a burn across his arm, but the skin hadn’t been wholly cut. “Nothing serious,” he said when he raised his head and saw Goten looking at him questioningly. Something shifted in the younger male’s eyes. Goten exhaled the breath he had been holding and suddenly his ki nearly dropped to zero.

“That technique was amazing, sir,” he said. “A bit slow, though. What’s it called?”

The prince relaxed somewhat as Goten was back to using honorifics, his demeanor going back to normal. It had been very unnerving when Goten had powered up with a clear intent to kill. This was the first time he had seen the other male like that.

“You need a bath,” the shaii resumed.

Goten blinked at the sudden change in topic, then looked at himself. He was covered in blood, brain, dirt, soot and hell knew what else. His face contorted in disgust and he started tearing at the buttons of his shirt, then retched. The shaii watched him bend over and get rid of what was left from his dinner.

“This is your first kill, isn’t it?”

“Y-yeahrghh,” Goten retched again, nearly tearing his shirt off. He tossed it to the ground.

The seizure was over in a minute and he wiped at his mouth. He turned around and caught the shaii still watching him. 

“You okay now?”

“More or less, sir,” Goten said, hardly paying any attention to him. He lifted his right hand, the one he had used to eliminate one of the thieves, and smelled it. “Oh gods,” he shuddered, his face contorting.

“Just go take a shower and go to bed. I will see you in my office at five in the evening.”

Goten’s eyes cleared somewhat. “I have a day off, sir?”

“I think you have earned it.”

“Thank you, sir,” Goten said, looking at his shirt on the ground. He didn’t want to touch it. “Can I just leave that here, sir?”

The prince shrugged. “Sure.”

Goten lifted his head. “Sir?”

“Yes?”

“That was a very stupid thing to do, sir.”

The shaii opened his mouth to retaliate, but closed it at the sight of seriousness on Goten’s face. He nodded in agreement. Still, rules or no rules, he didn’t think he could have simply shot them without any warning. But maybe Goten meant a different thing. He certainly did. Goten had no qualms about pointing something like this out, even to his superior.

“I’d have put on a protective shield,” the prince explained.

Goten gave him a skeptical look. “It would have been too late for that, sir,” he calmly denied.

“Of course, it wouldn’t have!” the shaii declared vehemently but with a failing conviction. He wasn’t certain why he hadn’t moved out of the way. He had known he had to move away. He had perfectly seen how the guns were turned towards him. He had simply not been able to lower his arm. For some reason he had not been able to move. He had not been able to lower his arm. It had felt…as if something had been forcefully holding his hand. He would have… He would… 

The shaii staggered away from Goten, his eyes scanning the area frantically. Yes, right there, he could see himself lying in a puddle of blood. There he was, right on the asphalt. There…his body. 

And then both realities melted into one – he was dead and alive at the same time.

“Sir!”

Goten shot forward as his superior collapsed to his knees. He was trying to keep himself upright, but his hands were shaking. Squatting down and gritting his teeth in pain, Goten grabbed the senseless man and steadied him. It was half-light out, but he could see that the prince was ghastly pale.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” Goten questioned, his fingers already ruffling through the prince’s hair, feeling his head and looking for injuries. Not finding anything, his hands slipped lower and started to tear at the prince’s uniform, the buttons scattering and rolling over the asphalt. “But I didn’t see any blood.”

“N-not hurt,” the prince stammered out. He had to close his eyes for a moment as everything in his sight started glimmering. “Something’s…” he swallowed loudly. “Something’s…not right in general.”

There were no wounds under the shirt, not that Goten could see. He patted the prince lightly on his face. “Hey.”

“I’m f-fine,” the shaii said, pushing Goten’s hand off his face. “But…”

“I’m getting you to the med-bay this instant,” the third-class said, shifting his hold and standing up, pulling the prince up. “Fuck,” Goten grunted in pain as his ribs protested at the additional weight. The other man could hardly keep his footing. Goten rose into the air and headed towards the medical bay.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten returned from the medical bay at a quarter past four in the morning. The fire in the armory had been put out over an hour ago and he had been walking through the empty base, smelling of smoke and heated rubber, but tranquil. Slowly, so as not to wake his roommates up, he opened the door. He went to the wardrobe and found a bar of soap and his sponge. With this, not bothering to look for clean clothes, he went to the showers. He scrubbed himself clean, until his skin ached, then dried himself and wrapped a few dry bandages around his healing ribs.

Only in his underwear and boots, he returned to his room half an hour later. Being as silent as he could, he closed the door, lowered his dirty clothes and his toiletries onto the floor next to the door, and tiptoed across the room to the window where his bed was. He sat down on it and started pulling his boots off.

“Where the fuck have you been? And where the hell is your uniform?”

Startled, Goten looked at Kyon who had pushed the covers off himself and sat up. “Uhh…”

“Don’t bother,” Kyon said, motioning at Goten’s boots. “We are getting up in about ten minutes anyway.”

“I have the day off,” Goten said, bending down again, taking his other boot off. “Well, at least until five in the evening.”

In the near darkness, Kyon’s face got very serious. “What the hell happened?”

“There was some trouble at the first armory. Someone set the second one on fire to use it as a decoy and then went to rob the first one.”

“Errr…what?”

“Someone set the second one on fire to use it as a decoy and then went to rob the first one,” Goten repeated patiently.

“Yes, I heard that, but…”

“Will you shut the fuck up already?!” Roland yelled, leaning down over his bunk, grabbing and throwing his slippers in the general direction of both first-years. “We are trying to sleep here, you morons!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Goten snorted, grabbing the slippers off the floor from where they had fallen. He launched them back at Roland. “As if you have any right to complain with your ultrasonic snoring!” He lifted his feet off the floor and wriggled further into his bunk. “Alright, talk to you tomorrow. Well, today, but you know what I mean.”

Kyon sighed. “Whatever,” he muttered, lying down as well.

Goten yawned loudly. Two minutes later, the sirens started blaring. He listened to his roommates getting up and dressing, then finally the door stopped opening and closing and he hummed into his pillow contently.

While he had been at the medical bay, for a moment, he had thought that he could forget about his day off. Luckily, the shaii had regained his senses soon after being carried there. He had also regained his bossy tone and started ordering everyone around. First, he demanded to see the provost marshal. Second, he wanted to interrogate the lookouts he and Goten had knocked out. In the end, the prince had nearly gotten into a fight with the head physician, then he demanded to know if the fire in the second armory had been extinguished.

It all ended with the taisa coming and the prince getting a compulsory shot of sedatives to keep him down on the bed. Goten didn’t remember much of what happened after. The prince had been the one to do the talking, at least until he fell asleep. After that, Goten was given a piece of paper and had to write an exhaustive report on what had happened. In the end, they let him off and told him to rest for the day.

ooOoOoOoo

During his sleep, Goten had awoken several times as his dreams were filled with blood and death and body tissues. Finally, he completely woke up around one o’clock. Enjoying the pleasant warmth and the free time he knew he had, he was in no hurry to get up. He snoozed for about half an hour, tossing back and forth in his bed without managing to fall asleep. Obviously, his body had enough of sleeping already.

Without rushing, Goten rolled off the bunk and went to the wardrobe to get his spare uniform. He had already lost count which number it was. He hoped that somebody had picked up his jacket off the ground and had washed it. Nonetheless, he realized that this was just wishful thinking.

After taking a refreshing shower and dressing in clean clothes, Goten set off for the canteen. Lunch was over but he knew every corner in the kitchen and nobody minded him when he started going through the pots, checking for leftovers.

After eating, he washed his dishes, then left the kitchen and stood outside in the shade, observing the movement on the base. He still had two hours left till his appointment. 

It suddenly came to Goten that he didn’t have many things he would like to do on his day off. His friends were in lectures and he simply didn’t know what to do with his free time. The realization made him feel pathetic. He might as well go and attend today’s lectures; he would have to copy Kyon’s notes anyway.

Sighing, Goten pushed himself off the wall and walked into the sun. He rounded the kitchen and passed the spaceship hangar. He walked forward until he reached the spot where the recent events had taken place. The door was locked and two guards were standing at either side of it. Goten looked at the ground. No bodies, no jacket, nothing. If not for a few stains of caked blood on the asphalt, nobody would think that there had been three people killed there early in the morning. 

Goten returned to his barracks, took his pen and notebook, and went to the lectures. He managed to get into the hall unnoticed and took a free seat at the very back of the rows. The lecture was over in about twenty minutes. Most savars filed into the corridors to stretch their legs while Goten remained seated. He had somehow missed his friends leave. Right now, he didn’t feel like spending the entire break explaining what happened to him at the first armory, thus he decided not to look for them. Besides, they would think he was an idiot for coming to the lectures on his day off.

Goten had to leave half-way through the next lecture. This time, the lecturer noticed him and wanted to know where he was going. After hearing the reason, he just motioned for Goten to go. Goten noticed his friends looking at him from the front rows.

When he reached the shaii's office, he found it locked. Unsure, Goten poked the door handle. He could probably just return to his lectures or his barracks, but something was telling him that the prince was expecting him to keep his promise. He had to go to the medical bay.

To his surprise, it didn’t take long for Goten to convince the reception desk that the prince was waiting for him. He found the correct ward, knocked, and the prince’s voice called him in. The shaii was up, his hair tied into a pony tail, wearing a white bathrobe and standing at the window. He had obviously been looking out of it at the training field. He nodded.

“Goten.”

“Sir.”

The shaii moved away from the window and started walking towards his bed. Goten could see bruises on his nose and right cheek. He remembered that he was the one responsible for them and was relieved to note that they were healing already, getting yellowish. The prince was pale, but it was hard to tell if he was ill or if this was his natural color enhanced by the white walls of the ward. It didn’t seem like there was something wrong with him otherwise. Except that maybe he seemed to be somewhat moody.

“So how is your day off?” the prince asked, kicking his slippers off and sitting down on his bed.

Goten watched him bounce up and down a few times. The mattress was obviously brand new. The prince was also alone in the ward. Goten had never had such comfort, it was reserved only for high-ranking officers or royalty. Goten suddenly felt bitter and jealous. He recognized the feeling instantly and it made him feel both surprised and uncomfortable by his reaction.

“Uneventful, sir,” Goten answered, lowering his eyes to the floor, wondering what was wrong with him. He suddenly realized one more thing – it was going to be unbelievably hard when he had to return to playing the part of a third-class. He had so many more liberties as a second-class – he had friends, he had respect, and he could do practically whatever the hell he wanted.

“The best day off there could be. Don’t just stand there, sit down,” the prince said, motioning at the chair near his bed. He seemed to be aware of Goten’s evaluating stare, but took no heed of it.

“Thank you, sir.”

No sooner had Goten sat down than there was a knock on the door. The shyu entered the ward. He was carrying a stack of files. He gave a dismissive look to Goten and walked over to the shaii. After becoming so clearly visible on the base, Goten had become absolutely insignificant to the officers; Goten believed that most of them probably thought of him as the prince’s lapdog. He could not say for sure that he wasn’t, either.

“Here are the documents you have requested, sir.”

The shaii took them and, in no time, Goten watched the shaii’s bed turn into a mess scattered with paper as the man delved into the documents. The shyu, who had read the documents earlier, joined him and was pointing with his finger at the most important parts. Carelessly forgotten, Goten leaned back into his chair. He listened in on what soon appeared to unravel into a motive for the events at both armories: somebody had owed somebody else a huge amount of money, so they had resorted to stealing the guns. The two lookout men, who had been taken into custody, were still not very talkative and there were no names yet, but this was going to change. At least the shyu was convinced of that.

Goten turned to the door which opened without any warning. The head physician entered the ward. At once, his finger angrily pointed at the stacks of paper on the prince’s bed. “Sir, you’re supposed to rest. Instead, you’ve turned the ward into your office!”

“I’m perfectly fine. I told you plenty of times already!” the prince snapped at him. “I have work to do! Just discharge me and that will be that.”

“Nobody is going to discharge anybody until it’s clear what happened,” the head physician said. “I’m responsible for your health, sir. Just let me do my job.” The head physician advanced towards the bed. He grabbed a stack of documents that the unsuspecting shaii appeared to be particularly interested in. He waved the papers in the air. “I’m confiscating this, sir.”

“On what grounds?” the shaii asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He could not believe the doctor had just done that.

“On the basis of your questionable health condition, sir,” the doctor said calmly.

“I’m in absolutely perfect condition,” the shaii protested. Uncrossing his arms, he peered around the bed for his slippers. 

The head physician snorted. “You could hardly stand, sir!”

The prince put his slippers on and stood up, so now his and the doctor’s eyes were at about the same level, the prince coming up somewhat shorter. Using this opportunity to the fullest, they were sizing each other up for a few seconds.

“So I hear you are still using the emergency room as your cafeteria,” the shaii’s voice hummed dangerously after he had proved he could stand on his feet without any difficulties.

The doctor looked shocked. “Me, sir? What a blatant lie!”

The prince rolled his eyes. He stepped forward and held out his hand. “Give me back the documents.”

The head physician moved backwards. “Sir, the only thing I’ll give you is another shot of sedatives if you don’t return to the bed right now.”

The prince nearly spluttered in indignation. Nobody had ever talked to him like this. The shyu also looked aghast. This was humiliating. He turned to Goten and suddenly became aware of the third-class trying very hard to suppress his grin. What the heck was the asshole laughing at? His icy glare was probably speaking volumes because Goten’s smile vanished as if it had never been there. Good. However, as soon as his attention returned to the head physician, he could swear he heard a suppressed snigger. 

Goten was going to regret that.

The prince turned to the head physician, who was securely holding his trophy above his head. “Give me back the documents,” the prince demanded. He was surely not going to lower himself to resorting to violence against medical staff. Nonetheless, his patience was wearing thin and he turned to the shyu as the doctor didn’t show even the slightest intention to obey him. “Take the documents away from him.”

The shyu looked at the doctor, who then threw him a challenging look. The shyu shifted from one foot to another. “Sir… I think that the doctor might be right… Besides…”

The shaii shook his head in outright disbelief at his stuttering shyu. “You’ve just disobeyed my orders.”

Unhappy, pinned by the icy glare, the shyu chewed on his lower lip. “Sir…” he drawled desperately. “Actually I have already disobeyed the taisa’s orders. Sir, you were to rest and not to be disturbed under any circumstances. Your health is our preference.”

The prince threw his hands up. “Fine. Just fucking fine. Get lost, all of you! Not you, Goten. You stay.”

While the shyu and the head physician were leaving the ward, angrily, the prince shuffled over to his bed. He cursed inwardly, kicking his slippers off and climbing onto the mattress. He could not believe that had just happened. Next thing he knew, they might start trying to spoon-feed him! In addition, Goten had seen the entire exchange. This was simply too much. He was going to skin them alive as soon as he got out of here. 

Goten laughed inwardly at the prince’s expressions. He could guess his thoughts. “Sir, they are just worried. It’s understandable. I get the same treatment from my friends every time I get myself into med bay.”

The prince’s lavender eyebrows rose on their own accord. “Do I seem like I need your pity?” he demanded. “And your getting into the medical bay daily is nothing to brag about!” 

Goten deflated and sagged in his chair. “Yes, of course you’re right, sir,” he said, scratching the back of his hand idly. So this was his punishment for having found this situation funny. It was somewhat…childish.

After one glance at Goten, the shaii knew that the savar was prepared for at least a five-minute-long preaching session. He had seen many similar facial expressions on youngsters who know that there is a long boring speech to come. He was also certain that Goten’s brain had already retreated into the back of his skull and now he would only able to spout out conversational gems like: ‘of course, sir’, ‘absolutely, sir’, ‘I’m very sorry, sir’, ‘certainly it’s my fault, sir’. The prince gave this some thought and came to the conclusion that – if extremely bored – Goten might offer some sarcastic spice, such as ‘you don’t say!’, ‘I wouldn’t even dream of it, sir!’, ‘I’d have never come up with it myself, sir’, ‘this is the best idea I’ve ever heard, sir!’.

“Are you alright? Had any nightmares?”

At first, Goten frowned in confusion then, realizing what the prince was talking about, brightened. After that, engulfed by unpleasant visions, he frowned again. “Yes, sir, I had some,” he said, shifting in his chair awkwardly. “But I’m sure it will pass in a few days, sir,” he added.

“Hmm. Yes, it should,” the shaii agreed. It really didn’t seem that Goten was traumatized or preoccupied by thoughts about the killings. Every warrior had to go through this. Everyone had their own ways to deal with the tension.

“I’m sorry about _this_ , sir,” Goten said, circling his finger around his nose and cheek to indicate the injuries on his superior’s face.

Reminded of them, the prince gingerly touched his own face. “Ah, yes. I was wondering. I saw your report and you said these were caused by the thieves. Why exactly did you write that?”

Thinking, Goten lowered his hands to his lap and laced his fingers together. “I’m not very certain, sir,” he admitted. “I suppose I thought that it was better not to say that I was the one to hurt the prince’s face. The officers might have gotten angry, questioned me. I already had a hard time trying to convince them I had nothing to do with the robbery, sir.”

The shaii had figured as much. There was nothing wrong with Goten wanting peace, but this also meant that nobody would ever know what really happened that night. 

“You probably saved my life there.”

Goten gave a confirming nod. “It is very likely, sir.”

There was simple truth in those words and in turn it made the prince smile lightly. “You have my gratitude.”

The prince was sincere but Goten wasn’t certain what to answer to that, thus he only nodded again. There was a spell of silence which lasted for a few seconds. The prince scratched his chin thoughtfully.

“Let’s return to your report,” he said, breaking the silence. He saw how Goten straightened, his face changing when he knew that now they were going to talk business. “You said that you went to the first armory because you suddenly assumed that if everyone was at the second armory trying to put out the flames, then there was a chance that someone was trying to get into the first armory. Is that true or did you have some information about the planned diversion?”

“No, sir, I didn’t.” Goten knew that this was the official part of the interrogation, and he knew that he was going to be questioned by other officers as well, but this made him feel somehow cheap. Goten cursed inwardly. Now he was the one who was being childish.

“Is there anything you would like to tell me about this case? I mean, personally?”

Speculating what exactly his superior wanted to hear, Goten held the prince’s eyes. “Sir, I can only repeat what I wrote in my report. I can vouchsafe for every word of it.”

“Except the part about me being hit by one of the thieves?”

Goten blushed thickly and lowered his eyes to his hands on his lap. He didn’t even try to defend himself. He felt that he had come across like a capable liar.

“Well, alright,” the shaii conceded, seeing the third-class’s embarrassment. He had only been teasing Goten, but it seemed that the younger male took it to heart. Sometimes Goten could be flustered by the simplest of things.

Goten raised his head abruptly, as if suddenly he had thought of something. “Sir?”

“Yes?”

“May I ask a question, sir?”

“Of course.”

“I was wondering how sir appeared there?”

The lavender-haired man shrugged. “I had exactly the same feeling as you, so I went and checked.”

“I see. Sir?”

“Yes?”

“My father said he was going to come in a week or less. He seemed to know what’s going on, sir.”

The prince turned around to fluff out the pillow behind him, then leaned it against the headboard and pressed his back against it. “That’s good to hear,” he said, nodding, settling comfortably. “You’ll have some answers finally.” Then he did a few calculations in his head. “When exactly did you receive the call?”

“More than a week ago, sir.” He accepted the shaii’s angered look as inevitable. He had probably deserved it anyway. The prince didn’t ask him why he hadn’t told him. He was just staring at him accusingly with those blue eyes of his, as if asking an entirely different question – why didn’t Goten trust him?

Goten felt his palms starting to sweat. He pressed them to his trousers to dry them. These bouts of self-conscious tension between him and the prince were driving him mad. He wasn’t certain what they meant. It was obvious that the prince thought that they had some kind of agreement on certain things. Just as now, instead of just reprimanding him furiously for the breach of his orders, the shaii just continued to silently stare at him while giving him a somewhat hurt look.

Goten kept his face neutral. He would have been alright with a punishment for a breach of orders. But this… This wasn’t what a superior did. What the hell did the prince expect from him? Did he think they were friends or something? He knew that the prince didn’t have much social contact on the base, he probably didn’t even have anyone to talk to, but this... The two of them had gotten closer than expected, but still, this wasn’t friendship no matter how you looked at it. They got along alright, but he was the prince’s little diversion from the boredom of his daily life. Maybe, out of desperation, the shaii had reached the point where he had convinced himself that there was some sort of camaraderie between them. On the other hand, Goten was very skeptical about this. True, he liked the man, even found him captivating, but the thing the prince liked was simply the source of constant amusement. As long as he was amusing, he was interesting to the prince. As soon as he stopped being amusing, the prince would find something else to play with. Something of better class, probably.

“I’m sorry, sir, I should’ve told you,” Goten said finally, having decided to simply agree with everything the prince said. He was engulfed by mixed feelings when the blue-eyed gaze softened. His stomach clenched.

“Yes, indeed, you should have,” the shaii confirmed, watching the third-class closely. There was a lot of awkwardness in Goten’s posture, as well as a sense of rebuff. He could guess what it was and suddenly he felt hurt and annoyed – Goten was sidestepping his attention. Goten, obviously, knew that he was getting special treatment, and it appeared that the third-class wasn’t exactly happy about that. On the other hand, Goten’s reaction to his care bewildered the prince as he had believed that Goten liked him. Goten’s definite rejection confused him. Now the prince wasn’t even sure if he should feel annoyed, embarrassed, or just stupid.

Mostly he felt hurt though, and this made him realize that Ealdira had been right – this was serious. He wanted Goten to like him, felt the need to captivate him, wanted Goten to notice him and to respond. The realization shocked him. This was the first time that he had enough of an interest in someone to want to effectively pursue them. And it just had to be a lowly third-class. He was playing with fire here. Goten was right not to want to get entangled with him.

In his chair, Goten shifted nervously. The prince had been looking at him with a kind of glassy-eyed stare for a minute or two already. There was something very unnerving about that blank blue-eyed gaze.

“Sir?” Goten called softly.

The prince’s eyes lost the glaze and focused on Goten’s face. “Yes?”

“May I go now, sir?”

The shaii gave him a contemplative look which was clearly telling him that he may not. Contradicting the expression in his eyes, the prince shrugged. “Has your father told you anything else of interest?” he asked.

Goten shook his head. “No, sir. He said that it was not a phone conversation.”

The prince nodded. “I see. Then yes, you may go.”

Feeling the hair on his nape rise up, Goten closed the door and started walking down the corridor. He was glad to be out of the ward. The tension between the two of them made him want to flee as soon as possible. He stopped short on his way to the exit. Ah, right, the dream. He had forgotten all about it. Maybe he should have told the prince about it. But then…was it of any importance? He could hardly remember it anyway, only a few flashes and the exact instant where the prince died. However…would it really have happened just like his dream if he hadn’t interfered? He could only guess.

Through the window, the shaii watched Goten leave. Goten had clearly shown that he had some issues with the current arrangement between them. The third-class didn’t seem to have been bothered by it earlier. Maybe that was it. Maybe he hadn’t been bothered because there used to be nothing to be bothered about. Or maybe Goten became aware of what was going on only now; Goten could be a slowpoke at certain things.

Huffing in frustration, the prince left the window and returned to the bed and, after kicking his slippers off, climbed into it. Even if he would have liked to, he wasn’t going to court Goten; the youngster was giving himself too much credit. He was not worth the trouble which would start as soon as someone saw an elite and a third-class together, a prince and some sort of a mutated third-class, to be exact. Goten could be executed. He probably would be. The prince rolled his eyes at his own stupidity.

Despite the fact that, most of the time – and often through Goten’s own efforts – he came across as a simpleton, Goten wasn’t stupid at all. Goten did suspect that something was going on between them. He was alert now and very sensitive to everything that happened during their interactions. It suddenly became clear that, even if Goten ever admitted that he liked him, he was not going to act on it or accept any advances from him. The third-class had a keen sense of self-preservation, it seemed.

The shaii sighed. Goten was a proud, but rather paranoid, person. Of course, he could not blame Goten for being paranoid while he was the only third-class on the base, but there was also the matter of Goten being absolutely convinced that his brother was killed while he held not the slightest bit of proof. The problem with Goten was that he had been idolizing his brother, he still was. It was no wonder as the man had been his brother, father, and mentor all at the same time. However, another thing that the shaii suspected was that Gohan might have been Goten’s first love. He knew that he might be overanalyzing this, but there was something obsessive about the way Goten perceived his brother. There was a lot of admiration, but one could sense a lot of unsatisfied frustration as well.

Goten had never considered that it indeed might have been just an accident during training. He was simply looking for someone to shift the blame onto. To put it simply, Goten wanted revenge at all costs. Blindly, he was trying to bash through a brick wall with his head.

The prince could not say that it didn’t bother him because it did. The probability that Goten had been in love with his sibling didn’t bother him as much as the fact that he was desperately trying to find someone to blame for Gohan’s death. He wondered if Goten would ever stop, even in the face of evidence that it had only been an accident. With the power Goten possessed now, this could become very problematic. Questions would be raised, Goten would be exposed, a mess would start and, in the confusion, Goten might go on a killing spree. He would do that much if his life or freedom were threatened, the shaii was certain.

The prince leaned against the headboard. Whether Goten wanted it or not, he was going to follow the third-class’s progress for quite some time, even after he left the base. Just in case.

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 22

The sky was already growing dark when the prince was running his fifteenth lap around the base. Most savars were already in their barracks, their stomachs concentrated on digesting the last of their dinner. The prince wasn’t tired yet, but he could already feel that, in five or so more laps, this was going to become a very strenuous task. He cursed softly under his breath, remembering that Goten made thirty laps under the scorching sun without too much difficulty. His stamina was lagging behind Goten's.

The shaii looked at the shyu running next to him. The second-class was breathing steadily, not showing any signs of weariness. When the prince had decided that he wanted to regain the form he had before becoming an officer, where his main exercise consisted of pushing piles of documents from one corner of his desk to another, he knew it was going to be boring to do it alone. Getting up with the savars and running around with them was out of the question, thus he turned to the man he most interacted with – his shyu.

The older male had seemed surprised at first, but agreed without any reluctance. In fact, he even seemed eager to take up the running, exercises, and spars. They had already been doing this for nearly two weeks. The shyu hadn’t questioned why he had suddenly thrown himself into training, and the prince was very content with that. He could not imagine how the shyu would react if he said that it was because he was competing with a third-class.

It was not that he really felt inferior to Goten although the third-class’s strength surpassed that of an average elite’s. Goten’s fighting skills were formidable. Not to mention that his ki could rival that of five elites’ put together. However, that spar with Goten had made him feel rusty. He wanted to be at his best when he sparred with the third-class the next time. There was another thing, though – it seemed that Goten’s strength, speed, and power were rising. Goten was still not fully capable of controlling his ki, but during their encounter with the thieves, he had demonstrated that he was more than capable of causing damage with it. Deadly damage.

The shyu stopped running first. He slowed down, panting loudly, and sat down on the cooling asphalt to rest. He was no match for an elite, even if that elite lacked stamina. The prince stopped running an hour later and they both went to the training hall. The prince already felt sluggish and thought that maybe it would have been better if he had stopped earlier.

The training hall could be divided into ten enclosed blocks by lowering a series of tempered steel walls down from the ceiling. In the evenings, there were almost always people sparring or just practicing their moves in separate cubicles. Most of them were second-years, preparing for their upcoming fighting and stamina tests, but there was also a handful of officers who were either honing their skills or were making sure the hall wouldn’t be torn down by over-enthusiastic youngsters.

During the past few days, the prince had been using those officers as sparring partners. To put it mildly, sparring with the shyu alone was not very challenging – the man had skill and speed, but only for a second-class. The prince usually ended up sparring with one of the experienced elite officers. Last time, no elite officers came and he had to resort to sparring with two elite trainees. The second-years were better than they looked and he had nearly paid for his conceitedness.

The training hall was purposely lined with ki-absorbing material, but Saiyans rarely sparred using their ki; it was dangerous and was bound to cause serious injuries if one of the sparring partners breached another’s ki-shield. When they did spar with ki, though, they wore heavy armor for protection.

Today, the prince wanted to spar using his ki. He had personally requested one of the most capable elite lecturers in ki-attacks, Ardema Tayera, to be his partner. He was a man in the prime of his life, working as a trainer giving practice lessons on ki-based fighting. When the shaii entered the training hall, he was already putting his armor on. The prince walked over to the bench the lecturer was standing by and looked at the armor which the trainer had chosen for him.

It was one of the newest armors on the market. There were only a few sets on the base. He had a set in his wardrobe back at his barracks, but it had been specially made for him and was marked with the royal symbol of flame. He preferred not to wear it as it made him feel like he was showing off. Maybe after they ordered more of those armors for the base, he would wear his own as well.

The new armor was very expensive, but it was favored by many. First, it was much lighter than common Saiyan armor. Second, it was made of an elastic material which could withstand physical attacks just as well as solid metal armor. Third, the elastic material could be stretched to some extent, enabling warriors of different builds to wear it. Fourth, instead of scalding the wearer by absorbing heat from ki, it stayed fairly cool; the surface would get hot, but the warmth was slowly diffused into the environment.

The prince finished buckling the armor on, then started attaching the shoulder pieces. The armor was red and yellow, rather than the more common blue and yellow, and the shaii sighed mentally, imagining the overall picture it was painting when combined with his lavender-colored hair and khaki trousers. He was a walking rainbow.

“Whenever you are ready, sir,” Ardema said, watching the prince finish donning his armor.

He sounded somewhat impatient and, with a sudden twinge of jealousy, the shaii wondered if the man had to postpone a date with his lover because of his request to spar. It was common knowledge on the base that Ardema and one of the recently transferred officers had found a mutual interest in each other. Or maybe he was simply eager for the spar although it didn’t show on his face.

The shaii nodded. Sighing, he picked up the white gloves; an additional color for his rainbow. Pulling them on, he started walking towards the empty seventh sector. He pulled a lever on the wall and a block slid out of the ceiling to enclose the space. They did a few warm up exercises, gathering and dispersing their ki, then walked towards the middle of the sector where they stood facing each other.

The prince powered up first and flew towards Ardema. Ardema blocked his punch and kicked out with his leg, but the prince was airborne, no longer there. Ardema jumped back to avoid a scorching blast which whooshed right past him and thumped into the ground, sparks flaring up all over the floor. He raised his head and blasted up into the air as well, where he and the prince engaged in close combat.

The prince’s back slammed into the wall after his defense failed and Ardema’s foot connected with his chest. The armor absorbed the brunt of the kick, so it didn’t hurt much, but he could feel that he had left a considerable dent in the wall. A fully-powered Ardema was scary. 

The prince half-flew, half-scrambled away from the wall to dodge the oncoming blast. It missed his left side by only an inch. Distracted by the blast, he was just in time to block the kick Ardema aimed at his face. The prince twisted his body aside, grabbed the man’s leg and launched a blast at his chest, sending him tumbling backwards into the floor. Ardema raised his arms to block the next blaze of ki which engulfed him before he could get to his feet.

The prince was panting lightly. The flash faded and it appeared that Ardema was not where he had been a second ago. The lecturer was wisely not giving him many opportunities to use his superior ki to his advantage. All the shaii was managing were half-churned out ki-blasts without much power behind them.

The shaii blocked the lecturer’s blast. Then, to avoid the oncoming physical attack, he dropped down and rolled over, kicking the man in the stomach and sending him headfirst into the wall. Ardema managed to catch himself on his hands at the last moment. He pushed himself off the wall and flew back at the prince. He dodged a blast and rammed his foot in the prince’s stomach, tossing him backwards. The prince hit the wall behind him, then flared his ki up to soften Ardema’s oncoming blast. The next blast, he simply batted away. He saw Ardema giving him a perplexed look; while emanating such a strong field of ki, he was practically invincible. The man was wondering how he was supposed to get around it.

Nonetheless, the prince soon found out that Ardema was a resourceful man, worthy of his reputation. The lecturer started flitting all over the room, bombarding him with ki-blasts. They hardly had any effect on him, but they were distracting. Ardema managed to land a few solid hits on him, the last one sending him crashing into the floor where his ki left a large imprint. Shooting upwards out of the hole, the prince was just in time to connect his face with Ardema’s foot. While his body was being slammed back into the hole, he thought that Goten was right – his defense sucked.

He had to give it to Ardema – the man was truly masterful and he could hardly compare to him. But while acknowledging Ardema’s skill, the prince, fevered with the fight and adrenaline, wanted to win, even if it was only with sheer power.

Their session quickly started taking its toll on Ardema’s energy. He was getting tired and slower and his body was generating less and less ki. The prince powered up to his maximum and attacked Ardema at full speed, looking for openings and using them when found. Soon it was over, Ardema raising his hand in defeat.

They nodded at each other respectfully. The prince pulled the lever again, raising the wall, and they left sector seven. They dropped their heavy bodies on one of the benches and started unbuckling their armor.

“I’d like to do this again,” the shaii said, feeling awkward. Now that the passion of the fight had dissipated, he felt as if he had cheated the man. He wiped at his sweating forehead.

Ardema gave him a look and the prince felt even more uncomfortable. “Alright, sir,” Ardema nodded after a few seconds, “but there isn’t much point in it for you. I’m no match against that amount of ki.”

“Err…yes,” the prince agreed. “However, you are my best and only option.”

“I see.”

Silently, they took their armor off. The prince was thinking that he would like to see Goten’s ki-fighting abilities. He had seen him defeat those thieves, but that was only because Goten had used his excessive ki to overwhelm them. He wondered what Goten would do if faced with an opponent in a similar category. He wanted to spar with Goten, but it was dangerous while the third-class wasn’t fully capable of controlling his ki. One thing he feared was that Goten’s ki would never become stable. That would be a grand waste.

ooOoOoOoo

The shaii woke up to the sound of the sirens blaring. It took him a second to orient himself, then, tripping over his scattered boots on the floor, he shot to the window to look outside. It was not even dawn yet.

The alarm soon died and microphones screeched: “Attention. A state of emergency. Everyone, go outside and form columns on the training field.”

His mind reeling, thinking about the worst situation possible, the prince rushed to his wardrobe. An attack, it finally started, the war everyone had been dreading. The situation among the confederates had been getting less and less stable. War had broken out.

The prince cursed softly in the darkness when he tripped on his boots again. On his way, he flipped the light switch on, then grabbed his uniform and started pulling it on. Which one was attacking? Ice-jins or Leiadors? Or, hopefully, an unknown enemy?

Once the prince had his boots on, he rushed outside. The mish-mash of savars and officers soon formed into neat rows, and he joined the nearest column of officers. The nervous air of apprehension was clinging to all men.

The microphones screeched again. “All savars and officers, form seven columns.”

There was a bout of sudden confusion, but soon seven columns stood on the field.

“Spread out. Now turn to face the dawn.” 

Men thinned out and turned towards the rising sun.

“Good. Now salute the morning, take your clothes off, and let’s have an orgy!”

The microphone died, and the field was completely silent for a few seconds. At that point, the shaii realized that the voice he had heard through the microphone, even if muffled, had sounded very familiar. Then he and the officers around him started looking at each other. Most of them started cursing, others had already issued commands for the nearest savars to go to the headquarters where the microphones were. About ten officers headed the same way.

The shaii turned to the columns of savars to see some of them laughing, others, just as the officers, cursing. Then, as suspected, some savars broke into a run for their barracks. Soon he could count over fifty of them running. They had to disperse before the officers ordered them to stay and issued a roll-call. If they did, it would be as easy as pie to track down the missing culprits.

The prince crossed his arms and glared in the general direction of the running savars. He was so relieved that it had been a false alarm that he had no strength left to be angry. He knew perfectly well that Goten was among those who were running for their barracks; he must have recognized the voice as well. The prince didn’t know what Toharu was thinking, but he was going to have his ass tossed out of the School for this. If anyone caught the idiot, of course.

ooOoOoOoo

For an entire day, the whole base had been buzzing non-stop about the prank. To the savars’ joy and amusement, the perpetrator had not been caught. On the other hand, the officers were angry and frustrated with the failure to get any information about the person responsible for the misdemeanor and decided that they were going to punish all the savars by not giving them food.

It had more or less worked as planned as now half of the base was angry with the perpetrator, while the other half was angry with the officers. Nonetheless, nobody had stepped forward and named the bastard.

The prince toyed with the idea of calling Goten to his office and making him admit that it had been Toharu. He had no idea how he would make Goten give Toharu away. He simply liked the thought of putting Goten on the hot seat. He could imagine him stuttering and stammering and then finally admitting everything. Not that Goten would stammer or admit anything. He would probably swear, with a serious look on his face, that he had been celebrating Christmas on the other side of the planet when the prankster woke everyone up. Not that Goten knew what Christmas was.

The shaii sighed, deflated. He shuffled the case files on his desk, then picked up his phone and rang the taisa’s secretary, asking for Toharu Amatachinna to be sent to his office this instant.

He didn’t need to wait for long. In a few minutes, the microphone screeched, announcing that Toharu was being called to his office to the entire base. In another few minutes, he heard someone’s steps in the corridor.

Toharu knocked, entered the office, closed the door, walked forward, stopped in front of the shaii’s desk, and saluted. “Sir.”

“At ease,” the prince said, motioning at the empty chair in front of his desk. “Sit down.”

There was a large ugly bruise under Toharu’s left eye and the prince briefly wondered whose gift it was. Otherwise, Toharu didn’t look particularly nervous. He was one of those who never seemed anxious, taking everything in stride. He was very different from Goten who had a tendency to fuss about nonsensical things. 

Despite the shiner under his eye and the fact that he was shorter than most Saiyans, Toharu was a very handsome man. He was one who looked slender in clothing but was bulky without. Toharu was also never reluctant to use his looks to get what he wanted. 

Toharu was giving off some kind of strange vibe. The prince could detect nothing in his posture, gestures, or voice, but it was there, lurking beneath the surface. It was probably some kind of scent, the prince thought. Since he wasn't very good with scents, he couldn't be certain, but it seemed that instead of being worried, Toharu was rather irked by him.

The thing the prince was certain about was that Ario was right behind the office door, skipping his lectures. Both of them came as a package – if you wanted one, you also got the other. He had to admit that, to some extent, he felt jealous of their bond.

The prince opened his drawer and pulled out a large file. He tossed it on his desk, right in front of Toharu’s face, where it landed with a loud whoosh and a slap.

“If not for this, I’d toss you out.”

Wordlessly, Toharu reached out to take the file and opened it. He seemed to recognize it instantly. Without reading it any further, he closed it and put it back onto the desk. He gave the shaii a quizzical look. “Sir?”

“Why did you do it?”

“I lost a bet, sir. That’s all.”

Toharu admitted everything at once, but the calm and challenging ‘that’s all’ made the prince want to hit him. Nonetheless, he decided it was not worth the trouble; he hated writing reports. “What kind of a bet?” he asked.

For a moment, Toharu looked uncomfortable, then something shifted in his eyes. “I bet that Ranvera would have Goten by this week. I lost, apparently,” he said with a soft smile on his lips.

Startled, the prince tried to discern any malice in Toharu’s voice, but couldn’t. The tables had turned and he suddenly felt that Toharu had him cornered. His presence of mind was telling him that, even if there had been a bet, it had had nothing to do with Goten. Toharu was testing him.

Alarmed, he watched the second-class, waiting for more comments or body-language indicators to let him read the other male. But no, he was over thinking this. Toharu would surely not dare to imply what he thought he was implying. Or would he…? Did the second-class really suspect that he had some lingering affection for Goten? 

The prince found that he could not say anything to that. Provided that Toharu knew about his feelings, he had better accept Toharu’s reproach and suck it up like a man. Nonetheless, when the prince opened his mouth, his brain decided that if he could say nothing in his defense, then this was the best time to attack.

“A ‘ _friendly_ ’ bet, so to speak?” he challenged and, by the way Toharu’s nostrils flared, he could guess that the attack had been successful; Toharu knew what was to come. “According to these documents, you and Ario had been conscripted even before Goten’s arrival,” he said, feeling like a complete asshole, but not even thinking about stopping.

“Yes, sir. To make sure no harm comes to him.”

The prince’s lips quirked up. “Not an easy task, is it? He always ends up in the medical bay.” By the way Toharu’s eyes flashed, he could guess that the younger male would like to give him a piece of his mind. This was another sensitive spot. “You’re from the same paramilitary school as Goten, right?” the prince continued.

“Yes, sir,” Toharu said, his eyes two smoldering charcoals.

“Does Ranvera or Kyon know that you’re watching Goten and reporting to the taisa?”

“Of course not, sir.”

The prince watched the second-class thoughtfully. He had tampered with Toharu’s pride and feelings and, obviously, the second-class was not happy about it. He was rather ashamed of his own behavior as he knew that, very likely, Toharu was just worried about the damage he could do to Goten if he acted on his desires. Toharu was protective of his friend. He didn't have to worry though, as Goten had already shown more self-preservation skills than anyone thought he had.

“Get him here,” the shaii said, motioning with his head at the door. “Your… Ario.”

“Yes, sir,” Toharu complied, getting up from his chair and walking over to the door. “Ario, come in here,” he said after opening it.

Ario’s impressive build filled the room. “Sir?”

“Make sure he doesn’t do something like this again,” the shaii warned. “This is the last time I’m letting you off.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I’ve been working on it already,” Ario said, glaring at Toharu who dropped his gaze to his boots, not meeting his lover’s eyes.

The shaii watched the exchange wistfully, realizing that it had been Ario who had adorned Toharu’s face with bright colors. He had guessed right – it was Ario who was the voice of reason in their union.

“We are very grateful, sir,” Ario repeated, and, as if nudged in the ribs, Toharu raised his head to nod at the prince.

Mesmerized by the sheer amount of influence Ario had over Toharu, the shaii returned the nod. “Dismissed,” he said.

Both savars saluted. “Yes, sir.”

Once they left, the prince rose from his chair and walked over to the window to watch Ario and Toharu exit the building. His eyes followed their backs until they entered the auditoriums. After that, he returned to his desk and pulled another file out of the drawer. This one was five times as thick as Toharu’s. With both hands, he lowered it onto the table. 

He sat and stared at the cover of the file. It was only a copy, but it took a month, a few connections with higher-ups, and about ten phone calls to acquire it without setting National Security on his trail. Now that he finally had it, he was excited but at the same time reluctant to read it. He was apprehensive of what he could find out. With a hand slightly trembling with impatience, he reached out to open the cover. 

Three hours and a half later, he turned the last page. After that, he read the first page anew, then closed the file and leaned back into his chair. It was evening already. Now he had most of the answers to his questions, like why Goten was on the base, why Goten differed from a common third-class, and why there had been so many accidents involving Goten.

The shaii rocked in his chair while staring at the ceiling and the stains he had become so familiar with. He wondered if he should tell everything to Goten and finally bring peace to the third-class’s mind. It would stop the third-class from being paranoid but, on the other hand, he doubted if this would bring much peace to Goten’s mind – there was nothing Goten could change.

In the end, knowing that Goten’s father was arriving soon, the prince decided not to interfere and leave Goten the opportunity to hear everything from his parent. A few days of waiting would make no difference, he was sure of that.

ooOoOoOoo

“Seeing as you’re still alive, I’ll presume you have fucked someone to stay so. Or at least gave them oral.”

Toharu raised his head to look at Ranvera. He, Goten, and Kyon were taking places at the table while setting their plates down.

“I wanted to, but Ario was against it,” Toharu muttered without a spark in his voice.

His lack of enthusiasm was met with worried faces.

“What did he say?” Goten asked.

“Nothing much,” Ario answered instead of his lover. “Just that it was the last time he let us off.”

Relieved, Goten shrugged and now his attention hit the food on his plate with full force. He started scrambling up spoonfuls of noodles into his mouth. “He’s a good guy, even too good,” he deduced, munching. “Were I in his shoes, I’d have kicked you out.”

“Good guy, my ass!” Toharu snorted, pushing his empty plate away. “He n-”

“Toharu, babe,” Ario interrupted him, “he was the one to spare your sorry ass, so tune it down.”

“I was wondering,” Goten said, shoveling some more noodles into his mouth. “Why exactly did you do it? I mean, really. I know you’re not right in the head, but that was a little too much even for you.”

Apathetic, Toharu sighed. “I lost a drinking contest.”

Kyon gasped. “You? No way!”

Toharu sipped his tea mournfully. “Yeah, shocking, isn’t it? So I lost and she made sure I fulfilled the promise.”

“She?”

Toharu’s face was one big rumbling cloud. “Yeah, Almanda.”

“Oh! The ringleader!” Goten laughed, thumping his hand onto the table in amusement, spitting out some noodles in the process. “Yeah, she can hold her liquor like no other.”

“For fuck’s sake, Goten, stop being a pig!” Kyon said, whacking him on the head. He raised his hand again threateningly.

“Alright, alright, stop it,” Goten said, picking up the noodles off the table and lowering them next to his plate.

Toharu glared at the third-class. “I’d have appreciated this piece of information a few days ago.”

Goten shrugged. “Well, you were also present when we got our kitchen duty for life. You should have noticed.” The third-class took a gulp of his tea. “Anyway, how did he realize it was you?”

“He never said. But I think, exactly like you – he recognized my voice. Damn, and I thought I was being so careful!”

“Hmm…” Goten hummed into his mug. “You weren’t being careful, you were being an idiot.”

“Yeah,” Ranvera agreed. “Couldn’t you just come up with something like ‘if I lose, I’ll kiss your feet or ass’? Even if she's an elite, she’s one hot lady. Some rimming would have been in order!”

“All’s well that ends well,” Goten said, ignoring Ranvera, who was now suffering from lack of attention as no one was paying him any.

“Toharu, you sure he isn’t blackmailing you?” Kyon asked.

“And what would you do if he is?” Ario chuckled.

Kyon grinned at him. “If it’s sex, I’d want to switch places. He could blackmail me all he wants.”

“Damn,” Ranvera shook his head, “are you sure it’s Goten, who is interested in him? Methinks Kyon is head over heels in love with our prince.”

“Nah,” Toharu said, “it’s just that you're not satisfying him enough; he’s suffering from sexual frustration.”

Ranvera gave him the finger.

“Oh lookie, Goten is not denying that he’s interested in him!”

Goten turned to give Kyon an apathetic look. “There’s no point. The more I deny, the more you believe the opposite.”

“Oh c’mon, Goten,” Ranvera sighed, “humor us. We are bored. We want some gossip.”

“Why the hell do I have to be your personal clown?”

Toharu saluted him with his empty mug of tea. “Because you’re extremely good at it.”

Goten glared at him. “And to think that, ten minutes ago, I was worried that you’d be kicked out.”

“That’s nice of you, but I’m more interested in what you’re going to do about the prince.”

Goten rolled his eyes at Toharu. “You know, you could think of something else. This is getting old.”

“I’m serious, Goten. You should’ve seen his face when I said I did this because I lost a bet where I put my money on Ranvera having you by the end of this week.”

“You said what?”

“Shit, don’t involve me in your games! He hates me enough already!”

“Don’t you think your joke has gone too far?”

“We are going to have a talk once we are back in our room.”

ooOoOoOoo

Abashed, Goten stared at the ceiling. He shifted in his bunk uncomfortably, suppressing a moan. He wished for his morning wood to disappear faster. Everybody else was still asleep in their beds.

Goten lifted his hands into the air, twirled them around absentmindedly, then dropped them on his face and gave it a good rub. The raging hard-on didn’t bother him – he was young and sexually frustrated and he was aware of that. It was the reason for it that was bothering him. He could still see that exotic tail waving before his eyes. Purple, with a white fluff at the end. And eyes, blue leering eyes. And then a lot of naked body, skin, caresses and kisses and…

Goten gritted his teeth and closed his eyes tightly. It didn’t make the images disappear, instead making them even more vivid. He opened them again to continue to glare at the ceiling. He could hear that particular whooshing sound created by the sand grinding against the protective shields somewhere above.

He rarely had dreams of this nature, at least he did not remember that he did. In the cases he had, usually they were only flares of lust towards formless blotches of bare unidentified skin his mind would conjure. He almost never dreamed about real people. Nonetheless, the dream he just had was very vivid and detailed. The imprint of the shaii’s office and the furniture was still clear.

Disturbed, Goten huffed. His bastard friends had instilled this into his head. Talking and talking about his and the prince’s non-existent relationship non-stop. It was no wonder he had even started dreaming about the man. Anyone would become self-conscious after all those endless insinuations. They were going to make him lust after the prince, the idiots.

He didn’t want this at all. How was he going to look the prince in the eyes?

Luckily, he didn’t need to. The fiery sandstorm raging outside lasted for three days. Due to a heavy concentration of sand particles in the air, the savars spent their days in the auditoriums and the training hall. The evenings were spent in barracks without setting their feet outside. The windows were all closed, the air stale, the savars sluggish and sleepy.

By the time Goten saw the shaii again, he had already forgotten most of that dream. He had a few others, though. Those ones he did not want to think about or even admit that he had ever had them.

ooOoOoOoo

On Monday, the shaii could be found staring at his computer screen. He stared at it daily, but the expression his face was wearing now was rarely to be seen. He lifted his eyes off the screen and concentrated them on the shyu who entered his office, carrying a sheaf of documents in his hands.

“Sir, these are for you to sign,” the shyu said, walking over and putting the documents on the prince’s desk. “The taisa has already gone through them and signed as well.”

The shaii nodded. Indicating that he was going to start looking over them immediately, he patted the pile with his hand. “Thank you, you may go.”

“Yes, sir.”

Once his subordinate left, the shaii’s eyes returned to the screen of his computer. He scrolled the results back upwards until Goten’s picture appeared. He had decided to check Goten’s profile once again in the School’s database. Nothing had changed much, except that Goten had suddenly been turned into a second-class. If Goten had previously been registered as a third-class, now there was not a sign of his real class. Even his father, brother, and grandparents had been turned into second-classes. The shaii could bet his arm that now he would find exactly the same information in the national database and even in the previous schools Goten had attended. Currently, the only proofs left that Goten was a third-class were his father’s profile and the handwritten sources.

Nevertheless, this was predictable. The prince wondered why this hadn’t been done before Goten had entered the base. The most plausible reason was that National Security hadn’t been sure if Goten would be worth the effort. Keeping in mind all the times the third-class managed to get into trouble, they probably had thought that they should wait and see.

Deciding to leave it be, the shaii scrolled the mouse downwards. Goten’s sudden jump up the social ladder didn’t concern him in the least. In fact, he was even glad. Now there was no danger about the information leaking out to the other savars. 

But he had not started checking Goten’s profile for this information. He had had something else in mind. What he was more interested in were Goten’s grades. The third-class had come to Hataro Officer Training School with extraordinarily good grades. However, during his time at School, they had dropped to average or even below average. About a week ago, he had also completely and utterly failed his test on ki-guns.

Humming under his breath, one by one, the prince opened Goten’s friends’ profiles. There was exactly the same tendency. All of their grades had plummeted although Kyon got an A on the same ki-gun test which Goten had failed.

The lavender-haired man scratched the back of his head. It was obvious that their grades were suffering because of the kitchen duty. Goten had also spent a lot of time at the medical bay. He had expected that once Goten’s nightly duty of peeling potatoes was over, he would catch up with everyone. However, the failure in his test was telling him that this wasn’t so. The prince, though, had hope that Goten simply didn’t like ki-guns. But whether Goten liked them or not, Goten and his friends’ grades were somewhat concerning him. As long as they kept passing tests and exams, they were alright, but constant failures might result in them getting expelled. Or even worse, people would start asking questions about why Goten was not getting expelled, because the prince doubted that he would. National Security seemed to be keen on giving him an officer’s education. Gods only knew why, because with the power Goten had, his brain was an expendable asset. As far as National Security interests were concerned, it was much easier to manipulate brainless brutes.

The shaii checked the date of the make-up test on ki-guns. He sighed; it was in four days. He started drumming his fingers on the desk, not sure what to do. He thought for a few minutes, then decided that, if Kyon and Goten would not think of combining their powers themselves, in a day or two he was going to have a talk with them. Just to make sure Goten passed that damn test.

ooOoOoOoo

His father was late. He was late by two whole weeks. No messages and no phone calls either. Goten had already started thinking that this was just another way to buy some time. He had clearly felt that his father was not looking forward to explaining the situation. Maybe he was just avoiding him. This was angering him, but all he could do was to wait while gritting his teeth in silent frustration.

On Thursday, the message came that the spaceship his father was on had disappeared a week ago. There were five other spaceships missing which had taken the same route that day. It was not clear whether the ships were hijacked or destroyed. They had simply disappeared.

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 23

It was official now – he hated ki-guns.

Groaning inaudibly under his breath, Goten tried to make sense of the schematics on the paper in front of him. For all he knew, he could be looking at a very advanced kettle. His eyes traced the outlines, then took in the arbitrary signs and symbols scattered on the drawing. He gnawed on the butt of his pen, then scribbled a few meaningless words down on the empty space under the schematics. The third-class wondered if the lecturer would take pity on him if he simply wrote down the truth – he had no idea what kind of model of ki-gun he was looking at. With a resigned chuckle, he wrote: “ _a kettle_ ”. A few seconds later, he crossed that out; maybe it was a toaster.

Time was running out and Goten skipped to the next task. He still had five out of fifteen to do. Abashed, he stared at the task which required him to draw the schematics of an RKM17. He knew what the ki-gun looked like and how it worked, but to ask him to draw its schematics… It was like asking a dog to put on make-up. Not that Goten knew why a dog would ever want to do that. Quickly, the third-class concentrated on the next task.

“Point B,” Goten muttered, engaged into the problem as he was scribbling hurriedly on the paper. “Velocity… 359…” he mumbled, biting on his pen. “Distance… Mm… Twenty-seven meters. Hmm… Should be about right,” he said finally, writing down the answer. 

Goten raised his head from the sheets of paper to look at the clock on the wall to check how much time he had left. He saw about twenty pairs of eyes concentrated on him. “Sorry about that,” he mumbled, his cheeks tinting red. The savars lowered their heads back to their papers. He didn’t usually talk aloud while reading to himself or solving problems. He was simply too nervous; he could not screw up this exam for the second time.

Huffing, Goten dropped his eyes to another question. It was asking which ki-gun he would pick out of the three and under which circumstances. This one was easy. He started writing at high speed.

“Time’s up,” the lecturer informed the savars at nearly the same time as Goten put a full stop at the end of his last sentence. “Bring me your tests.”

Goten slid from behind his desk and walked over to the lecturer.

“How many blanks have you left this time?” he wondered, taking the bundle of papers from Goten and clipping them together.

“Two, sir,” Goten said.

“Well, that’s certainly an improvement over last time.” The lecturer looked at the savar, who seemed to be hopeful. “You do seem to have difficulties when it comes to spatial awareness, don’t you?”

“Sir…” Goten drawled unsure. “I don’t think that’s the case. I am pretty well aware of my surroundings. I dare say, sometimes better than others.”

“I meant drawing and geometry,” the lecturer said, gathering the papers from other savars. “You find schematics confusing, don’t you?”

“Oh. Yes, sir, I do.”

“What about maps?”

Goten blushed lightly. “Yes, sir, them too. It takes me more time than others to decipher them.” He hadn’t admitted this to anyone before. Reading maps came as natural as breathing to most Saiyans.

“Thought so. Try working on it. However, I don’t think this can be improved much, maybe to some extent. Well, in any case, you do very well when it comes to assembling/disassembling and recognizing guns.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“You’re still an awful shot, though.”

Goten laughed softly. “I think I am getting better, sir.”

“You’ll have an opportunity to prove that during the finals.” The lecturer waved the papers in the air. “The results should be available in two days.”

ooOoOoOoo

“To you,” Goten toasted Kyon.

“To me,” Kyon agreed. He sipped his wine, then sighed. “But still, it was only a C you got.”

“Without your help, I wouldn’t have passed at all.”

“Heh,” Kyon chuckled. “You think I don’t know that? That’s why you’re treating me to this expensive wine.”

Goten churned his wine in the glass, then sniffed at it. “Is it any good?” He lifted his eyes off the rising bubbles to catch Kyon giving him an amused look. “Hey, I never said I was more than a country hick.”

“Yeah, you never did,” Kyon agreed, taking the menu and browsing through the total of five dishes available. “Not a wide range of choice,” he muttered.

“They should let you work here.”

“Yeah, that would be wise of them.”

“Not one to be modest, eh?”

“I am on a date with a man I am crazy about,” Kyon said matter-of-factly, “and there’s nothing on the list I would want to order for him.”

Goten pursed his lips. “We are not on a date.”

“The hell we aren't. And stop pouting.”

Watching Kyon being undecided about the dishes, Goten sipped his wine without another word. He owed his roommate a big one, thus he may as well humor him. 

“It’s the first for me,” Goten said after a minute.

“First what?” Kyon asked, motioning for the waiter.

“Date.”

Kyon gave him an astonished look. “Have you been living under a rock?” he wondered, quickly ordering two seltaras. “Wait… What about Ranvera? Oh right, all of us went together.”

Goten laughed softly. His eyes strayed to the menu that Kyon had lowered back onto the table. The third-class winced after reading the price tag under seltara; he was going to go bankrupt.

“Don’t worry, I will pay for mine.”

Goten blushed lightly at being caught. “No, no,” he protested. “I did promise to treat you to a meal.”

Kyon chuckled, then reached for his wine. “Half of the base is going to go nuts with envy,” he said after taking a sip. 

“Mm? Oh. You’re deluding yourself; I’m not that popular.”

Kyon saluted him with his wineglass. “Oh, but you are.”

“I don’t know where you got that idea; nobody has ever approached me.”

“Well, yes,” Kyon nodded. “Not while Toharu and the rest of us are around. There’s not a chance we would allow that. We do feel a great deal possessive of you, you know.”

Now it was Goten’s turn to stare at him wide-eyed.

“When will you finally choose, Goten?”

The third-class let out an annoyed grunt and leaned away from the table, squaring his shoulders. He didn’t want to be having this conversation.

“That’s a pretty impressive defensive reaction there,” Kyon commented on Goten’s posture.

“Isn’t it enough already? I said I don’t want to choose either of you. That hasn’t changed.”

“No, it isn’t enough. It will only be enough when you explain it to me.”

Goten fumbled with his words. Kyon, unlike Ranvera, didn’t pester him with sexual innuendos and didn’t pressure him all the time. However, when he did pressure, it was like ten tons of bricks landing on him. The third-class doubted Ranvera’s motives, but he was inclined to believe that Kyon was serious about him. The thing was that he also believed that he would like Kyon as a permanent partner. He had lived with the second-class for more than four months and their characters were pretty well matched. His roommate had a well-balanced personality: he was calm, practical and coolheaded. He was also caring and very good at cooking.

“A credit for your thoughts.”

Goten squirmed in his seat uncomfortably.

“Do you have some issues with your health? Or maybe you’re asexual or something?”

Goten was taken aback for a moment, then blushed lightly and shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I’m pretty interes-” he trailed off and blushed even harder after realizing what he had been about to say.

“Yeah, I thought so,” Kyon said, sipping his wine. “You do masturbate regularly and you don’t mind some heavy groping.” He ignored Goten’s red and annoyed face and motioned to the waiter for one more glass. “Then what the heck is going on with you? I would understand if you were interested only in females, but you aren’t interested in them either.”

“Can we just drop this topic? Please?”

“No.”

“I don’t want to choose!” Goten snapped at him. “I don’t want either of you!”

Kyon’s lips tightened, and it was clear that Goten had insulted his pride. “Alright, then reject me properly,” Kyon hissed at him. “Tell me that you don’t want to have anything to do with me and that you find me repulsive.”

“I don’t want t-”

“Look into my eyes, Goten, while saying that!”

Goten raised his eyes. “I don’t want to have any… Shit!” he cursed, dropping his eyes to the table. “I do like you, fuck you!”

Kyon laughed. He watched Goten, who was glaring at the table, nearly growling in agitation. Kyon nodded thankfully at the waiter who had approached him with another glass of wine.

“I will toast to that, Goten.”

“Whatever,” Goten muttered. Kyon had laughed in a way which was more relieved than smug, and this was making the third-class even more uncomfortable.

“Now tell me which of us you prefer.”

“No,” Goten said, perfectly aware of the fact that as soon as he admitted anything, there would be no way to turn back. He would practically be giving Kyon permission to date him.

“Goten,” Kyon snarled at him, “this isn’t a game! I am sick and tired of this!”

Goten’s eyes flashed at him. “You think I am not sick and tired of this?! Just stop that! You d-” Startled, he looked upwards at the waiter’s face while he was setting his seltara in front of him. “Thanks,” he said, his shoulders slumping. Across the table, he watched Kyon pick up his fork and knife.

“If you go for Ranvera, I promise not to interfere. But I need to know, Goten.”

Kyon wasn’t looking at him and there was something shaky in his voice. Goten suddenly realized that he wasn’t able to swallow a bite. This was only supposed to be a meaningless drinking session; why, in the world, had it turned out like this?

“I _need_ to know, Goten.”

The third-class chewed with numb jaws while raking his seltara with his fork nervously. “You,” he said. “I’d definitely choose you if I needed to. But I am not choosing. I am not…” He cursed softly under his breath, realizing he just did what he had told himself not to. How was this not choosing?

Kyon sighed. “Goten, you are a bastard.”

“Yeah, you can drink to that,” Goten said moodily, stuffing more seltara into his mouth.

They ate silently for a few minutes.

“Why not let me have you, then? I just don’t understand.”

Goten’s face reddened again. All this talk made him want to crawl under the table and hide there. Despite that, it was also exciting. No matter how he berated himself, his ego was swelling like there was no tomorrow. It did feel pleasant to know he was wanted so much. 

By a second-class no less. 

This particular thought made Goten deflate a bit. He frowned at his plate.

“Do you have reservations when it comes to topping or bottoming?” Kyon questioned further. “Or is it that you hate the thought of anal sex in general? I know that there are some folk like that,” he added. He relented a little at the look Goten gave him. “Still…” Kyon continued carefully. “If it’s about the position, I am versatile. And anal… Well, anything goes as long as a man gets to come, right?”

Goten didn’t think he could be any redder. “I am trying to eat here, Kyon,” he muttered in protest.

“So fucking what?” his roommate snapped at him angrily. “You eat three times a day, twenty-one times a week.”

He was exasperating Kyon, he knew that. The second-class didn’t usually lose his cool like this. With his fork, Goten drew a circle on his plate. He could feel his cheeks getting cooler, the embarrassment receding. “I don’t know anything about the things you said,” he muttered. “I don’t have the experience to be able to answer any of those questions.”

“I am starting to think that you’re lying about the whole virginity business. Just to keep us away,” he added after the surprised look Goten had given him.

“Well, I am not.”

Kyon shrugged. “Doesn’t make any freakin’ difference to me. You’re playing coy where you shouldn’t.”

This made Goten bristle. “You don’t know anyth-”

“And why is that?” Kyon growled at him. “I am more than willing to know everything about you!”

It was first time that Goten felt so tempted to just get on with it and let it all out. His eyes burning, he leaned forward over the table, but then slumped backwards. He heard Kyon let out a frustrated sigh. Not without bitter satisfaction, he thought about how fast Kyon’s amorousness would turn into repulsion if he knew that he was a third-class.

Kyon watched Goten squeeze his fork between his fingers and continue picking at his cold seltara. “I want to smash a chair over your head,” Kyon admitted. “You’re driving me crazy.”

“It’s not that I want to!”

“Yes, I really hope you do have a good reason for playing around with me as you are.”

“I’m not p-” Goten started saying, then just sighed in frustration. He finished his seltara and pushed his plate away. Never had food seemed so tasteless before.

“Or is it him?”

Goten gave Kyon a questioning look, then followed the second-class’s discreet motion towards the end of the officers’ club. True enough, there was an officer’s uniform and a distinctive blob of purple.

“Oh gods,” Goten muttered.

“You know, I am starting to think that Toharu might be right and you two are banging each other.”

Wide-eyed and incredulous, Goten turned to look at Kyon. He would probably have hit his roommate were he not so stunned. Kyon was asking for it. He had admitted he liked Kyon, right, but that didn’t give him any right to go batshit crazy with jealousy and spew shit like that. Did it?

Maybe it did.

Goten rubbed his forehead fervently. He had made a mistake, a very serious mistake. “Toharu is talking shit. There’s nothing between us. It’s impossible, Kyon. You do realize that, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do,” Kyon agreed. “But it being impossible doesn’t mean that you can’t want him or he can’t want you.”

“Oh gods, I had no idea you are so possessive.”

“And is that a bad thing?”

“Umm…” Goten felt himself blush again. He wished he would stop doing that; he didn’t even need to say anything – his face showed everything. “I don’t know. It does, in fact, feel…pretty nice.” He groaned mentally, suddenly realizing that he had just encouraged Kyon to act possessively towards him, maybe even to the point of delusion. This conversation was going downhill much faster than he could have ever predicted.

“Oh gods,” mumbled the third-class. “Can we change the topic before I get naked and start dancing on the table?”

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Kyon chuckled, pushing his plate away, also done eating. “But alright, you’ve been a good boy today and I’m willing to let you off for now. Let’s just order a couple of beers.” He shook his head in disbelief when Goten exhaled in relief and leaned back into his chair, relaxed. This made him want to launch his empty plate at his roommate.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten and Kyon staggered into their barracks. Once inside the hallway, Goten looked at the steep stairs and moaned loudly.

“There’s no way I’m climbing that,” he said to his roommate.

Kyon observed the stairs. There was a big possibility that Goten would tumble downstairs and break a bone or two; the savar could hardly keep himself upright.

“Well, I’ll help you.”

“Excuse me for doubting you, but you are wobbling,” the third-class pointed out.

“Am I?” Kyon wondered, grabbing Goten by his waist and dragging him towards the stairs. He stumbled and would have whammed his head into the metallic railing if not for Goten pulling him backwards. The two of them ended up rolling on the ground.

They laughed and shushed each other while safely climbing the stairs on all fours like cats. Triumphantly, they reached their floor and even their corridor. It was dark in the hall and Kyon reached out for the switch. The bulb blinked into life. The second-class tried to open the door to their room but found it locked. He knocked, but no one stirred inside; it was empty. Cursing under his breath, Kyon leaned himself and Goten against the wall and started fumbling through his pockets.

“Do you have the key?” he asked Goten after his search didn’t yield positive results.

He watched Goten clumsily pat over his pockets, feeling for the key. 

“Just let me,” Kyon said after it became obvious that even if Goten had it, he would probably miss it in his current state.

“Pervert,” Goten said with a chuckle when Kyon’s hand slid into his front pocket.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kyon muttered. His action had been innocent, but Goten’s words made him wonder whether his roommate would like some groping. He pulled Goten a little bit forward off the wall while his hand glided into the younger male’s back pocket. He was most regretful when he grasped the key there.

“Found it,” Kyon muttered pulling it out.

“Yay!”

Both of them stumbled to the door. It took about a minute for Kyon to finally fit it into the keyhole and open the door.

“Safe!” Goten said happily, entering the room. He stumbled over someone’s boots scattered on the ground and lost his footing, landing onto the floor with a loud crash.

“You alright?” Kyon asked while his hand was groping the wall next to him, looking for the light switch.

Light flooded the room and Goten turned around to stare up at Kyon. “I fell,” he said and giggled stupidly.

“Yeah, you did,” Kyon confirmed, trying to kick aside the offending boots Goten had tripped over. The second-class nearly fell over due to his lack of balance. Closing the door, and securely leaning against it, he looked at Goten, who was still lying on the floor. “Are you going to sleep there?”

Goten grunted. He was too lazy and too tired to get up. He yawned, then held his hands out for Kyon. “Carry me?”

Sighing, Kyon pushed himself off the wall and staggered up to his roommate. He took Goten’s hands and heaved, trying to get him on his feet. It ended with him falling forward and nearly smacking his forehead against the floor.

“Ugff!” Goten exhaled as he was sandwiched. 

Kyon raised himself on his hands to look at Goten. “Why are you so heavy?” he complained.

Trying to push the second-class off him, Goten laughed. “You’re not exactly weightless either. Get off.”

Kyon watched his roommate squirming underneath him, their bodies touching intimately. “I kinda like this,” he informed Goten. With that, the fact that there were only the two in the room made itself known. This was the best opportunity he would ever get; their roommates were away, probably playing cards, and he had Goten drunk and pinned underneath him.

Goten only now became aware of the position he was in. “Hmm… You’re getting hard,” he hummed, still fruitlessly trying to push Kyon away. “You’re heavy, Kyon. Off.”

“I am not one to take advantage of a drunken friend,” Kyon drawled unsteadily. “But I am also drunk and will make an exception this time.” He reached down between them and started fumbling with Goten’s belt.

Goten laughed loudly. “I’m a special case, aren’t I?” Goten's squirming against Kyon only resulted in him sprouting a light erection and his pants being unzipped, but he finally gathered his strength and managed to roll over onto his stomach. He started crawling towards his bed.

Kyon grabbed him by his trousers, trying to keep him in place. “Hey, where are you going?”

“To sleep. I’m dead drunk and tired,” Goten answered, continuing to crawl along the floor. He suddenly felt a light draft of air over his ass. Confused, he turned around to find that he had crawled out of his trousers and underwear.

“Damn,” Kyon said, staring at Goten’s bare ass in awe. Wondering how that happened, the second-class looked at his hand holding his roommate’s trousers. His attention quickly returned to the globes in front of him. He grinned.

“Gah!” Goten gasped as Kyon’s palms landed on his ass cheeks with two loud smacks. “Hey, quit that!”

“No way,” Kyon laughed, crawling over him. 

Goten made a soft noise at the back of his throat when he felt his roommate’s clad erection press against his buttocks. “Kyon, quit it,” Goten protested, rolling over, trying to protect his ass from the insistent inspection. However, this resulted in him and Kyon rubbing their erections together. Seeing that the change in their position had hardly helped the matter, Goten chuckled. Kyon felt warm over him. Yawning, he closed his eyes.

“I want you so bad.”

“Hmm…”

“Hey,” Kyon ground his hips against his roommate’s, trying to get some response. “Don’t tell me you are sleeping…”

“Mhmn… alm’st.”

For a few seconds, Kyon tried to coax Goten into doing something more exciting than sleeping, but Goten was largely unresponsive. Well, most of him.

Sighing, Kyon rolled off his roommate. “At least get your pants on.” 

There was no reply to that, Goten now peacefully asleep, bothered neither by his undecided cock, which didn’t know whether it should stay alert or lay down, nor by Kyon’s hungry eyes.

The second-class staggered to Goten’s bunk, dragged the covers off the bed and towards his roommate where he dropped them on Goten. He decided that this would do; he was still too pissed off to be generous and get Goten into the bed.

ooOoOoOoo

The shaii was running his eleventh circle around the base when he felt someone watching him. Not ceasing to run, he looked around. It was ten o’clock in the evening, and it was already dark, the lampposts illuminating streaks of air around them.

“I’m here, sir,” Goten called out, waving his hand.

The prince stopped and raised his head to look above him. Goten was sitting on the roof of the Laundromats’ building. He couldn’t see the savar’s face and he could hardly make out his figure, but he recognized Goten’s voice.

“What the hell are you doing up there?”

“Hmm… Enjoying some cool air, sir?” Goten offered. 

“Isn’t it too cold already?” the prince asked. Not one to stand idly, he started stretching. 

Goten watched him bend over and touch the ground, then lean to his right and then his left. “I’ve been playing cards at Ario and Toharu’s, sir,” he said. “There were about twenty people in there; the room’s like a furnace.”

“Ah, I see. Catching some fresh air, then.”

“Yes, sir. What are you doing so late, sir? I mean, I know what you’re doing, but why so late?”

The shaii chuckled at the way the third-class tried to eliminate any possibility of him picking on his words. “I don’t like being watched, that’s why.”

Goten thought about this. Well, yes, he had to agree that the prince would draw quite a lot of attention to himself. “That’s a pain in the ass, sir,” he concluded finally.

The shaii rolled his eyes at Goten being as blunt as he was while still trying to sound respectful. It just didn’t work anymore. Both of them acted way too familiar towards each other. Whether Goten liked it or not, they were more like friends than a superior and a subordinate. 

“I started exercising hardly a month ago,” the prince said. Now he realized that he simply could not help himself. Goten was an illness he had caught. It was probably incurable as well.

“You mean you didn’t before, sir?”

“Of course I did, but not to such an extent.”

“Hmm…” Goten drawled while watching the prince going through a complicated kata. It was an awful sight to behold - the man was doing it all wrong; he wasn’t concentrating at all. What was he thinking about to be so distracted? “So why start now, sir?”

“Because you nearly beat the crap out of me.”

It was silent for a minute, then Goten cleared his throat. “I shall be careful from now on, sir. I didn’t think your elite pride would be hurt so much,” he said with a soft snicker.

“I will hit you,” the prince threatened. He wasn’t certain whether Goten was serious or was just teasing him. Goten was silent and the prince thought that maybe the third-class didn’t know that himself. “I simply…”

“Sir?” Goten asked as the shaii had just lapsed into silence.

“I just realized I’m an idiot.”

“Oh?” Goten seemed to be unimpressed. “Good for you, sir.”

“You…” the prince trailed off again. The third-class yelped as he was cuffed over his head. He stared in surprise as the prince landed next to him. “And whose fault do you think it is?” the shaii snorted at him.

Goten thanked all the gods there were that it was dark and the shaii could not see his burning face. “Maybe your parents’, sir?” he mumbled, turning his head away from the prince, his troubled gaze concentrating on one of the lampposts. The prince was so close to him that suddenly Goten’s ears were filled with his own frantic heartbeat. He could feel his palms starting to sweat with the desire to touch the other man. It was dark and nobody would see his hands, not even himself. 

The prince stared at the back of Goten’s head and felt the urge to grab the third-class and shake him for good measure. He didn’t exactly know what he wanted to shake out of Goten. Some answers, some reaction, but what was the point? What was he going to do with those answers, that reaction?

“I saw you have full moon training in two days,” the prince said, desperate to change the topic before either of them did something they’d regret later. 

Goten tensed, and the prince’s eyes picked on a sensual shiver which passed through Goten’s body. Suddenly, he thought that mentioning the full moon training hadn’t been a good idea. The full moon affected Saiyans in different ways. They either became aggressive, excited sexually, or both. The prince realized that Goten’s reaction to full moon wasn’t difficult to figure out; Goten wasn’t aggressive by nature. He had seen the other Saiyan drunk quite a few times and Goten was never aggressive. While drunk, Goten would love everyone to bits for a while and then just fall asleep peacefully. Obviously, the moon would make the third-class horny.

And right now, that was the last thing he wanted Goten to be thinking about.

“Yes, sir,” Goten muttered. “I can’t say I’m looking forward to it.”

But damn it, he did want Goten to think about that!

“Oh really? Why?” the shaii asked. He cursed himself mentally; he really couldn’t help pushing. 

Goten cleared his throat. “Yes, really, sir.” He was still not looking at the prince, his blank gaze hovering above the lamppost. “I don’t have much control over it.”

“Hmm… How was last time you had the training?”

The shaii watched the third-class squirm where he sat. He thought he had even heard him gasp aloud at the question. 

Take that.

“Is there any news about my father, sir?”

Fuck you, Goten.

It was somehow astonishing that Goten managed to bring up his father at a moment like this. The shaii shook his head in disbelief. “You know I’d tell you as soon as I received any news.”

“Yes, I know, sir,” Goten said in a guilty voice. 

The prince pressed his lips together. It had only been Goten’s attempt to distract him, but he felt he had lost his wish to… He didn’t even know what he had been doing before the third-class interrupted him. Whatever he had been doing, it had been dangerous. “It’s only natural,” he mumbled. “You’re worried about him.”

Goten gave him a sideways look. The third-class knew he was aware of why he brought up his father so suddenly. It was very likely that Goten also felt ashamed. The shaii wondered what the third-class would do if he kept on pressuring. Since he had found out what Goten really was, he had been having a hard time convincing himself that he and Goten were an impossibility. Maybe what he was would override his class in the public eye? Would it change Goten’s thoughts on the issue as well? Probably it wouldn’t. Or maybe?

The prince suddenly felt tempted to tell Goten everything; gods only knew when his father was going to return. Maybe he would never return. And maybe there was a chance of Goten accepting him. He could not afford to waste either that time or that chance.

Goten started as the prince ungracefully flopped down onto the edge of the roof to sit beside him. The third-class looked at him for a few seconds, waiting, then lowered his eyes down to stare at his feet which hung high above the ground. Absentmindedly, he dangled them to discover that he could hardly see his boots in this half-light.

“Sir?” Goten asked tentatively, as the prince just kept sitting silently.

“I’m thinking.”

“Oh, that’s a good thing, sir. I was afraid you weren’t,” Goten said, standing up. “I’ll be going then, sir. Good night.”

“Wait.” The prince’s hand shot out of its own accord and grabbed the fabric of Goten’s trousers. “I haven’t finished thinking.”

Goten looked at the hand clasping his trousers. He was suddenly amazed this was happening. Goten slowly lowered his own hand to pry the prince’s fingers off. “But I have, sir. Please, let go.” Somewhere in the back of his head, Goten realized that this was his fault as well – he shouldn’t have…he simply shouldn’t have done so many of the things that had lead to this moment. 

The shaii’s hand was warm and the third-class felt him shiver when he enclosed the shaii’s fingers with his own. He tugged softly. The prince let go of his trousers, and Goten realized he regretted that a little. He felt angry with himself for that. The prince was looking at him, but he was facing away from the lamppost, the only source of light, and Goten couldn’t see his face. He could feel the eyes, though. What was the man staring at him so intently for? And then, belatedly, Goten realized that he was still holding the prince’s hand. He released it quickly.

“I’m sorry, sir,” he spilled out hurriedly. “I…”

“Goten…”

His name was probably meant to stop him from apologizing further, or maybe it was meant to simply make him quiet, or maybe it was a plea. Lost, Goten stood still for a few moments. He suddenly became aware of how close he was standing to the prince – closer than an arm’s reach. He could feel the other man’s eyes on him, looking at him… Then the shaii shifted slightly and a bout of blinding desire swept through Goten’s body again. He could tell it was not really his, not all of it; he was mostly responding to the whiff of pheromones that had suddenly assaulted his senses. This made him realize that the prince was probably drunk with lust. He could probably do anything to the man right now. If he wanted, he could probably push him down flat on his back and have him right here, on the roof.

Goten felt his palms starting to sweat again. The prince was just sitting there quietly with his legs spread lightly. The third-class couldn’t see, but he knew the man was aroused. This half-darkness was making Goten bold and he nearly stepped closer. Catching himself, he stumbled backwards. The thought, or absence of any, made him panicky. Then Goten did something which would keep him blushing for the next two weeks and, when reminded of it, for the rest of his life: he turned around and ran, ran like hell, leaving the amused and disappointed prince to sit there alone.

ooOoOoOoo

“Goten, come here,” Kyon motioned.

Goten raised his eyes off the lettuce he was chopping. Kyon was standing farther in the kitchen, next to the table near the stoves, looking at something in the corner between the wall and the table.

“Hmm?” Goten wondered, putting his knife down on the battered cutting board. “What’s in there?”

“Come, come.”

Rubbing his hands together to unstick the clingy lettuce, Goten walked over and stood next to Kyon. In the corner, as usual, he could see some pieces of paper, two plates, one with water, another with some kind of food.

“And?”

“Here, look here,” Kyon showed, lifting one of the papers. “The eggs.”

“Oh!” Goten grinned excitedly at the sight of a few whitish oval forms. “She laid eggs!”

“Yup!” Kyon grinned back at him.

Goten clapped his roommate on his shoulder. “So now we’re gonna have loads of Fluffies!”

“I think it’s going to be about twenty. Maybe more.”

“Oh shit. Where are we going to put that many of them? And then they will start breeding like mad! The base is going to be infested with them! We’d be fined or something!”

Kyon laughed at Goten’s worried face. “Don’t worry, silly. It’s too hot for them to live outside.”

Goten looked relieved. “I see.” He went to wash his hands. Kyon was very definite about washing hands before touching food. He had also explained that the whip snakes carried a bacterium which, even if not dangerous for Saiyans, was dangerous for Humans. None of the staff wanted to be responsible for wiping out any of their unplanned interstellar guests. There was also the question of half-Human-half-Saiyans. Sometimes, their immune system worked like that of Saiyans’, sometimes like Humans’, and sometimes it consisted of parts of both and also missed parts of both. It was practically impossible to predict how a person of mixed blood would react to various types of bacteria. As far as Goten knew, the prince was the only one of mixed blood on the base. Poisoning him would result in the execution of the entire kitchen personnel.

Goten took his knife again and continued chopping lettuce. When his thoughts turned to the prince, he could feel his face becoming hot. He had been desperately, but successfully, avoiding the prince since that time on the roof. For the entire week after that, he had been steering clear of the elites and _Matilda_ , attending all his lessons and being painfully polite to everyone. Currently, he was the epitome of obedience. Anything, as long as he didn’t need to go to the shaii’s office. 

At least one of them had to be the voice of reason.

He wondered if the prince thought about it. He hoped he did, because if temptation like that were presented to him again, Goten wasn’t certain he would be able to resist it. He liked the man and he had never felt anything like that, like he did then, on that roof: it had been strong and overwhelming. 

Goten grunted as the edge of the knife he was using chipped at the tip of his finger. He stuck the finger into his mouth. Idly, he poked the lettuce with the knife, then let go of it. 

And they hardly even touched hands!

Annoyed, still sucking on his finger, Goten shook his head. Kyon and Ranvera had done to him so much more than that and he had never responded to them like this. Probably that was because he kept on thinking that they didn’t know that he was only a third-class. He was always on his guard with them. But wasn’t he on his guard with the shaii as well? Even more so! And yet…

Was he in love? Nah, more likely he was only in lust. He needed to get laid, but there wasn’t a suitable partner. Goten huffed, pulled his finger out of his mouth, and took a look at it. It had stopped bleeding and the shallow cut was already healing. Goten picked up the knife again. He didn’t want to feel like that ever again, not with the prince – it was too dangerous.

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 24

It was the second time this week that they were having this kind of stamina training. Goten glared grudgingly at the ceiling of the small claustrophobic room he and other two savars were locked in. Basically, the whole point of it was to see how long they could withstand the artificial moonlight without transforming into Oozaru. With every new session, the light was intensified and the time they had to stay in the room was extended.

In fact, there was no danger of them transforming. They had been given wristbands which reacted as soon as the body started showing noticeable signs of transformation. The wristbands cancelled the conversion and, at the same time, just to be on the safe side, sent out a signal which turned the artificial light off.

Goten wasn’t certain why they were put in these rooms in threes and fours, but figured it was either to strengthen the competitive spirit among them or only because there was not enough space for every savar. There was no furniture at all, all three of them sitting on the hard floor.

The third-class wondered how much time had passed since they entered this room. He wanted out and as soon as possible. He had never been good at controlling his transformations. The skin on the back on his neck was prickling and he could feel his tail starting to unwind again. This had already happened five or six times since he came in here – it would just unwind and start swishing on its own. He also had an erection, which was both embarrassing and inconvenient.

A low warning growl erupted from Goten’s throat when one of his current inmates inched closer to him. The other savar moved backwards. The proximity of other people irritated Goten. The third-class wondered if he would have growled under normal circumstances and came to the conclusion that he wouldn’t have; he usually wasn’t so territorial. Not without horror, he realized that if they threw in a female here, he would probably go on a rampage, fighting the others for her.

He hated it when his body and instincts took over. 

Goten fixed his gaze on the door, hoping it would finally open and end this torture. He wondered how his father was doing. It had already been over a month since he and the other people went missing. Maybe he was dead. Just like Gohan. Somehow, Goten didn’t believe that. His father…the man was pretty irresponsible, simple-minded, and couldn’t hold an intelligent conversation even if his life depended on it, but there was something very natural and vibrant about him, something which attracted people to him. 

Kakarott’s love for fighting was bigger than that of an average Saiyan’s; that was why he didn’t mind being sent on missions over and over. Goten had hated that awkward pat on his head his father would give him before going away. It seemed so hypocritical when he knew that Kakarott was really looking forward to the missions. However, Goten also knew that it wasn’t really about that. His father didn’t know how to express his love, but most men didn’t, so he shouldn’t have felt so hurt. He had been just a kid back then, though.

The third-class sighed. He would always wait for Kakarott to return. He remembered being angry with his father and the whole world when he went away but, oh how he waited! The occasions when all three of them would be at home were very rare since his father was often away on missions and Gohan was so busy with school. 

Goten shot a warning look at the same guy who was approaching him again. Whose freaking idea was it to lock him in together with two elites? Must have been the sergeant’s. Goten eyed the two elites. Malom was right beside him, giving him a not too friendly stare, while Sorada was sitting farther away, looking utterly annoyed and glaring at the opposite wall. All of them were tense, the artificial moonlight making them feel as if they wanted to crawl out of their skin.

“Stop growling, you idiot,” Sorada said to Goten. “You’re sitting on his jacket.”

“Am I?” Goten wondered, spreading his legs and looking between them to see the green pattern of the uniform under his ass. “Whoops,” Goten said, standing up.

The third-class yelped as he was pushed backwards and his head was slammed against the wall. 

“The fuck?! Malom!” Sorada yelled. “Let go of him!”

For a moment, Goten saw nothing but stars. Then his instincts took over. He punched out, almost blindly, but his arm was grabbed. Then he kicked and his attacker went down. The light suddenly went off in the room, but the body underneath him was still struggling and threatening.

At some point, Goten’s rage started waning and he noticed that he was being held face down on the ground by a bunch of officers. Suddenly, he felt very uncomfortable.

“That’s it, he came to,” the drill sergeant said, feeling Goten’s body go completely still and rigid. He let go of Goten’s right wrist. Uncertain, but trusting the man to know his savars, the other officers released the third-class as well.

“What category is he in?” Ardema, the lecturer in ki-attacks, asked, watching the now docile youth sit down on the floor. The youth was still out of it.

“A bit above average,” the sergeant said and all four officers turned to look at him in disbelief. The sergeant could see the look on Ardema’s face, which was more than mistrustful. The lecturer in ki-attacks was an elite and he obviously didn’t believe him. “It’s just his wristband,” the sergeant explained. “Must have failed and partial transformation took place.”

The officers looked at the savar. Sometimes wristbands malfunctioned, but none of them had ever seen someone possess so much strength while there weren’t any visible traces of outside transformation. Besides, the lights had gone out long ago. Now it was just the usual lamp. 

Ardema had seen the youth’s face many times even though he knew the savar had never attended his lectures. Yet, he had seen the kid around. Then he remembered. Wasn’t this the infamous troublemaker, the prince’s lapdog? Or was it the other way round? Ardema watched the confused savar and was left wondering who was whose lapdog in that peculiar relationship.

“What happened, sir…s?” Goten asked. He wasn’t certain who he should direct his question to, thus tried to look at all of the officers at once.

“From what I could see,” the sergeant said, “a serious concussion has taken place, a broken arm and a leg, a dislocated jaw and maybe quite a few broken ribs.”

Goten looked at himself. His body felt perfectly fine.

“No, not you, idiot. Malom. You beat the living crap out of him.”

“Oh. He… _attacked_ me,” Goten said, quite stunned, now remembering what happened.

“Yeah, we saw that,” the sergeant nodded. “But don’t you think you have gone overboard in your self-defense?”

Goten hesitated. “It just kind of…happened, sir.”

“Never mind that,” the sergeant muttered. There wasn’t much point in blaming Goten – the artificial moonlight addled one’s brain, especially for someone as untrained as Goten. “Why did he attack you?”

“I have no idea, sir. Honestly.” Goten gave this some more thought. “Maybe it happened because I was sitting on his jacket,” he mused absentmindedly.

The drill sergeant’s face brightened. “Ah, were you?”

“Yeah, I was. Sir,” Goten added quickly, now aware that his monologue hadn’t gone unnoticed. “But it wasn’t as if I had done it to spite him.”

“Why were you sitting on his jacket?”

“I don’t know, sir. It was just there, under my…bottom.”

Ardema, who was listening in on the conversation, looked at Goten’s unruly crotch. He said something quietly to the sergeant. The sergeant gave Goten’s face an evaluating look. The youth was indeed exuding pheromones, but the savar wasn’t someone you’d turn to look at for a second time when walking past; he wasn’t handsome but he wasn’t ugly either. He was probably what people called “common”. 

“Actually,” the sergeant wondered, “did Malom try to…hmm…have sexual intercourse with you?”

“Ehh… What?” Goten asked wide-eyed, his face flushing red while his legs folded themselves so that his knees nearly touched his chest. “Oh, did he? Really?” he muttered in a second, even more stunned, at which point the sergeant and the other officers burst out laughing. But there was no sense in that – Goten could understand if he were a female, then the moonlight could indeed have had that effect on the other savar, but… “But…I’m male…” 

The sergeant doubled over with laughter.

Ardema gave Goten a look. “I must inform you that we are aware of that,” he said. Then he looked at the sergeant. “Is this really the one that half of the base has set their sights on? He’s retarded.”

The sergeant was nearly crying with laughter. “Oh, oh, don’t say that. He’s a fine lad, he is, just a bit slow in these matters. I hear he’s still a virgin.”

The lecturer in ki-attacks gave the sergeant a quizzical look. “Huh? Is he going around bragging about that?”

“I think one of his friends wrote it on his forehead once.”

“Ah. I heard about that. So that was him.”

The sergeant nodded. “Yep.”

Ardema shrugged. “At least he’s amusing. As for why Malom attacked him, we won’t find out unless we ask the perpetrator himself,” he said, indicating that the gathering was over. “I’ll leave it to you. I am not particularly interested in the results,” he added, already walking away, specifying who was going to be responsible for all the paperwork.

The sergeant watched the other two second-class officers follow the elite officer obediently. One of them outranked Ardema, but this didn’t mean much when one was faced with an elite. When it came to Ardema, like most elites, he expected the lower classes to obey him unconditionally, no matter their rank. Ardema, however, more or less acknowledged the ranking system, or rather respected the skill behind it. Ardema had been on the base for about five years already, and the sergeant had never seen him undermine any of the second-class officers. The rumor was that he was bedding a second-class officer as well.

The sergeant huffed. Actually, faced with the sight of Ardema and Kanua almost daily in the officers’ club and bumping into the pair once in a while in the officer’s barracks, he could not call it a “rumor”; it was already a well-established fact. There was some dissatisfaction, but as long as there were volunteers, Ardema was ready to take out any of them. The sergeant didn’t think that there was anyone foolish enough to confront the powerful elite directly.

“Well? Are you growing roots?” the sergeant snorted at Goten, who was still sitting on the ground. The youth gave him a pitiful look, making the sergeant roll his eyes. “Hasn’t it gone away yet?”

Goten pouted. “I would appreciate it, sir, if you'd stop spreading weird rumors about me.”

“Ah, you mean you’ve already lost your virginity?”

Goten glared at the grinning sergeant. “Sir, could you stop making fun of me? It was bad enough that he called me a retard.”

“He also said you were amusing, and I must agree with that.”

Goten shook his head forlornly. “It would seem that it’s my only value, sir.”

“Well, it’s better than not having any value at all, isn’t it?”

ooOoOoOoo

The prince looked up from his plate to the door where a bunch of clamoring savars appeared. Sure enough, it was Goten and his company. Despite the fact that they had just entered _Matilda_ , some of them were already having trouble standing upright. The shaii scooped up some mashed potatoes and cabbage salad and chewed thoughtfully while watching the savars stumble to the table in the corner. The shaii was aware that the other savars and officers present in the club were awfully familiar with the members of the noisy group; there were a lot of greetings and glares aimed their way.

The shaii gave his cutlet a disapproving look when he heard them order more drinks – from what he had seen, Kyon had mostly carried Goten in. They were being particularly noisy today as well. The prince turned to watch their table where Goten was telling something to Kyon. It seemed that Goten was bent on explaining something dead serious, but his drunken expression and his slurred and garbled words made it impossible not to laugh at him, which was exactly what Kyon and the others were doing.

Sighing, the prince shook his head and concentrated back on his cutlet. It had been three weeks already since he and Goten had talked on the roof. It was astonishing how the third-class had managed to avoid him all this time. If not for the report on the incident during full moon training, he would have not encountered Goten’s name at all. 

So this was Goten’s answer. How cowardly. But it was still an answer.

Had there been a question, though? He hadn’t really asked, hadn’t talked to Goten at all.

Screw this. There was no point in asking anyway, was there? He wouldn’t know what to do with a positive answer anyway.

Ah, but maybe he would.

“To your eighteenth birthday!”

“Yeah!”

The prince raised his head to look at the clamoring table again. So that was the reason for the noise – Goten’s eighteenth birthday. Right, he had forgotten about it completely. Soon it would be half a year that the third-class was on the base. 

Moodily, the prince sipped his tea. He wondered how the third-class would react if he went over and congratulated him on his birthday. Then he realized that if he did that in front of everybody, Goten, in his drunken anxiety, would probably throw up. The shaii rolled his eyes. If things had already reached this stage, maybe he should ask for a transfer.

Nah. Would be too easy.

ooOoOoOoo

“Sir!” Goten saluted smartly.

The shaii motioned at the chair in front of his desk. “Sit down, Goten.”

“Thank you, sir,” Goten said, getting comfortable in the chair. He still didn’t feel like standing too much; his birthday three days ago had nearly killed him.

“I offer my most sincere congratulations,” the prince said when Goten settled down. 

“Thank you, sir,” Goten thanked awkwardly. The congratulations were belated, but now he was wondering if he was supposed to invite the shaii for a drink in thanks for them. That would be just…scary and careless and would wipe out all his previous efforts to steer clear off the prince.

“I wonder what we would do without you. Oh, I know!” the prince said cheerfully. “I, for one, would have my paperwork cut in half!”

“Umm…” Goten drawled, not quite certain he was following his superior. “I am certain Toharu didn’t mean to break that table, sir. All of us had a little too much to drink that day.”

“What table?”

Goten gave the prince a confused look. “The one he broke while dancing on it, sir. Isn’t that the reason I’m here?”

“Never heard about any table. I’m talking about this,” the shaii said, grabbing a thin newspaper from his desk and tossing it in front of Goten.

The third-class took the paper. It was of poor quality, black and white, and it was very likely that the pages had been bound by hand as well. After looking at the front page, it indeed appeared that it was the local print and the edition was only fifty copies.

“Sir?”

“Page eight.”

Goten opened to page eight where he saw a lot of black and white photographs. He read the headline: **TOP 15 MOST DESIRABLE MEN ON THE BASE**. Interested, he started to skim over the pictures.

“Sir, you’re number ten!” he laughed. “Way to go!”

“But you haven’t seen who number one is yet,” the shaii purred dangerously.

Goten’s eyes fixed on the largest photo with a star on the corner. It was a photo of him in the canteen, stuffing his face with noodles, with 'I’M A VIRGIN' written on his forehead. “Oh gods,” Goten gasped in horror, fighting his breakfast to make it stay down. “I had no idea that I'm so unphotogenic!”

“Congratulations,” the shaii repeated maliciously. “But it seems to me that not being photogenic is going to be the least of your worries.”

“Ohh, Toharu is number eight!” Goten exclaimed joyfully, completely ignoring the prince. “He’s going to be ecstatic!”

The shaii’s eyebrows rose at the lack of response. “Goten…?”

“Sir, I refuse to react!” Goten suddenly declared with vehemence. “I’ve had enough of all this shit with… They can do and think whatever the hell they want! I don’t care!” he yelled.

“Well…” the shaii drawled, taken aback slightly. “For one who doesn't care, you sure are shouting quite a lot.”

Goten closed the paper with a rustle and slapped it down onto the prince’s desk. “To hell with it,” he muttered. “Toharu has turned me into a joke. Nothing else but a joke. That asshole.”

“Calm down.” The prince said, ruffling through his hair. “Virginity, especially a man’s, is a trivial thing,” he said then, shrugging. “I suppose it’s just that there’s nothing much else to do here that they are so interested in you.”

“Oh really?”

The prince opened his mouth and then closed it with a loud snap, realizing how Goten took it. Goten was casting him a triumphant look. There was also much bitterness and hurt, but there was mostly triumph. Had Goten really been waiting all this time just so he could tell him “I told you so”?

“Are you a masochist?”

Goten gave him a look bordering between surprised and disturbed. The shaii leaned his elbow on the desk and lowered his chin on his palm, watching Goten thoughtfully. He was suddenly overtaken by a melancholic feeling.

“Sir?” Goten drawled uncertainly.

“Mm?” the shaii hummed without opening his mouth.

“Why is sir looking at m-”

“Oh, I was just thinking that I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life trying to figure you out.”

“Uhh… That would be a grand waste, sir. Spending your life like that.”

“I suppose so,” the shaii agreed. “But I suppose everything’s a waste when it comes to that.”

“Well, yes, sir. No matter what we do, we die. And then everyone else we have ever known disappears as well. Nations die, planets die. There will be time when the universe is going to shrink into itself and there will be no life left anymore, so yeah, from that point of view, anything we do is pointless.”

“Hmm… I suppose so,” the shaii hummed. “I am not certain how our conversation got to this point,” he wondered aloud after a pause. Then he tapped his fingers on the local paper. “But yes, from that point of view, you shouldn’t give a fig about being hot guy number one.”

Goten chuckled. “If it were only that, I think I’d be pretty pleased, sir. But it’s more of a joke.”

The prince smiled. “You have a quite big ego, don’t you?”

“You noticed that only now, sir?”

The prince leaned back into his chair. “No, not really. But I think everyone likes attention, no matter who they are. It’s kind of…a proof to oneself of one’s value. All of us want to be valued for one thing or another.”

“Even if, sometimes, we do nothing to deserve it, right?”

“You forgot to add ‘ _sir_ ’,” the prince warned.

“ _Sir_ ,” Goten said obediently, smiling. “Sir, I think you’ve forgotten why you ordered me to come here.”

“You’re being insolent now.”

“Can’t I?”

The prince watched him from the depths of his chair. “Are you flirting with me?”

“Did it seem like that? No, I don’t think I was, sir. I wouldn’t know how. I’m just an innocent virgin boy after all.”

“Don’t get too carried away,” the shaii said. “Just go to the med-bay and take a day off if this starts bugging you too much. I see that it already is, though.”

Goten lowered his head to stare at his hands on his lap. “Yeah. I think I’ll do that. Thanks, sir.”

“Do you want to bring charges against Malom? For trying to…?”

Goten laughed loudly, waving his hands in front of him. “Oh gods, no, sir. I nearly killed him; I think that’s plenty for retribution. And to think that the poor sod was just influenced by the moonlight… Besides, the numbskull that I am, I didn’t even realize he was trying to…”

“Well, bashing your partner's head against the wall isn’t a part of the usual pick up process.”

“You’ve seen the security video, sir?”

“Yes. It was pretty awful.”

“Actually, sir, I think he was just trying to push me down onto the floor, and the wall was just in the way of my head.”

“Yes, it seemed so. You overreacted.”

Goten tensed up. “You could say I’m not used to rough sex, sir,” he said, his eyes burning.

The prince watched Goten for a few seconds, then rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. “Listen, you don’t need to get defensive with me like that – I am not blaming you. And I am not trying to piss you off on purpose either. I am genuinely worried about you.” 

Goten lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m a bit…edgy.”

“I can see that. Really, just take a day off before you do something stupid.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that, sir.” Goten blushed. “I mean, I will take a day off.”

The prince laughed softly. “Alright. Dismissed.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten snuggled deeper into the sheets. The curtain was rustling in the light breeze coming from the open window. The air was cooling rapidly. Lazily, the third-class watched the billowing material. He had spent the entire day sleeping in the medical bay; he had come early in the morning – saying his head hurt madly – and now it was late evening already. Any other savar would have probably aroused at least mild suspicion. He, however, was treated with kid-gloves as he was someone National Security was interested in. This was the first time Goten was glad about it – he even managed to avoid taking any medicines for his nonexistent headache.

He was hungry as well. Starving, in fact.

Thinking that he should get up and do something about it, Goten rolled over onto his back and stayed in bed. He yawned. He felt stupid for acting as he had in the shaii’s office. It really must have bugged him, this entire business with his virginity.

“A trivial thing, huh?” Goten muttered. “Why don’t you take care of it, then?” He rolled his eyes at himself after saying that. If any of those dreams he had recently been having were real, the matter would have been taken care of about a month ago. “Ahh…” he sighed, “this is such a pain in the a…” No, the absence of it was exactly the problem. 

Goten snickered and rolled his eyes at himself again; he really was getting retarded, just as the lecturer in ki-attacks had said. He climbed out of the bed and retrieved his uniform from a small wardrobe in the corner. He dressed and left the ward. It took him about ten minutes to find the head physician and tell him that he was leaving. The man gave him a once-over, then shrugged and waved him off.

After having some leftovers in the kitchen, he went to his barracks. It was about ten o’clock in the evening already. The second-years were missing, but he found Kyon leafing through a cookbook. It was the one he had recently bought, and the pages were already stained with fatty fingerprints.

“Hey, welcome back,” Kyon greeted tentatively. “How are you?”

“Fine, I think,” Goten said, walking over to his bed.

None of his friends had visited Goten in the med-bay because he had told them not to. Even Toharu had listened to him this time and hadn’t attempted anything annoying. Maybe Toharu felt guilty for all the commotion with that poll. Slim chance. It was more likely that Toharu felt jealous of him taking first place. If that was true, he was probably also busy coming up with a reward to demand from Goten for helping him to become so popular.

Kyon tensed when Goten’s eyes fixed on a piece of newspaper stuck on the wall above the desk. It was a scrap of Goten’s picture with the infamous writing on his forehead.

“Err…” Kyon drawled, closing the cookbook and pushing it aside. “Daram hung it there. He said that now he would be able to brag that he is sleeping with the hottest guy on the base.”

“Sleeping as in one room, you mean?”

“Well, yeah. He thinks it’s a great joke.”

Goten took another look at the picture. Now he wondered why he had flipped out as he had. It was just a joke – nobody took it seriously and everybody was going to forget him in a month or two.

Kyon watched his roommate’s moody face. “Do you know that our sergeant was one of those who hardly missed making it into top 15?” he asked.

Goten was taken aback. “What? Really?”

“No. I was just checking to see if you’re listening to me.”

Goten sighed. “I am okay. Really. I was just a little bit upset about the whole thing. I mean, I’ve been ridiculed to the point where people whistle and laugh at me!”

“They simply don’t have anything better to do. They will forget you as soon as something new and interesting happens. Or when you finally get a boyfriend.”

The third-class looked at his roommate askance. Kyon had turned toward him with his chair, his cookbook forgotten and lonely on the desk. The second-class was looking at him expectantly. “So we are going back to that…” Goten drawled. 

“Well, it has already been a month since last time we spoke. I believe you’ve had plenty of time to think about everything and finally decide what you’re going to do.”

The problem was that, actually, Goten didn’t want to do anything. If possible, he would just go on not doing anything and playing it safe, however, he knew that he would have to take action at some point. Hopefully, not today.

“I don’t want a partner.”

“Why?”

Goten gave his photograph on the wall one last look and sat down on his bed. “Well, I just don’t want one.”

“Why?”

“And why should I want one?”

Kyon’s eyes flashed angrily. “Don’t play with me, Goten. Don’t I at least deserve to be told why you are so bent on rejecting me?”

Goten leaned forward, sighing. He stared at his feet on the floor.

“Well, that just pisses me off even more,” Kyon growled standing up. “It seems that I’m just a nuisance to you, nothing else! Fine, have it your way!” He turned towards the door.

“Wait.” It was Goten now who grabbed his roommate by his clothing to prevent him from leaving. With growing horror, Goten realized that if Kyon left now, a lot of things would become unstable. Despite the fact that he found it uncomfortable to admit to himself, he sometimes thought of Kyon as his back-up plan. Any romantic relationship with the prince was determined to fail in advance and Goten knew that. Deep down, he had hope that Kyon would somehow… Goten simply didn’t want to be abandoned; if nothing else, then he would just be content with maintaining the status quo.

Kyon stared down at Goten for a few seconds, then shook his head, frowning. “Listen, you either let go of me this instant, or just keep your hold on me for the rest of your life. Choose. Now.”

Goten let go of Kyon, laughing softly. Then he tensed and growled out desperately, “I’m a third-class, Kyon.”

Kyon stared at him, uncomprehending. “What? What are you saying?”

“I’m a third-class,” Goten repeated. “I’m saying that you’re way out of my league.”

Dizzily, Kyon took a few steps back and flopped back onto the chair at the desk. Disbelieving, he shook his head again. “Is this a joke? Like your last resort in getting rid of me?”

“I’m a fucking third-class, you idiot!” Goten snapped. He covered his face with his hands. “Ah shit!” He knew he shouldn’t have told his roommate. It was so stupid of him. He was so ashamed and he shouldn’t have shouted at Kyon and everything was just fucked up.

“But it can’t be. You are not...” Kyon trailed off. Goten wasn’t looking at him – he still had his face covered. Now it dawned on Kyon. This was why Goten distanced himself from any relationship. Numbly, he leaned back in the chair. 

“Oh, but I am,” Goten said softly.

Goten removed his hands from his face and their eyes met. Goten's gaze showed everything at once: regret, amusement, relief, and fear. Kyon studied him for a little longer, then rubbed his forehead fervently. This did not make any sense; not with Goten’s abilities and power.

“Maybe a half-breed? Mixed classes?”

Goten shook his head. He shuffled his feet on the floor absently. “Nope. I’m a pure product of two third-classes.”

The voice was bitter, with an edge of sarcasm, and Kyon took it for what it was – a defensive reaction. The second-class pursed his lips, thinking. “Let me ask you, then. What are you doing at an officers’ school?”

“I have no idea. Believe me, the call-up papers were quite a surprise.”

“Does Ranvera know?”

Goten shook his head. “No.”

“Good.”

The third-class gave him a searching look.

“If you think that your real class is going to change anything, think again. I am not particularly picky about my partners.” Kyon winced. “Ugh… now that didn't come out like I intended.” But he shouldn’t have worried about that – Goten seemed to be too astonished to take it as an insult. “Or did you give your class away to me in hopes of keeping me from coming on to you? That would make me really angry.”

Goten shook off his surprise. “Err, no. No, of course, no. I kind of…didn’t think you’d be so…” He waved his hands about awkwardly. “I suppose, I am…” He laughed softly. “I think I’m very relieved.”

Kyon watched him thoughtfully. “So you’re the only third-class on the base? So this is the reason you were fucking around with Ranvera and me so much? Oh man,” he groaned after Goten nodded, “that's so freakin’ adorable! So annoying as well!”

Goten appeared to be unsure about what was going on. He had a very hopeful aura around him, but at the same time, he seemed to be afraid of hoping.

“It’s okay, Goten. I don’t care. Really. I had a few third-class friends back at home. The community in my village was small and we needed every hunter we could get; it doesn't matter who wields the gun as long as they are a good shot.”

“Oh.” Goten stared at his hands on his lap and realized that it was going to be him who would need to get used to the thought about himself being a third-class and his roommate knowing that. This was unexpected.

“You look as if you just admitted to having planned to kill the king.”

Goten laughed uneasily. “I didn’t think that… This is somehow…embarrassing.”

Kyon chuckled, amused. “Do you want me to hug you and tell you that everything’s okay?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Ah. You know, this is still somehow pissing me off.”

Goten pursed his lips. “Good.”

Kyon watched him, then shook his head, grinning. “Y-”

Both of them jumped at the sound of sirens going off, and, automatically, their gazes went to the window. They could see nothing unusual.

“The base is under attack. I repeat: the base is under attack. Proceed to the first and second armories for weaponry. This is not a drill. I repeat: the base is under attack. Proceed to the first and second armories for weaponry.”

Goten and Kyon stared at each other, wide-eyed, then scrambled towards the door at nearly the same time. Once they were outside the barracks, they headed for the first armory. There were so many people running around that he and Kyon lost sight of each other in three seconds. It was also obvious to Goten that he was not going to get any weapons in time; there were too many people in front of him.

This was no good. Goten could tell that from his first glance at the sky. While waiting in the queue, he stared at the sky where lonely dots suddenly started flaring up. Not grasping the situation, the third-class continued to stare at the fireworks in the sky until something whipped just past him and the spaceship hangar blew up. The gust of wind raised him into the air and threw him several meters away where he hit the asphalt painfully. It started raining molten asphalt, chunks of iron, savars, and sand all around him.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” he yelled desperately, covering his head and summoning his ki to create a protective shield.

In a few seconds, he dared to raise his head and look up. The automatic defense system of the base was working full blast: the flashing lights up in the sky were exploding enemy ships. Then he realized that he had already seen this scene somewhere. Right, in the pool on the edge of the world: hoards of flying Ice-jin ships. 

With a curse on his lips, Goten stood up and saw the warehouse shatter into pieces. He could hear the whipping sounds of the laser cutting through the air somewhere further ahead. He needed a weapon, and right now. Something powerful enough to take a ship down. 

Goten made his way through the throngs of savars and into the armory. Commanding officers were already present and were taking control of the situation, but most of the first-years were just running around blindly. Goten noticed three second-year elites charging a few laser cannons.

Goten grabbed two first-years who, against all logic, had been running away from the armory. “You two! Come with me!” He gritted his teeth when the first-years just stared at him, panicky. “If you don’t want to die, come with me!” he shouted at them. “We are going to get some cannons,” he informed them, starting to forcefully drag the two men towards the armory. In reality, he didn’t know how to use a cannon. In the worst case scenario, he planned to at least bring it for others to use. 

The third-class ran into the building, the two savars going in after him. He roughly shouldered through the crowd, his eyes skipping past the writing on the walls. “Here.” He turned in to one of the rooms. He rushed up to several cannons that were still standing there. He had no idea what kind of cannon was best, so he just grabbed one that seemed similar to the one the elite second-years had been using. 

“You, take that one!” Goten motioned with his head at the man that had finally broken through the mass of savars to join him. “You, take one box of the loads.” He motioned with his foot at a nearby box. “And one of those batteries,” he said, pointing at another box after reading the trademark on the laser cannon that the guy had just grabbed.

Goten and the two other savars ran back into the now near-empty corridor and outside. While they had been absent, the order in the base had been mostly restored: the higher ranked officers had taken command, the first-years mixing with the more experienced men.

“You three!” the sergeant shouted at Goten. “Bring the cannons and loads here!”

Goten jumped to the side and rolled over as soon as he heard a loud hiss somewhere nearby. Most of the savars also ducked or ran, rained on by the flying debris of bricks and asphalt that the first armory had turned into. “Oh shit,” Goten’s eyes widened as he suddenly realized what was going to happen. “Everyone away!” he screamed, running. “Away! It’s going t-”

A second later, the armory exploded, the mushroom cloud billowing high into the air, enveloping all the slower savars in the blast. The whoosh of air and heat from the explosion sent the savars who were further away scattering all around.

“Crap,” Goten mumbled, dropping his ki shield. He had been close to the armory, but the heat hadn’t penetrated his ki shield. He turned around and saw the sergeant’s body sink to the ground, shrapnel sticking out of his forehead. The two guys with the loads and the cannon were still intact. They were panicking again, one’s uniform was smoking a bit, and the other was trying to put the fire in his hair out, but in general they were functioning. 

“Cut it out!” Goten yelled in an authoritative tone. “We need…”

“Put the cannons on the ground. Start loading them,” the firm voice came from behind Goten’s back. The two first-years immediately complied. They kneeled onto the ground to put the cannon and the loads down.

Goten turned around to see the shaii. The man looked like he just rolled out of bed, which probably was indeed the case, his clothes in disarray, his lavender hair loose and tousled, the denim jacket simply thrown on his bare body, the jeans without a belt. Goten startled as the steel blue settled on him like a whip as if asking why he was tarrying. He quickly set the cannon down. He had no idea where to put the loads in. His eyes rose to the shaii, who had whistled a signal to another officer. The officer nodded and sent over several second-year savars. 

Goten gasped as the shaii grabbed him by the scruff of his collar and started dragging him away from the armory.

“Why the fuck are you bothering with the cannons?” the shaii hissed at the third-class, hauling him further away from the noise of the shooting cannons. Once they were several meters away from the people, the prince let go of him.

Goten looked up at the sky, wondering about his strange wish to get the cannons. Personally, he didn’t really need them. Not when he could already see the ships clearly. He instinctively knew he was more than capable of taking them out with his ki alone.

“Take the one on your right,” the prince instructed. Goten’s eyes widened when a huge ki ball appeared in the shaii’s palm. He had never seen anyone able to gather such an enormous amount of ki in such a short time, except himself or his brother.

Goten summoned his ki in his right palm and threw the blast at the ship. The blue-colored ball crossed the sky like lightning, meeting the metallic hull and passing through it without stopping. For several seconds, the ship continued to fly, then went up like a match.

“Are you any good at combo blasts?” the prince asked, throwing three blasts at once, then, with a weird motion of his hand, making them explode inside the ships. Goten wondered at the technique – he already wanted to learn it.

Goten nodded. “Which one does sir want to use? Kamehameha or Final Flash?”

“Final Flash will be more effective in this case. Try to make the diameter as wide as possible,” the shaii stood beside Goten, holding his hands forward.

“Right,” Goten nodded. He closed his eyes, letting the surge of his ki build.

“Now!” the prince commanded.

They released their ki together, the two streams mixing into one, overflowing and spreading from their hands, taking an inconceivable shape and power. 

“Whoa. Fuck!” The shaii’s hand found the back of Goten’s neck, and hurled them both to the ground, instantly creating a protective shield around them. The sky above them shook, the explosions brightening the entire space all around the base, the burning debris from the destroyed ships raining down to the ground and over their bodies, sizzling and evaporating as soon as it hit the shield.

As soon as the burning rain eased up, the prince yanked Goten up to his feet and dispersed the shield. “Now the opposite side,” he said.

“I don’t think I have much ki left, sir,” Goten said, unsure, looking in the direction the shaii was indicating towards. In fact, he had no idea how much of it he had. “I can try, though.”

They went through the same procedure again, then ducked, the shaii creating the shield around them once again. Goten shielded his head with his hands just in case some debris passed through the shield, although he knew that with the amount of ki that was currently used to create the shield it wasn’t possible.

“Now go finish off the rest of them,” the shaii commanded after they got to their feet.

“Yes, sir!” Goten saluted and ran towards the training field where he could already see several pink figures. He thought about launching a blast to get rid of them, but then changed his mind – some the savars were in the way and he wasn’t that accurate with blasts. In addition, he didn’t have much energy left and to waste it recklessly might mean his death. 

The third-class ran forward, jumped to the side to avoid the oncoming blast, flash-stepped to the first Ice-jin and punched him so hard that his face broke in with a sickening crack. The scent of blood filled Goten’s nostrils. It had a strange tinge, as it was not Saiyan, but it was blood nonetheless. 

A series of struggles to Goten’s left caught his eye, and without a single thought, he flash-stepped into the fight and kicked the lizard in the back, the sound of breaking vertebra filling the air. The lizard and the elite, whom he had been trying to kill, flew about five meters through the air before hitting the ground. The elite kicked the dead lizard off himself and ran towards the next one.

Goten dropped to the ground to avoid the foot that was targeting his head. He kicked out at the Ice-jin’s legs, sending him to the ground, then grabbed a chunk of concrete off the asphalt and banged it on the Ice-jin’s head. Goten stood up. A ki blast swept just several centimeters away from his face, but he'd already had his protective shield on. With a roar, Goten launched himself on an Ice-jin to his left.

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 25

Something thumped and rolled away from Goten’s foot when he accidentally trod on it. The third-class watched something oblong and orange rolling over the heated asphalt. He peered at it closer. It was a carrot. Goten raised his head and looked around. Farther ahead, just next to a body of a mutilated Ice-jin, was a cabbage. On Goten’s left, a chicken was lying in a puddle of water, defrosting itself quickly. Automatically, the third-class turned to look at the canteen and saw that half of it was missing. The wing Goten was facing, where the dining room used to be, was only a mountain of concrete rubble. The kitchen itself had survived the attack though.

Goten moved forward at a snail’s pace. They had beaten off the Ice-jin attack although it had cost them dearly; on his way, Goten was checking the faces of his dead comrades who lay on the cracked asphalt. It was dark already and he could hardly recognize their faces. Not them, though. There was something in particular he was looking for and he instinctively knew he was not going to find it here. He knew he should stop and help treat injuries or make sure that no one was under the rubble. He could also start gathering food; the third-class could instinctively tell that anything edible was going to become sparse when the war escalated. Or he could do something about the corpses strewn around. There were many things he could and should be doing at the moment. 

There were more lone carrots scattered on the asphalt. The sight of them was making Goten frantic and he broke into a run. He didn’t know what, but there was something very wrong about those carrots. Something malevolent. 

When the third-class reached the destroyed canteen, he stopped so suddenly that he nearly fell over. His eyes riffled through the slightly smoking rubble. He didn’t know what he had expected to see, but there was nothing to be seen except the smithereens of the concrete blocks. There was probably no one caught underneath either; the alarm had gone off before the Ice-jins attacked, thus everybody must have run outside. 

Anxious, Goten turned away from the canteen and looked around. Still nothing, nothing similar to what he was trying to find.

The officers’ club. There must also be a walk-in freezer in _Matilda_. And Goten suddenly knew he was right – that was what he had been looking for. The third-class shot into the air. Airborne, he could see that the barbers’ had survived the attack. However, the rest of the building was one big burning hole with pieces wrenched out of it and scattered all around with a vengeance. Half of the roof was missing, the fire still raging inside.

Goten’s eyes focused on a few savars behind _Matilda_. One savar was lurching in the general direction of the med-bay. Goten found him of no interest; as long as a Saiyan could stand, it meant he was going to be alright. Another savar was facing away from Goten. He was squatting down, holding a third one on his lap, so that Goten was only able to see his lower body. There was something painfully familiar about that back and those broad shoulders. 

His gaze still fixed on the back of the savar, the third-class landed. He flinched as his right foot squashed something. He raised it to see an orange mess that had previously been a carrot. Goten felt nausea coming on. There were plenty of them strewn around. Goten lowered his foot and slowly sidled up to the savar. On the asphalt, there was a rod of steel, one end of which was covered in blood.

After seeing the man’s face on the savar’s lap, Goten’s whole body shook and he closed his eyes. Slowly, he sank to his knees. The third-class kept his eyes closed, but he could perfectly see the remains of the mutilated face in his mind. The image had burned itself there forever; it had been there for a while now, only he had never known, never remembered. Goten swallowed the bile. He felt numb, not really managing to think about anything.

Ario turned when he heard Goten gag and saw him crawling farther away, vomiting his dinner up. Quietly, Ario averted his eyes and looked at Toharu’s body in his lap. His lover was missing half of his head. Ario cradled what was left of it and pressed it to his chest. Not feeling the stickiness, he stared at the asphalt in front of him. Ario was not certain what had happened. He was not even certain what was happening. He could vaguely hear Goten curse, then felt something touch his shoulder.

Goten jerked back as Ario lashed out at his hand viciously. Goten stared at Ario’s nape for a few seconds, then flopped down next to him on the asphalt. He could not bear looking at them, thus he turned his back to them. The third-class sat and stared at the burning _Matilda_. From time to time, something would pop inside from the heat. 

Goten felt numb, just as he had felt when he had heard about his brother’s death. There was that deep emptiness inside him, where all the emotions seemed to just float around without making any sense. He simply sat and thought about himself sitting there and staring at _Matilda_ , at how the black smoke coiled upwards into the bright blue sky. He didn’t know how long he sat like that.

“Ario.”

The second-class didn’t react and Goten called again. Ario turned to him slowly. And Goten didn’t know what to say to the grief-stricken man. There was also something resolute about Ario. And there was nothing Goten could say to make it better. The third-class covered his face and his body started to shake. Now he felt emotions bombard him, all of them, at once.

“I know,” Ario whispered, turning away. “Just go away. Let me…”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Gods, I’m so sorry,” the third-class spilled. He removed his hands from his face and stared at the burning _Matilda_. Goten could not look at Ario. Had there been a chance to change this, just as he had changed the fate of the prince? Was this his fault? Oh gods, was this his fault? “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he repeated, rocking. 

Ario didn’t answer. He simply sat there, cradling Toharu’s body, protecting Toharu from the dangers he didn’t need to be protected from anymore. 

“Bardock? Goten Bardock?”

Goten turned to the officer who was standing in front of him. Absentmindedly, the third-class thought that it was strange that, apart from him, Toharu, and Ario, other people existed as well. Right now, he wanted for them not to exist. But they did, and he had to deal with them.

“You are Goten, aren’t you?” the man said when Goten just stared up at him, neither confirming nor denying. There was something wrong about those dark eyes gazing at him with all the patience in the world, as if waiting for him to go away and knowing that he wouldn’t.

The officer shifted uneasily. “You are to come to the headquarters at once,” he said. “There’s an aircraft coming for you.”

“Go fuck yourself, sir,” Goten answered moodily. “And then go fuck that aircraft.”

The officer’s eyebrows rose, but he restrained himself from reacting. He wasn’t blind to the dead savar whose loss Goten and the bulky one were mourning. The look the youth was giving him was still the epitome of patience. The savar was simply waiting for him to go away, though he knew that he wouldn’t. The youth didn’t appear to be in his right mind. 

“Goten Bardock, as your senior officer, I command you to go to the headquarters at once.”

Goten paid him no attention. Now he was inspecting the ground around the officer’s boots. The third-class had a feeling that the man was treading on the scattered remains of Toharu’s brains. 

“Do you hear me?”

“Yeah, I heard you loud and clear!” Goten snapped at him, his irritation skyrocketing suddenly.

“Then follow the orders and…”

The rest of the sentence stuck in the officer’s throat because Goten stood up and shoved at his chest. Not hard, but it was enough to make him stumble. The officer straightened, then, in two strides, he was grabbing Goten by the scruff of his uniform, dragging him towards the headquarters.

“Do something like that again and I will have you court-martialed!” he hissed on the way. “Now le-”

Goten’s elbow caught the officer in the stomach. He let go of Goten’s collar and doubled over. The third-class whirled around, the seams of his uniform creaking with effort. The officer’s back hit the wall of the sixth barracks. He immediately powered up, trying to throw Goten off him. This resulted in Goten summoning his ki as well, grabbing the officer by his neck and slamming him into the wall with such power that the plaster chipped and started falling around them. The officer tried to pry Goten’s fingers off his throat. He tried to power up more, but then his blurry eyes caught sight of the shaii who shook his head quickly. 

“Goten, let go of him.”

Goten turned to him and the prince knew that this was not going to be easy. The third-class’s face was ashen, his dark eyes glowing with rage and desperation. All of that gave Goten a feral look. The third-class was emanating such a strong field of ki that the prince was able to feel it even without a scouter.

“I. Am. Not. Going. Anywhere,” Goten said, emphasizing every word.

The shaii moved forward, but stopped as a warning growl erupted from the back of the third-class’s throat. The prince’s eyes narrowed at the threat. 

“He can’t force you to go anywhere,” he said. “He doesn’t have enough power. Let go of him. He’s not a threat to you.”

“But you are,” Goten said, his calculating eyes watching the prince's every move. 

Goten had taken a hostage. Disbelieving, the shaii stared at the third-class. He had known Goten was in shock, but he hadn’t thought the third-class would resort to this. Goten wasn’t in his right mind.

“Goten, let him go,” the shaii ordered in a calm voice. He felt naked and had an urge to power up in response to Goten’s powerful ki. However, it was obvious that, as Goten was mostly functioning on autopilot, that would probably lead to the third-class attacking him. 

The unfortunate officer listened helplessly as the shaii tried to talk Goten into letting him go. He had previously tried to wriggle out of Goten's grasp and kick the savar, but the prince had been right – the youth didn’t even take heed of his actions, his protective shield on. It didn’t seem like the savar was affected by his ki at all, acting like he had none of it.

“What fucking aircraft?!” Goten hissed furiously. “How can you ask me to leave him?! I’m not going to any fucking aircraft!”

“Alright, calm down, Goten. One thing at a time. First, release the man.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere! I can’t leave him!” Goten repeated. “I can’t leave them!”

“He’s dead, Goten! Toharu is dead!” the prince growled. “And there’s nothing, absolutely nothing, you can do about it! There isn’t anything you can do to help Ario either! And you know it!”

Goten was staring at him with hate and fury evident on his face. 

“There’s nothing you can do, Goten,” the prince repeated. “It’s war. He died, Goten, and even more of us are going to die. The only thing you can do is to go and fight the bastards who killed him and want to kill us.”

Goten was still staring at the prince as if he were his worst enemy, but he didn’t growl or show his displeasure in any other way when he approached.

“Let go of your officer.”

“No.”

The force of the slap bounced Goten’s head to his shoulder. Blinking in disbelief, he looked at the shaii, whose hand was still raised in the air. It hadn’t stung a bit. The man hadn’t even powered up; it had been pointless to slap him.

“I think you forget who you are talking to,” the prince said. “Want me to remind you again?”

Goten stared at him for a few seconds. He looked as if he was on the verge of striking back, but then his gaze softened and he dropped his ki. “No,” he said finally, his fingers unclamping from the officer’s throat. “I remember, Your Highness.”

Rubbing his throat, the officer quickly moved away. Goten hadn’t done much damage – he had been simply holding him without crushing his windpipe. He had hurt himself more while trying to wriggle out of the savar’s grasp.

When the officer turned around, he saw Goten squatting down and, for a moment, he thought that the shaii had punched him in the stomach. However, he soon saw that it wasn’t so, as Goten was covering his face with his hands. His shoulders were shaking. When his and the prince’s eyes met, he deciphered ‘Go get someone with sedatives’ from his lips.

The shaii watched the man head towards the medical bay. While listening to Goten’s soft hiccups, he thought that there probably wouldn’t be anyone free to come here, and he would have to be the one to inject Goten with the sedatives. The prince turned to look at Ario. The savar hadn’t shown any reaction to what had been transpiring and hadn’t moved from his place at all. He just sat there holding the body on his lap. 

Someone had to take that body with half a head off Ario or the boy was going to have nightmares for the rest of his life. If Goten were more perceptive about these things, he would have done that at once.

The shaii hadn’t been close to any of Goten’s friends. To him, they were only Goten’s extensions, but even now he could remember that Toharu had probably been the force that bound all of them together. It probably hadn’t been Goten.

The prince averted his eyes from them. He watched a few savars putting out the fire in Matilda, or what was left of it. He stroked Goten’s shoulder absentmindedly. He wondered to himself if Goten’s innocence was going to dissipate like the smoke of the burning _Matilda_. Then he wondered if he had ever known an innocent Goten at all.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten woke up to an unusual vibration and hum. Groggily, still affected by the medicine, he raised his head and looked around. He was lying on a bunk in some kind of very small cell. There weren’t any windows, but there was a burning lamp on the ceiling. Goten turned onto his right side and tried to sit up. His limbs were so flabby that he got entangled in the sheet he was covered with and then nearly rolled off the bunk. Giving up on that idea, Goten turned over onto his back and stayed in the bed.

His head felt as if it had been stuffed full of cotton. His thoughts felt light, fluffy, and disjointed. They floated leisurely in his head while reflecting on what he could see in the tiny cell. They would fade away, then would return to tell him he was looking at a bulb which was too bright to look at or at a white metallic door or a wardrobe with a suitcase on it.

There was something beyond this, but Goten’s thoughts didn’t form any connections. He just stared blankly at the room. His pillow and cover smelled stale. The cell, though, smelled of metal and oil. Goten’s eyes started closing and he felt himself drifting away into sleep.

A loud creak made the third-class open his eyes again. Like in slow motion, he saw the door open and the shaii floated in. He was wearing a Vega 213 over his right eye.

“Oh, you’re up.”

The prince’s voice boomed like from deep under water, and Goten gave him a confused look, wondering what was wrong with his voice.

“Are you alright?” the prince asked as, instead of answering, Goten kept giving him a sluggish gaze. He noticed that Goten had wrapped himself into the cover like a cocoon. It didn’t seem that he would be able to move either his arms or legs.

“Mmm?” Goten hummed questioningly as the other male touched his forehead, then brushed over his temple.

“You don’t seem to be fully awake yet,” the prince muttered softly after having reassured himself that the third-class wasn’t fevered. He tugged at the cover, starting to unwrap Goten. “They did warn me that it would take about six hours for it to completely wear off. You are a bit more susceptible to medicines than usual, though, aren’t you?”

“Mmm?”

The shaii finally managed to unwrap Goten from his cocoon, freeing his limbs. He draped the cover around the third-class loosely. The youth had slept for six hours straight without even moving a muscle. He was still half-asleep, absolutely helpless in his sluggishness. The prince wondered if the third-class remembered the recent events. He probably did, but it was very likely that, right now, he was not able to understand or make anything of his memories.

The shaii noticed that Goten’s eyes kept closing and opening; he was trying to force himself to stay awake. The prince chuckled softly. “It’s alright, you can sleep. There are still seven hours until we reach Velora.” Goten fought the drowsiness for several more minutes, then his eyes stayed closed and the prince watched his breathing even out and slow down.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten woke up with a jolt. He sat up at once with his eyes wide. He noticed the prince giving him a startled look from his chair. He had some piece of paper in his fingers which he had obviously been reading. Goten took in the room. What his mind had previously taken for a cell was, in fact, a tiny cabin on a plane. He could feel the vibrations and hear the slight buzz.

“Where are we, sir?”

The prince folded the paper and stuffed it into his pocket. “And to think I was worried that your dementia was permanent…”

Goten gave him a reproachful look.

“We are on a plane, on the way to the capital.”

“Umm… Why, sir?”

“There were orders for you to present yourself to the headquarters of National Air Force.”

Goten’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Err… But why? What am I going to do there, sir? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Goten’s perplexity was so honest that the prince felt genuinely sorry him. “Frankly speaking, I have no idea,” he said. “I will try to find out as soon as we land, though; the fact that you were the only one summoned there is, to put it mildly, suspicious.”

“I see…” Goten muttered. He became worried as a thought occurred to him. “But my things and credit ca-”

“Everything’s in that suitcase.” The shaii pointed at the top of the small wardrobe. “Kyon has been most helpful.”

For a few seconds, it was completely silent in the cabin. “But I didn’t have a suitcase, sir,” Goten muttered finally. “I had a backpack.”

The conversation had gone into the absolute wrong direction, and the prince suddenly found he could say nothing to that. He should have handled the dialogue better: Goten’s face had changed at the mere mention of his roommate. Now it was also obvious that Goten had solved the mystery of the suitcase – there were many suitcases on the base that were not needed anymore.

“Have you ever been to the capital?” the shaii asked jovially and felt like an idiot.

Goten gave him a weird look. “No, sir, I haven’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I heard it’s big and green though.” After a short pause, he added, “And dangerous for hicks like me.” 

The shaii watched Goten lay down and snuggle into the covers so that only his face was visible. “Well…” the prince drawled. “I suppose one does need to have his head firmly screwed onto his shoulders so as not to get swindled.” He rubbed the back of his neck while thinking that he didn’t want to stick to Goten’s trail of thought.

“The population density is something you will notice as soon as we land,” the shaii said, steering the conversation away. “We should be there in four hours. Actually, I haven’t spent much time in the city itself. I mostly grew up in the palace without getting around too much. This was mostly due to security reasons and, while I understood that, I thought it was very annoying. I remember there was a celebration but I was not allowed to…”

The prince lifted his eyes at a soft gasping sound. Goten had turned away from him at some point during his recollections and was now facing the wall. His shoulders were shaking with suppressed sobs. Unnerved and overtaken by a feeling of a failure, the shaii stared at Goten’s back, then stood up. He wasn’t certain what he was going to do, but then it seemed absolutely natural for him to walk to Goten’s bunk and sit down next to him. He stroked the third-class’s back lightly. This caused some of Goten’s sobs to burst to the surface. Unsure, the shaii retracted his hand. He had no idea what to say. Quietly, he watched the side of Goten’s face he was able to see, then reached out and stroked his back again.

“I think I was in love with him,” Goten sobbed out.

The shaii's hand, on Goten’s back, stopped moving.

“I think all of us were a little bit in love with him,” the third-class mumbled, choking on his sobs.

The prince’s hand continued stroking the shaking back. Then he ruffled Goten’s hair lightly while savoring the possibility of these casual touches and, at the same time, he could not help but feel guilty. He could sense and understand Goten’s pain, but couldn’t pretend to himself that he was much affected by Toharu’s death. He had hardly known Toharu. The one fact he did know was that Toharu and Ario had been working for the taisa, spying on Goten. However, Goten would probably never know that. Neither did he need to know.

The prince kept awkwardly stroking Goten’s hair while the younger male cried. He wished he could say or do something to alleviate Goten’s misery, but he was no good at these kinds of things. While growing up, he never had friends his age. All the people around him had been grown men or women who would never think of coming with their problems to a child. He himself had also been strictly taught since infancy that weaknesses were not to be tolerated. Certainly Ealdira had never been so categorical, but the man had already been over seventy when he was appointed to be his mentor. To Ealdira, the problems of a five or eight-year-old… Ealdira had always found it hard to see the world through a child’s eyes. He was not exactly nanny material. Ealdira had given him much more later. When he grew a little bit older and started turning into a man, they found more things in common.

After some time, Goten calmed down. His body was still shaken by the occasional hiccup, but now he mostly felt sleepy. He still hadn’t turned around to face the shaii, leaving the older male to stare at his right ear and a small part of his cheek.

“I shouldn’t have left Ario alone,” Goten mumbled, his voice muffled by the pillow.

“You didn’t have a choice.”

The third-class sniffled. “Yeah, thanks to you, sir. I wish I at least could have bidden my farewells.”

The shaii listened closely, but it didn’t seem that the younger male was harboring anger or thinking of mutiny. That was good. He did have a spare syringe of sedatives, but the medicine was not going to last forever. Sooner or later, Goten would have to face the rest of the world. And the rest of the world might not much care for Goten’s current ‘ _screw-you_ ’ attitude.

“Orders are orders, Goten.”

“Yeah, orders are orders,” Goten repeated. The tone of his voice was somewhat mocking, but it was more disappointed. He yawned. “So what’s been happening, sir?”

“Well, the obvious. The Ice-jins declared war on the Saiyan Empire and its colonies and the Supreme General announced the mobilization of the troops. Seven hours ago, the Ice-jins took over the Shandera section they had wanted so much. We have sent our troops there. There hasn’t been any attack on Vegeta-sei yet, other than the assault on our base.”

“And the Leiadors, sir?”

“The Leiadors haven’t picked their side yet. I think they are waiting to see who has a better chance of winning this.”

Goten was silent for a few seconds, then shifted to get into a more comfortable position on the bunk. “I gather sir has been summoned to the court?”

“Yes. Thus I figured I would keep you company to Velora. Listen, it would be more convenient for both of us if you turned around.”

Goten pouted into the pillow. “Don’t want to.”

“Fine,” the shaii said, standing up from the bunk; he could see that Goten was near-asleep again. 

The shaii fished his Vega 213 out of his pocket, unfolded it, and fitted over his right eye. From Goten’s bunk, it took him two steps to reach the door. There was hardly any space in the cabin: the wardrobe, the bunk, the chair, and the lamp on the ceiling were the only things here. There wasn’t even a desk or a table. His own cabin was much more spacious.

A sudden impact made Goten slam into the wall face-first. Wide-eyed, he pushed himself off it with his hands and feet, then inspected his sore nose. It wasn’t bleeding and didn’t seem to be broken. The plane slowly returned to its previous position and, still mistrustfully, Goten let go off the wall.

“What in the world was that, sir?” he muttered, rubbing his nose. There was no answer and Goten turned around. “Sir?” There was no one standing. Goten looked at the floor. The shaii had folded over into a curious position on the floor and didn’t seem to be moving. There was his suitcase on top of the prince. It must have fallen off the wardrobe because of the impact. At least the furniture was wired to the walls and floor.

“Sir?” Goten repeated, climbing out of his bunk. He lifted his suitcase off the shaii and set it next to the bunk. He could hear a faint crackling sound coming from the prince’s scouter. Goten stiffened at the sight of a crimson trail spreading over the lavender hair and further down the ponytail. Panic suddenly exploded like a glass thrown at the floor. He grabbed the prince by his shoulders.

“Sir? Sir!” 

Goten’s mind overlaid the shaii’s head with Toharu’s and, hyperventilating, he wanted to shake the living hell out of the prince. He caught himself just before doing that. 

“Ah fuck,” the third-class cursed shakily when he finally forced himself to harness his panic. There wasn’t much blood and, at first sight, it didn’t appear that the wound was deep. He could see the prince breathing. Goten patted him lightly on his face. “Sir, are you alright?”

Obviously, the prince was not alright. The plane shook again and, without much thinking, Goten took the scouter off the unconscious man. It was silent now. Goten turned on the microphone.

“What’s going on out there?” he asked, lifting the shaii off the floor carefully.

“Sir, we are under attack! Two of our fighter aircrafts are down. The last one is hardly keeping up. There are intruders onboard. Where are you, sir?”

Goten looked around. “Hm. Somewhere here,” he said while laying the prince down onto the bunk, not bothering to take his boots off. Was the man on the other end of the line an idiot? He had just said there were intruders on board and now he expected him to tell him their location? Not that Goten had the faintest idea where they were. 

Something crackled in Goten’s scouter. The readings on the Vega 213 shot up suddenly, startling him. They showed a number of ki signatures spiking up and then going down again. There was a pause, then the man spoke again, “Sir, they have just killed three of our crew and wrenched the door to your cabin off. Wherever you are, sir, stay there!”

Goten turned the listless prince onto his side so that the wound on his head would stop bleeding faster. “Yeah,” the third-class said, tearing at the cover, “I don’t think there will be any problems with that.” He intended to try and clean the wound. He looked at the unconscious man, then at the cloth. It didn’t smell very clean, just like the pillow. He threw the cloth onto the floor. To hell with that.

“We’ve contacted Garedan Air Force, sir. Coincidentally, six of their air fighters were on practice maneuvers and they should be here at any given moment.”

“Good. Keep me informed,” Goten ordered, switching the microphone off. He grabbed his boots from the floor and pulled them on.

The readings of the various ki signals on the plane were useless. Goten could see the number of people, but could not tell them apart and know which of them belonged to his comrades and which to his enemies. The data couldn’t tell him their actual location on the plane either. 

The third-class left the shaii’s side to stand at the door. He could hear distant thumps and voices. There wasn’t any lock or bar on the door. It was as good as open. If the enemies were Ice-jins, though, locks and bars were useless anyway.

Goten cursed softly. He didn’t even know what was outside the door, and couldn’t risk opening it and giving them away in case there was an enemy behind it. He clicked a tiny button on the side of the scouter. First click got him night vision mode. He pressed again and now received what he wanted – thermo sensors. The door and part of the wall became transparent to his right eye. There was no one outside. Just to make sure, Goten looked at himself. His legs turned green, yellow and red, part of the floor disappearing; it worked just fine.

Goten wished he knew what the plane looked like. Frowning, he blinked slowly. He suddenly realized he actually knew the interior of the aircraft. It was just like that time at the first armory and then again with Toharu. He knew. He had been here before.

The third-class tensed as two colorful creatures appeared in his vision. By the shapes of their bodies, Goten easily recognized them as Ice-jins. The figures were slowly advancing. Obviously, they were looking for something. Crashes and creaks of metal that followed the spikes of their ki and the movements of their arms and legs suggested broken doors.

The shaii was lying on the bunk which was right in front of the door. This fact made Goten move away from it and stand in front of the bunk protectively. The distance was only two steps though, and Goten didn’t think there would be much difference.

There was an explosion somewhere and the plane shook. Goten’s scouter crackled to life. “Sir, Garedan Air Force destroyed the last of the enemy aircrafts. They are sending in a few of their troops to eliminate the last of the intruders.”

Parallel to the man’s words, there was a short feeling of weightlessness. Goten felt the plane slow down. Goten wanted to answer, but now the varicolored creatures outside the door were so close that he was afraid they would hear him.

“Sir? Sir, are you there?”

Goten cut the connection off. He braced himself as the creatures stopped right outside the door. It suddenly flew off its hinges and whooshed inside. Goten had summoned his ki and put on a protective shield at the same time as one of the Ice-jins’ feet had touched the door. The third-class’s foot connected with the door, sending it backwards and into the corridor. The Ice-jin who had kicked the door didn’t even have time to retract his foot as the door slammed into him, nailing him into the opposite wall. 

The second Ice-jin raised his eyes from his dead comrade. The metallic wall he had slammed into with a bone-breaking crash was contorted and bent. In fact, the door had half-passed through the wall and into the other cabin behind it. The Ice-jin powered to his maximum and motioned for Goten to come at him.

ooOoOoOoo

Three elite Saiyans froze on the spot as an Ice-jin flew past them and his body slammed itself into a wall next to them. Bleeding, his arm bent at an impossible angle, he slumped onto the floor to lie there motionlessly. The Saiyans looked up at a petite, short-haired second-class kid who had appeared in the corridor. He gave them a quick look, nodded, and walked over to the Ice-jin.

“What the…” started one of the elites.

“Are there any more of them, sir?” Goten asked, prodding the Ice-jin with his foot. However, the man stayed down. Goten moved away from him and back into the corridor.

The elites were giving him suspicious looks. “There was one more, farther down this corridor.”

“Then this should be all of them,” Goten said. 

“Where’s the prince?”

Goten didn’t answer anything, but it quickly became obvious to the elites why he was blocking the corridor.

The third-class noticed the elites staring at something behind his back and turned his head slightly to see the shaii staggering into the corridor. He was advancing slowly, supporting himself on the walls. Goten, still turned sideways in order to keep his eyes on both the prince and the elites, raised his ki higher.

“Fuck,” the shaii muttered as his fingers grasped coagulated blood in his hair. He touched his head gingerly. “Fuck,” he repeated. 

He reached Goten and half-leaned, half-fell on the third-class. Goten made a good pole to lean against. The prince took in the damage: walls in the corridor were bent out of shape, doors to the cabins were missing, he had also passed a squashed Ice-jin, now another one was lying in front of him. His gaze stopped on the three elite Saiyans before him. They were alert, just like Goten, whose body felt like it was shooting sparks. Streams of energy seemed to coil around and inside him. He was turned sideways, his eyes narrowed. The prince realized Goten was protecting him. 

“It’s alright, Goten. They are trustworthy,” he said, patting Goten on his chest with his left hand. His right was still clamped on Goten’s arm to steady himself. “I have known Berada for a long time.”

The Saiyan called Berada pressed his fist over his heart and bowed his head. “Your Highness.”

Goten’s eyes studied him for a few moments, then his ki dropped to normal. “Is there a doctor on board, sir?” he asked, looking at the prince’s head. “This doesn’t seem to be serious, but sir might need a few stitches.”

“I will see one in Velora,” the shaii answered, aware of the cold look that Berada gave the third-class. Apparently, the elite officer thought Goten’s attitude was improper for a second-class – Goten had held their gaze and had hesitated before trusting his prince’s judgment, never mind that the prince had a large lump on his head. Certainly, Berada thought it was also inappropriate for a second-class to touch him as well. However, he didn’t seem to be keen on coming closer and replacing Goten; he had seen what the youth was capable of.

“What happened here?”

Unsure, the three Saiyans stared at the prince. “When, sir?” Berada asked finally.

“Well, before now. Why there are Ice-jins strewn around?”

Berada gave the prince a blank look. “Err… But sir, I talked to you wh-”

“It was me, sir, you talked to. His Highness was unconscious at the time,” Goten told Berada, taking the scouter off his right eye. He proffered it to the prince. “Thank you, sir, for letting me use it.”

The shaii looked at the scouter, then at Goten. Deciding that there was absolutely no point in commenting on Goten’s words, he took and pocketed it. “So what happened?” he asked again.

Goten listened to the elite explaining the situation to the prince. Berada confirmed what Goten had suspected from the very beginning – the objective of the enemy had been to capture the Saiyan prince. They would have tried to blackmail the Saiyan Empire, and most importantly, the Royal Family.

“Sir, you need to rest,” Goten pointed out when he noticed the prince leaning against him more and more until he was almost hanging. The shaii didn’t argue with him, and this made Goten think that the man felt even worse than he looked. He wrapped his arm around the prince’s shoulder for support and started leading him back to his cabin.

“Sir, I can see you to your cabin,” Berada offered.

Goten and the prince stopped. From the corner of his eye, the prince glanced at the third-class. Goten’s face was blank, leaving the decision to him and, from the look of it, he would not mind either conclusion. Goten probably even expected him to stick to the milieu of elites. The shaii hesitated, uncertain.

Goten was aware of the tension that started materializing in the air. He knew why it was difficult for the prince to decide. Going with Berada would confirm the expectations and policy of the elite society. However, in so far as Goten knew the shaii (and Goten was of opinion that he knew him pretty well), he believed that the prince wanted to refuse Berada’s offer. That was either because of his different views or Goten himself, but his refusal would result in the elites becoming interested in Goten. The shaii was looking out for him.

Screw that.

“Your cabin, sir,” Goten breached the silence resolutely, “doesn’t have a door either.”

The prince surprised Goten by laughing softly. He squeezed Goten’s arm lightly to show appreciation for his fortitude. “Yeah, and yours is closer.”

“The pillow is smelly, though, sir,” Goten added in a whisper, causing another bout of laughter. There was tiredness, relief, and gratitude in that laughter. This troubled Goten, but at the same time he could not help but respond with a bright smile of his own. 

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 26

Goten was following Berada, who was showing him the way to the headquarters of the National Air Force. From the very first step out of the aircraft and onto the landing pad, Goten had been looking around in amazement. He had never been to Velora. He had seen pictures of the capital, but that was nothing compared to reality. Buildings of glass shot into the sky, signs and showcases shone and flickered with electric colors.

Goten wasn’t very certain but it also seemed as if the air was cooler than he was used to. It was only logical when he thought that Velora was among those rare cities where it rained regularly. There were also trees, bushes, and grass. And all of them had thin green leaves and were not on the verge of falling over. There were even blooming flowers, their scattered colors lining the sidewalks.

Blinded by the neon lights and the sun reflecting off the buildings, Goten squeezed the handle of his suitcase harder. He had never seen such a variety of races in one place: all kinds of shapes, all kinds of colors and sizes. Some of them were carrying suitcases and heading in the opposite direction of Goten’s, towards the airport. They didn’t want to be caught up in the war and were escaping either to their homelands or to neutral planets.

“Hey, you! Stop lagging behind!”

Goten increased his pace and caught up with Berada. He knew the elite wasn’t pleased with the orders he had been given. He understood that Berada thought it was a hassle to see some second-class newbie to the National Air Force. Goten wondered what his reaction would be if he knew that he was a third-class. Probably about the same, only that it would result in more frowning.

When the buildings and masses of people had thinned out, Goten and Berada took off into the sky. Ten minutes later, they landed in front of a tall building. There were five guards stationed at the big heavy door. Goten, who twenty seconds prior had hardly managed to avoid a collision with a drunken Saiyan, saluted smartly.

The guards looked at the short-haired youth. He was diminutive in comparison to the five towering second-classes. He was wearing a dirty uniform from some Officer School with no stripes to denote rank and it was obvious that he hadn’t finished his studies. There was also the fact that he strongly reeked of dried blood.

“What’s with him?” one of the guards asked Berada, ignoring Goten.

“Don’t even ask. I was told to see the kid here.” Berada turned to Goten. “You don’t need to salute them, idiot.”

“Oh.” Goten lowered his arm. He offered Berada a look bordering between gratitude and spite. “Thanks for your help.”

Berada answered this with a cold look of his own. 

“Do you have an appointment?” asked the same guard.

The question unsettled Goten. “I’m not certain. I was told I was supposed to report here.”

“By whom?”

“Well, by the prince.”

The guards grinned at him. Their grins disappeared when Berada nodded, confirming. They spared Goten another look.

“Your name?”

“Goten Bardock.”

The guard who had done all the talking up until now turned on the microphone on his scouter. He started speaking to someone.

“Bardock…”

Goten turned to a guard who had repeated his surname as if trying to remember something. The guard looked at his colleague.

“Isn’t that the same surname?” he asked.

His colleague gave him a blank look. “Whose?”

“Well, you know, the one who hijacked a spaceship and escaped from the Ice-jins.”

“Ah, the one who crashed yesterday?” a third guard caught on.

“Yeah, that's the one.”

Goten cleared his throat impatiently. He was overtaken by anxious hopefulness. “Is he Kakarott Bardock?”

The guards turned to him, then they looked at each other. They shrugged their shoulders; it didn’t seem they remembered the man’s name. 

“Are you, by any chance, his kid?” asked the one who had remembered the surname first. “You do look familiar,” he added.

Goten’s face remained blank while he carefully regarded the second-class. “I am not certain this is the same Bardock we are talking about. Incidentally, maybe you would be so kind as to tell me where I can find him?”

The second-class gave an inquiring look to Berada, who shrugged in response. “I think he was sent to Dolen Hospital. A few broken bones, apparently.”

“How do I g-”

“You,” the guard who had finished talking on the scouter pointed at Goten, “get inside and go to room five hundred eighteen. It seems they are already waiting for you.”

“Alright, I’m off, then,” Berada said. Not waiting for an answer, he shot into the air and sped away. Goten stared up at the flying Saiyan for a few seconds. The man had been absurdly glad to get rid of him.

Oh well. Goten was positive that they would meet again.

The third-class turned to the guards. They moved away from the door and even opened it for him. Goten gave it a look but wasn’t in much of a hurry to enter.

“Thank you,” he said, nodding. “So how do I get to the hospital?”

“There,” the man holding the door pointed somewhere high in the air. “Do you see that white tower?”

Goten nodded. It was hard not to notice it.

“The hospital is right behind it. It’s red, you can’t miss it.”

“Thanks.” 

The second-classes returned to their positions when the door closed behind Goten. A minute later, one of the guards fixed his stare on the white tower visible above the other buildings. “You know,” he drawled, “it just came to me that Bardock was a third-class.”

“Eh? You serious? But they said he broke out of the keep on his own, then single-handedly dealt with the watchers, and then swiped one of their spaceships. He even took a few passengers.”

“He wasn’t very good at steering the damn thing, though. I think he killed most of them while landing. Damn, he nearly killed himself.”

“Well, all of us have our shortcomings.”

The guards were silent for a few moments.

“Really? A third-class?”

“So I heard.”

Inside the building, Goten was demoralized by the endless maze of corridors. They were mostly empty. From time to time, important-looking men would scurry past him and disappear into the hallways. He had spent ten minutes following the signs “To the second floor” and they brought him back to the main door. In the end, Goten resorted to barring an officer’s way and asking him to show him where the stairs or an elevator was. The officer seemed to be surprised to see him there but led him to a staircase. After that, Goten found room 518 on his own.

The third-class knocked softly. The voice behind the door told him to enter and Goten pushed the door open. There was a young second-class inside. He was wearing a uniform with a few stripes on his shoulders that showed he was first lieutenant. He threw a quick look at Goten. The sight of a short-haired second-class in a dirty and bloodied uniform and a large suitcase in his hands threw the first lieutenant off at first, but then he quickly took hold of himself. He jumped off his chair and rushed to Goten.

“Ah, welcome, welcome, Goten,” he said shaking Goten’s hand. “We’ve been waiting for you.” He turned to the door and headed outside. He pulled a key out of his pocket. “This is the key to your room,” he showed it to Goten, who was following him. “You’ll be staying there until five o’clock tomorrow, then you are to come to launch pod twelve. I hope you will like your room. Well, even if you don’t, you won’t be staying long anyway. The food should be prepared already. I bet you’re hungry. I remember the food they used to have at my officer school was disgusting. Well, maybe yours was good.” The second-class opened a door to a room and Goten followed him in. “Nice, isn’t it? Here’s the TV. Ah, I see the food is ready and steaming. Here’s your key,” he said, putting it neatly in the cupboard next to the door. “Eat, rest, and come to launch pod twelve tomorrow at five. Good luck.”

Speechless, Goten stared at the door that had just closed, making it seem as if the first lieutenant hadn’t even been there. Dumbfounded, he scratched the back of his head. He looked around the room. The first things that caught his attention were the food on the table and its wondrous aroma. It was served up as if for a king: there was a bowl of fried chicken legs which were still steaming; a bowl of boiled potatoes; a plate with bread; three bowls of different salads; a pot of soup; a dish with smoked fish; a large bowl of various fruits; a bottle of wine and a carafe of what seemed to be water. Goten set his suitcase aside and walked over to the table. He had no idea what was going on, but at least he got to eat. And he was hungry as hell.

With a chicken leg between his teeth, Goten took in the room itself. It was small but well-furnished. The bed seemed comfortable, but he needed to confirm that bodily. There was even a bathroom with all the toiletries one could need. Goten took a peek at it, then, chewing, walked over to the window. He could see the city, but there was nothing of importance except a web of buildings and scurrying dots among them. 

Goten returned to his seat at the table. He took a serviette from its holster, spread it on the table, and put the bones he had picked clean onto it. He took another chicken leg, then tried the salad.

Finally, Goten sprawled out on the bed and sighed contently. He felt as if the world had finally decided to stop being so mean to him. This was absolute bliss.

Goten woke up to the sun rays warming his face. He rubbed at his eyes and sat up. He stared at the room while his memories were opening their drawers, showing him what was stored inside. Goten couldn’t believe he had simply fallen asleep. Suspicious, Goten looked at the food on the table. There was a possibility, albeit just a faint one, that they had used some knockout drops. However, Goten was of opinion that he had simply been tired.

He had intended to go and investigate, find some answers about what was going on. Instead, he had slept. He hadn’t even thought or made himself not think about Toharu. It was as if food and a little comfort had erased everything. Guilt settled in the pit of the third-class’s stomach. Consciously, he knew that the mind, especially a Saiyan mind, had a range of defensive reactions against self-destruction. However, this knowledge only made him feel worse. He knew that very soon pain and guilt would soften and, with time, he would only remember Toharu with nostalgia; the priority of every living creature was to live further. Goten wished to pretend that he didn’t know that. He wished to pretend that the thought of his brother’s death was still as painful as the day he had heard of it.

The third-class rolled out of the bed. He had gone to sleep in his uniform and it looked like a herd of elephants had been dancing on it all night long. Goten tried to smooth it out, but it was useless. It was also dirty as hell and smelled of blood. Unconsciously, Goten looked at the bed to ascertain he hadn’t left any dirty spots on the clean cover.

He sat down at the table and had a full and satisfying breakfast. After that, he took his wallet, locked the door, and went outside into the maze of corridors. He had many things to do.

Goten found room 518, but it was locked and it seemed that there was no one inside. Asking around appeared to be fruitless as well – no one knew anything about him or the man who had welcomed him. It was not particularly strange as Goten couldn’t even provide then man's name. What Goten achieved was to find out what the time was. It was eleven o’clock in the morning. The third-class did a very primitive calculation and knew that this gave him about six hours until when he was supposed to appear at the launch pod.

After unsuccessfully wandering the halls of the National Air Force, Goten left the building and headed towards the white tower in the distance. There were many citizens on the streets and most of them were wearing armor. Curiously, some people seemed to just stand around, doing nothing or roaming aimlessly. The atmosphere was also apprehensive and everyone seemed to be suspended in waiting.

Neither Goten’s uniform nor the dirt on it drew attention. In fact, on his way to the hospital, the third-class had passed and seen many more second-classes and elites from officers schools who had been summoned from their studies. He thought about Ranvera, who had probably also been transferred to National Security. Goten wondered if lectures were still continued in officer schools at all. 

Essentially, Goten lacked factual knowledge about what was happening. The prince had only described the situation in general. It was disconcerting to merely have a vague grasp of what was going on. Goten had never liked it when his welfare only depended on the circumstances. The recent events and the lack of information left the third-class confused and lost. He was able to function only by setting himself immediate goals. Like finding his father.

The white tower seemed to recede while he was getting closer and it took more time to reach the hospital than Goten had expected. When he finally arrived at the tall square building, it was almost twelve o’clock. There was no one at the front door and Goten entered undisturbed. 

Farther up the hall, there were two men sitting behind a reception desk. A queue of three people had formed in front of it. By the time it was Goten’s turn, one of the receptionists, with a bundle of papers in his hands, had left. Goten mustered up the remnants of his will and, over the high board that separated the reception and the hall, smiled politely at the second-class sitting at the desk.

“Good afternoon. I’d like to see Kakarott Bardock. Would you be so kind as to tell me which ward he is in?”

The receptionist raised his eyes from the computer screen to give Goten an inspecting look, then his eyes concentrated back on the monitor while his fingers started flowing over the keyboard. “Who are you?” he asked. “Do you have permission to visit him?”

“I’m his son, Goten Bardock. I didn’t know I needed permission.”

The receptionist looked up at Goten again. He could see that Goten wanted to add something, but it never got voiced. “He is in the intensive care unit and can only be visited by his relatives,” he said, then looked at the man in the queue behind Goten. “Next.”

The man behind Goten started walking forward but, gently, Goten shouldered him backwards. “So what is the number of his ward?” he asked the receptionist.

The receptionist offered him a cold look. Goten shortly wondered if all hospital receptionists in the universe were bastards. 

“Where did you steal that uniform, you third-class ingrate?”

Ah. Indeed they must be. 

Goten felt the raft he had built for himself to float above his sorrow, fear, turmoil, guilt, rage, and stress start to crumble. Logs were breaking off and, one by one, caught by the current of emotions, were quickly being swept away. He gave the receptionist a strained smile. 

“This uniform was given to me. Can I see my father? Please?”

“What do you take me for?” snarled the receptionist. “Get lost, you ill-bred third-class!”

Goten leaned over the top of the desk, his eyes boring into the receptionist’s. “The number. Now,” he hissed. “Don’t make me beat it out of you.”

The receptionist opened his mouth to tell him off, but then, urged by the same instinct that had preserved the Saiyan race for thousands of years, closed it. From up close, the third-class smelled of blood and death. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck tingling. There was something awfully wrong with the third-class.

“One hundred twenty-five.”

Slowly, Goten moved backwards. He almost wished that the receptionist had refused to tell him the number. Right now he needed a stress reliever. Anyone and anything would do.

In the mist that his head had become, Goten knew he was losing control and this trail of thought was dangerous. He needed no problems. Besides, the receptionist had grounds for thinking he had stolen the uniform: his father’s data showed that he was a third-class, yet he was wearing a uniform of an officer school.

“If you’re worried that I’d do something to him, you can send a guard to follow me,” Goten said, his eyes indicating to the call up button on the desk.

The receptionist shrugged. “Who cares? He’s just a third-class.”

Goten smiled at him, then, by an enormous effort of sheer will, made himself turn away and walk past the reception desk. He kept his eyes trained on the far end of the corridor, even though he could nearly hear the second-class’s nose cracking under his fist. However, he tried to convince himself that there were more pressing matters than some loud-mouthed second-class. There was no point in fighting if he wanted to visit his father and then leave the hospital before five o’clock. 

Some second-classes despised third-classes even more than elites did. Goten wasn’t very familiar with that kind of thinking, but he had once been told that it was not exactly their fault. Looking down on third-classes made them feel better about their own position in society. However, as far as Goten was concerned, he didn’t like to be someone’s scapegoat just so they could feel better about themselves.

Ward 125 was at the end of the corridor. Goten knocked loudly and, not waiting for an answer, entered. He was taken aback by the rows and rows of regeneration tanks. Some of the tubes were empty, but most of them were occupied by a grayish body floating in the green liquid. Slowly, Goten closed the door and entered the ward.

So this was the intensive care unit?

The third-class started walking along the first row of the tanks. A parade of men with missing arms, legs, chunks, and bits of their bodies unfolded before Goten. The faces of two men were so mutilated that Goten had to look at the plate on the tank to assure himself that it wasn’t his father. 

By the time Goten found his father in the third row, he was a nervous wreck. After having passed so many crippled bodies, he feared for the worst.

“A few broken bones, huh?” Goten repeated numbly, staring at his father’s body floating in the tank. There was a considerable hole in his father’s left side. His leg on the same side was between two splints. His breathing was normal though, the oxygen mask clouding and clearing regularly.

Goten circled the tube to check for any other visible injuries, but it didn’t seem there were any. He returned to face his father, then read the tablet on the tank: a laceration to the left side with two ribs partly missing; a broken femur on the same side. No internal organs damaged.

Goten raised his eyes back to his father’s side, but averted them at the sight of a few bare ribs poking out. Some of them were broken off. Sighing, Goten slumped onto the floor. From the short description on the tablet, it appeared that his father had gotten into an accident on some kind of aircraft.

Relieved, Goten eased himself backwards until he was leaning against the tank opposite to his father’s. The wounds were serious, but this was not the worst he had been afraid of. These wounds would heal. The ribs would never be the same, but who cared about a couple of ribs?

Kakarott’s legs floated lazily in Goten’s vision. He had intended to question his father about so many things, but it was impossible for now. In fact, Goten was glad about it. He didn’t think he was in any state to absorb more information. Right now, all he wanted to do was to simply think that everything was alright.

The third-class stood up and headed for the exit; he had seen a vending machine somewhere near the entrance to the hospital. Making his way through the regeneration tanks, he met a doctor who gave him a curious look but didn’t stop him.

Goten passed the reception and headed towards the large vending machine at the door. After inspecting it for a few seconds, he went for a bottle of soft drink with some green fruit on its label. It cost him two credits. After a moment of hesitation, he pulled his credit card out of his pocket again and bought another one of the same kind.

Carrying the two bottles, he returned to the intensive care unit. The doctor had wandered over to the first row of regeneration tanks and was now reading something on the floating patient’s tablet. The doctor raised his head to see who had entered the ward, then lowered it again.

“Hey, do you want some?” Goten asked, walking over to him and holding out one bottle.

The doctor gave him a questioning look, shrugged, and took the bottle. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Goten said, unscrewing the cap of his bottle and walking to where his father was. 

The doctor pushed the binder he had been carrying under his armpit and followed him. Goten stopped in front of his father’s tank.

“Your father?” the doctor asked, coming closer to read the tablet. “Kakarott. Hmm… A third-class,” he read after Goten had nodded. He looked at Kakarott’s side. “He’s lucky. It was a close shave.” He retreated away from the tank and patted Goten on the shoulder. “Will be as good as new in a couple of weeks.”

Goten sat down on the floor and leaned against the same regeneration tank as before. He raised his bottle into the air. “To your health, Dad.”

“Yes, to you, Kakarott,” the doctor agreed, sipping his drink. “Hmm… Doesn’t taste that good,” he said, sitting down next to Goten.

Goten liked Saiyan doctors. He had seen many of them and somehow all of them made it all better. They literally made the pain go away. It usually hurt more at first, but eventually it went away. They also didn’t differentiate that much among classes. From the inside, everyone looked the same after all.

“So what happened to you?”

Goten took a gulp of his drink. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“Why not to start with your uniform? Whose blood is it?”

Goten chuckled. “I seriously love doctors,” he said, leaning his head against the cold glass of the tank. “You’re so cool about everything.”

“Thanks. Hmm… Comes with the job, I guess.”

“The blood belongs to the Ice-jins who attacked Hataro Officer Training School.”

“Oh, I heard about that one. It happened yesterday, right?”

This came to Goten as a shock. “Only yesterday…” he muttered, taking a sip of his drink. He swallowed and shook his head. “Seems like ages ago.” He looked at the doctor. “My friend died there. Many of the guys did.”

The doctor nodded his head. “Even more will die.”

“Yeah,” Goten agreed, taking another sip. “Gods, this drink is disgusting!”

“The taste of life, the taste of life,” the doctor said, drinking with pleasure and frowning at the same time. “Lad, when I was your age, all I cared about was victories, trophies from distant planets, fame, and sex.”

Goten laughed. “I bet you still care about sex.”

“Sure I do. However, there was a certain point when I woke up in the morning, on a spaceship, in a stinky cabin with twenty other men, and I thought to myself that in a day or two most of them would die. Maybe even I would die. And what the hell for?”

“For the Saiyan Empire?”

The doctor smiled at Goten’s sarcastic voice. “I wondered how many more worlds would finally be enough; how many deaths would be enough.”

“There’s no stopping this wheel now,” Goten said. He raised his eyes to stare at his father’s forehead. “The Ice-jins started it, we tagged along. And it is never enough. I don’t think there will ever be enough. There never is.”

“It’s going to collapse, all of this. It already has.”

“It will start rolling anew. There’s always someone who starts pushing, be it us or anyone else. The grass is always greener on your neighbor’s lawn.”

The doctor sighed. “So young and already so pessimistic.”

“Yeah,” Goten agreed. “I was so happy at that officer school. I was never supposed to be there. But damn, I was so happy there! It opened my eyes again. I found friends. I finally found joy in life. I finally found some peace. It’s all gone now. I don’t think I will ever return there. I will probably never meet them again. And it’s so unfair! I know I wasn’t even supposed to be there, but it’s so unfair to give it all and then take it all away! I don’t even know what’s going to happen to me now. Where are they going to send me now? They just do whatever they want with me! It’s so unfair! Well, I did like the school, but…”

The doctor patted Goten’s head awkwardly. He pretended not to see the third-class wiping his tears and snot on the sleeve of his uniform.

“Nothing’s fair in this fucked up life, son. But look on the brighter side – your pops is alright.”

Goten swiped at his wet cheeks bitterly. “For how long, I wonder?”

“You can’t carry the whole world on your shoulders, son.”

“I should at least carry my father.”

“Ah, so now we are back from self-pity land.”

Goten choked on his laughter and tears, then nodded. “Yeah, I think I am.” He was somberly silent for a few seconds. “I think I could have saved him. My friend, I mean. Probably. Maybe not. I don’t really know. I didn’t think it would really happen. I just thought it was a dream. Actually, I forgot all about it.”

“Hmm?”

“It doesn’t really matter anymore. I don’t think I could have changed anything.”

“I see.”

They sat silently, side by side. At one point, the doctor felt the third-class relax against him, his head lolling sideways, settling onto his shoulder. His breathing was even, soft. The youngster stank of blood, dirt, and sweat. The doctor’s fingers ruffled through Goten’s short hair. He looked at the man floating in the tank opposite them.

“You’ve raised a good kid. Now try and get out of there faster to make sure nothing bad happens to him.” He sighed. “I wish I’d at least done that for mine.”

About ten minutes later came the insistent sound of one of the tanks beeping, and the doctor left Goten’s side. Goten slept through all the beeping, the voices, and the sound of shuffling feet. He woke up only when the doctor patted him on the shoulder. Goten’s bleary eyes concentrated on the doctor’s face, then slid down over the man’s white clothing which was now speckled with blood.

“I don’t mind you sleeping here, but you probably have things to do.”

“Wh-?” Goten blinked, pointing at the blood on the white gown.

“Well, we’ve lost one,” the doctor said, motioning his hand in the general direction of the tanks. Then he realized they were surrounded by them and just waved around.

“Oh.”

“Nah, your pops is okay,” the doctor said after noticing Goten’s eyes quickly concentrate on his father. “There’s no danger to his life. After a day or two, he’s going to be moved to a common ward.”

Goten seemed to finally shake off the remnants of his sleep. He rubbed at his face. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Not long. An hour or so.”

“I see. I’d better head back to the headquarters.”

The doctor nodded. “Yeah, it would be a good idea. You can come here once he’s transferred.”

Goten reached out for the doctor’s hand. “Thanks, really.”

The doctor chuckled. He shook Goten’s hand firmly. “No problem. It was nice to meet you. I’d say ‘ _come again_ ’, but you’d better not. Unless we can still save you.” 

Smiling, Goten looked around for his empty drink bottle.

“I threw them away.”

“Oh. Thanks.” Goten stood up. “I’d better get going, then.”

When Goten returned to his room in the National Air Force headquarters, it was about three o’clock already. At best, he had an hour and a half left to have a late lunch and take a shower. Thus he quickly set about finishing off the cold leftovers. Once full, he opened his suitcase. It was the first time he opened it and, in fact, he had been a little apprehensive about what he would find in there. But everything was in order: he did find the spare uniform he wanted so much. Actually, all of his things were there. Trust Kyon to take care of matters like these and nothing was going to be missed. There was also Kyon’s cookbook.

The third-class lifted the recipe book carefully and opened the battered cover. There was a hastily scrawled note on the first page:

_Goten,_

_I’m not certain when we are going to see each other again, so I wanted to give you something that would remind you of me. Don’t think that I’ll forget you; I don’t care about that thing with classes._

_Kyon_

_P.S. This is my most prized book. Take good care of it. If it is in a bad shape when we meet again, I’m going to have your ass. Hmm…probably literally._

It didn’t actually feel like he was reading a love letter. It probably was one, though. Goten rubbed the back of his neck and felt his cheeks turning warm. He closed the cover and took a good look at the book. Its shape wasn’t that good even now. 

He was already missing the guys. 

Before he could be engulfed by sad thoughts, Goten quickly put the book aside, grabbed his spare uniform, and went to the bathroom. He hung his clean clothes on a hook, then quickly shed his dirty ones onto the floor and climbed into the shower stall.

The shower felt heavenly. He probably had been enjoying it for too long as, when he stepped out of the stall, he could hardly see anything because of the steam. Dripping wet, he grabbed one of the towels off the hanger. While toweling himself dry, he saw that he had forgotten to grab a change of underwear. 

The bathroom door opened, letting out a whiff of steam. In a beeline, Goten headed for his open luggage on the bed. He retrieved his underwear.

“Ahem.”

Goten, who was about to let go of his towel, froze. Then he spun around to see the prince comfortably sitting on one of the chairs at the table, holding Kyon’s cookbook. Instinctively, Goten’s tail came around his waist with a wet flop. Goten wasn’t certain which fact worried him most: the prince’s presence itself, the fact that he had Kyon’s book, or that the prince’s looks had changed so much.

“Mh... But... wha? Why? What?”

“You are unexpectedly eloquent today.”

“Err. Your hair, sir?”

The prince brushed over his now considerably shorter hair. “Well, they had to shave some of it here to stitch me up.” He turned to show a patch on his head where Goten’s luggage had struck him. “So I figured it was about time I got myself a haircut.”

“I see, sir. To tell you the truth, sir, short hair suits you much better.”

The prince chuckled. “Thank you.”

Besides his much shorter hair, the prince was also wearing Saiyan armor. It was the usual blue and white with yellow straps, but it seemed to be that of the best quality. There was also the royal flame on the prince’s left breastplate. Goten found him different. He was used to the prince’s officer uniform or his ragged denim jackets and jeans. The Saiyan armor made him look firmer, stronger, more masculine.

Goten noticed that he was not the only one interested in the other’s appearance. He was aware of the prince’s eyes having trouble staying concentrated on his face. Only now Goten remembered that he was still holding his underwear in one hand while grasping the ends of the towel around his waist with the other. He waved his underwear in the air to get the prince’s attention.

“Err… Sir, could I dress?”

“Oh, yes, by all means!”

“Did you actually knock, sir?” Goten asked, not being able to keep an accusing note from slipping into his voice. He turned around and started going back to the bathroom. 

“Yes. Three times, in fact.”

Goten hummed skeptically and closed the door behind him. When he left the bathroom two minutes later, he was fully dressed in his uniform, except his socks and shoes. His hair and tail were still damp though, and he tried to keep his tail off his waist a little.

“Actually, I have news about your father,” the prince said when Goten sat down on the bed and started ransacking his suitcase for his socks.

“Yes, I’ve already seen him, sir,” Goten muttered, stealing a look at Kyon’s recipe book, which now was lying on the table among empty plates. “It wasn’t a pretty sight, but he’s going to live.”

“How did you…?”

“One of the guards here said my surname sounded familiar, sir. He told me about the accident and the name of the hospital.” Goten retrieved a pair of clean socks and started pulling them on. 

“I see.”

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

“I didn’t exactly expect you to come here.”

“Err… Why?”

Goten padded over to the table and took a seat opposite the prince. He pulled his chair in closer to the table. “It’s because it’s all over, sir. I don’t think that now there will be enough time for you to look for amusement in third-classes.”

Goten was being defensive. But he had expected as much. Actually, the prince was surprised about another thing. Goten was taking everything far better than he had expected. He had thought he might meet a total wreck. He doubted that Goten was alright, he couldn’t be, but he was managing to keep it all together.

“Have you talked to your father?”

The prince was dodging the issue. Goten shook his head. “No, sir. He is in a regeneration tank.”

“Oh. I see.” The prince shifted in his seat. “Actually, I talked to my acquaintance in the Air Force and he said that they are sending you off to space.”

Goten’s chair clattered to the floor when he stood up suddenly. “What?! To space? Me?! What the hell for?!”

The prince gave him a look. “And what in the world did you expect, Goten? It’s war. We need men to defend our borders.”

“Fu-” Goten glanced at the prince.

“You can curse freely. B-”

“Fuck!”

“…But I don’t think it’s going to help. Besides, didn’t you always want to go to space?”

“Well, sir, that was before I found out that I get sick in anything that spins!”

The prince laughed. He watched Goten pick up the chair and sit down again. “The test and actually being on a plane or a spaceship are two different things. Well, unless you’re attacked. Then it might be much, much worse.”

“Thank you very much, sir, for encouraging me.”

The prince grinned at Goten’s pouting face. “There’s no need to worry. Everything’s going to be alright.”

“Now this, sir, makes me think you know something I don’t.”

He chuckled. “Well, maybe I do.” The prince looked around in his pocket and pulled out a thin slip of paper and held it out between his fingers. “Here. Don’t lose it. It’s my personal phone number. Call me if something weird starts going on, or when you just feel that the world hates you.”

Hesitantly, Goten stared at the slip of paper. It was best to refuse it. Once he did, it would probably be over. He wondered if the prince knew that the slip in his fingers was shaking. He looked at the man’s face. The prince was watching him silently, then he lowered the slip onto the table between them, leaving Goten the choice.

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

“I… I’m not very certain this is... Why did you come here, sir?”

The prince gave him a serious look. “I think you know why. You wouldn’t be hesitating about that phone number if you didn’t.”

“I do want to take it, you know.”

“Then take it.”

“It wouldn’t be right.”

“No, it wouldn’t be.”

Goten lowered his eyes to stare at the number. “I won’t take it, sir,” he said a few seconds later.

“Yes,” the prince nodded. “I figured as much.”

“But… I have a request. If you could do this, sir, I would be eternally grateful. Certainly, I am already grateful for many things you've done for me, but…”

“You’ve saved my life, Goten. Twice now, I think. There’s nothing you can’t ask.”

“Well, sir, last time it was my luggage that attacked you.”

The prince laughed softly. “So what is the request?”

“I’d like to know how my friends are getting on, sir. Ario especially. It must be very hard on him. My roommates as well. My father, too.”

“You’re asking me to keep tabs on very many people.”

“Yes, I know, sir,” Goten said tentatively.

The prince watched him for some time, then nodded. “Alright, I’ll keep an eye on them.”

Goten brightened. “Thank you, sir!”

The prince motioned at the cookbook on the table. “I saw Kyon left a hearty love confession.”

Ah. So he had read it.

“Yeah,” Goten mumbled out. “I mean, yes, sir.”

“It seems you told him that you are a third-class?”

“Yes, sir. He was becoming a little bit too insistent.”

“But he doesn’t seem to mind it, does he?”

“He doesn’t, sir.”

Goten wondered how he should handle this. He didn’t have much experience in things like this. The prince’s voice was monotonous, but there was a nervous undertone to it. And now there was no Toharu to help him deal with this. He might as well plunge forward.

“I do like him, sir. A lot, in fact.”

“Enough to…?”

“Yes, sir. Enough to take him as a lover.”

The prince’s fingers were now pushing the paper slip backwards and forwards on the table, polishing it. It was making quite an unpleasant scraping sound.

“I see. And I can do nothing about this?”

Silently, Goten watched the paper slip moving to and fro. “You can, sir,” he admitted finally, in a soft voice. “But I don’t think you should.”

The insistent scraping sound stopped. “I see.”

Goten knew that the prince didn’t know which way to take his words. It could go both ways: him wanting the prince to interfere or not wanting him to. It somehow felt good to know that he was not the only one confused. He wasn’t certain what this was about exactly, but it was becoming harder and harder to deal with it. They had never talked about this openly, and Goten didn’t think that they ever would. It wasn’t something a third-class and an elite could talk about.

Goten started pushing himself off the table. “Sir, I think I should head for the launch pod.”

“You still have a whole hour for that.”

It was pointed out in a cold and matter-of-fact voice. It was probably to be taken as an order not to go. Goten shrugged. He hesitated for a moment, then pushed his chair back to the table. For a few seconds, they sat in complete silence. Goten wondered if the prince was aware that he was emitting such a complex scent. It was very faint, as the prince was of mixed blood, but it was unmistakably there. Some half-bloods, generally those with Human blood in their veins, were much less perceptive to the scents of others and their own. There was something off with their sense of smell. 

Goten blushed brightly. 

Confused, the prince looked at Goten’s red face. “What?”

Goten cleared his throat. And yet it seemed that the prince really didn’t realize. And…even if he did, it was not something one was able to control. “No, it’s nothing, sir.”

Goten could not decipher all of the signals, some of them probably didn’t even make any sense as the prince was of mixed blood, but what he could decipher were streaks of nervousness, frustration, and even anger. All of that was overlaid by a strong sheen of possessiveness.

“I don’t think we’ll ever meet again, sir. And I don’t think we should.”

The prince raised his head and Goten was suddenly caught and pulled in by those incredibly blue eyes. “You are right, of course,” he said softly. “However, I’m not going to let go of you.”

Goten inhaled sharply at the admission. He shook his head, feeling his heart beating faster. “Sir…” He closed his mouth at the look the prince was giving him. Goten laughed. “This is insane.”

“Probably. I don’t think I care anymore.” The prince lowered his head again. “Let me ask you, Goten. Just answer me truthfully. Do _you_ want me to let you go?”

Goten fingered a tiny crack on the wooden table. “No, not really, sir,” he finally said in a hesitant voice. “But I think you should.”

“Yes, I have already agreed to that. But I don’t want to. And neither do you.”

“This is insane,” Goten repeated.

The prince was on the verge of shouting that nobody cared, but he knew they did. Everyone did. And he was at a loss of what to say.

“Where are your bodyguards?”

With his head, the prince motioned at the door. “Outside the door.”

“I see. So beating the idea out of you would not be a smart move on my part.”

For a fraction of a moment, the prince wondered if Goten would really try and do that; sometimes Goten could be unpredictable. “No, not really,” the prince said after a pause.

“And if I pretend that this conversation never happened?”

“I won’t let you. It’s too late for that.”

“You really aren’t leaving me any way out.”

“That’s the plan.”

Goten stared at the prince’s meaningful face. “Shit,” muttered the third-class, covering his eyes, a blush starting to creep over his cheeks.

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 27

Goten turned to look at the two elite bodyguards that were following him and the prince to launch pod 12. Then he concentrated back on the road. He could only imagine what they were thinking. No, in fact, he couldn’t. He didn’t even know what he himself was thinking. Mostly, he was trying not to. He was saving the thoughts for later, when he was capable of some sensible thinking. His head was a mess now.

The remaining time, until he was supposed to come to the launch pod, he and the prince had spent in an awkward atmosphere. The prince shared the information he knew about the situation in general and about how Goten’s father had gotten himself into that crash. They had talked about many things and they were important things, and the prince didn’t return to, even avoided that…thing between them. And Goten wondered what exactly had changed. What exactly could change? Could anything change at all? At some point, when the prince was about to finish telling Goten about his father’s escape from Ice-jins, Goten suddenly became very skeptical. Maybe him being sent off into space wasn’t such a bad idea. And the longer he stayed there, the better.

“Wait here,” the prince ordered.

“Yes, si-”

“Oh, for gods’ sakes, not you, Goten,” he said after noticing that Goten had reacted to his command automatically and had stopped together with his bodyguards.

Goten shifted his suitcase in his hand and laughed nervously. He followed the prince further to a massive building. In a minute, they reached a door with the numbers 1 - 15 on it. The prince opened it, and Goten nearly let go of his suitcase in order to cover his ears. The sound that assaulted him suddenly made his eyes go wide.

“Good izloshion, eh?”

“What?” Goten shouted.

“I said ‘ _good isolation_ ’!”

“Yeah, amazing, sir!” Goten shouted back. He closed the door behind himself. The sight that opened before his eyes made him stop dead in his tracks. He found himself standing on a thin metallic grate, about two hundred meters above the ground. He flattened his back to the wall. The building was colossal inside, the biggest part of it stretching deep into the ground. Enormous lamps hung on the ceiling, making Goten squint against their light. The vast space the walls of the building offered was taken up by six large battleships and about twenty space pods. From so high above, he couldn’t even see any people down there. The white space pods looked like dandruff.

“Goten? Is everything alright?”

Carefully, Goten turned to look at the prince, who was watching him with a concerned look on his face.

“I…don’t think so! I don’t particularly like high places, sir!” he shouted.

“We are a flying species, Goten!”

“That doesn’t make it any better, sir!”

“And you seriously wanted to be a pilot?” The prince shook his head in bewilderment. He pointed randomly at the ground. “We can just fly down th-!”

“Oh, is that an elevator, sir? Lucky!” Keeping his back to the wall, Goten slithered up to a large oval metallic box at the end of the metallic grate. He exhaled loudly when he was finally inside. Shakily, he put his suitcase on the floor and massaged his hand. He had squeezed the handle so hard that there were fingerprints on it.

The prince watched Goten with a look of sheer incredulity on his face. “You really prefer this claustrophobic metallic box to just flying there?”

“Yes, sir!”

Goten was already studying the panel with buttons and the prince shrugged.

“I don’t know which button to push, sir!” the third-class shouted.

“It’s the blue one!”

The door slid shut with a hiss which was lost in the general noise of the hangar. Goten and the prince stared at each other from different corners of the elevator. Once the door had closed, it became silent inside. The elevator moved suddenly and the prince saw Goten’s eyes cross.

“Ah crap. Just don’t get sick here.”

“Then where would you prefer me to get sick, sir?”

After giving the smart ass a more careful look, the prince realized that he wasn’t about to throw up. Goten had just been startled by the sudden shift in weight.

“I wonder if it really is a good idea to send you off into space.”

“I can tell you straight away that it isn’t, sir. But I don’t think my opinion matters any, does it, sir?”

The prince shifted uneasily against the elevator’s wall. “No, in this case it doesn’t.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “Ah well, it was worth a try,” he said.

The speed started dropping and then, gently, the elevator came to a halt. The door opened and Goten’s eyes widened at the horrendous noise again. He grabbed his suitcase and followed the prince out of the elevator. Just outside it, there was a map of the hangar. They stopped to study it for a few seconds, then continued walking onwards. All they had to do was to follow the huge red numbers which were painted on the right wall of the hangar.

They were passing spaceships that were wide and tall like large buildings. People with varicolored work clothes could be spotted here and there, filling ever-hungry tanks, fixing, welding something. Goten was looking around, trying to take in all the tiny details. Excitedly, he pointed with his hand at a spaceship far ahead. “Oh, sir!” he shouted. “Isn’t that EMERIK 235, sir? Oh! And that one! MIG 7624! Amazing!”

Smiling, the prince watched Goten oohing and aahing over the chunks of metal. He himself had never been fascinated with spaceships, or any other flying objects for that matter. However, he was glad that, around spaceships, Goten had forgotten to be nervous. He had expected the third-class to react to his admission as he had, though. Goten was not to be taken lightly and neither was his mistrustful nature. Goten was being very coolheaded about this. He had known that he would have to be the pursuer – Goten would never take the initiative, not in this kind of relationship. The circumstances were also not in his favor - they were going to separate for at least a few months. Only gods knew what kinds of thoughts would take hold of Goten’s head in the meantime. 

At least Goten was not going to see Kyon either.

Goten nearly bumped into the prince when he stopped. He gave the lavender-haired man a questioning look. “There!” the prince shouted, pointing at the wall in front of them.

Goten’s eyes followed his hand to a huge sign which said “12”. About ten meters from the wall, there was a battleship. “Not bad,” Goten muttered, taking it in. As far as he could tell, it was KIF 693. He wasn’t certain because it wasn’t new and a few modifications had taken place. KIF models, almost all kinds of them, were usually large, packed a lot of gun power, and were pretty fast. From where he was standing, Goten could see two men working on its front spire. In fact, using two spires, one at the front and one at the back, to generate and upkeep a power shield, was a thing of the past. The newest spaceships worked on different technology altogether.

Goten turned back to the prince. To approach the spaceship together would be a bad idea. Already, while walking, the prince had received quite a few interested looks which were followed by a quick salutation if eyes met. It seemed that the prince was of the same idea – he had moved aside so that he was out of sight of anyone who could be on board of KIF 693 or around it. Goten hid a bitter smile; if this was their future, he would rather not have anything to do with it.

The prince motioned for Goten to come closer. Goten moved forward and, at the same time, was startled by a sudden roar of a powerful engine. Instinctively, the third-class ducked behind the space pod, nearly knocking the prince off his feet. Deafened, his heart beating madly, he turned around to see that it was his ship that had joined the cacophony of engines. Goten wondered if he was late, but men were still working on the spire. Recovering from his affright, he turned to face the prince, who was giving him an amused look. Goten smiled sheepishly.

For a few moments, they were just standing in front of each other, fighting the urge to cover their ears from the deafening roar of the engines of the ships and the workers shouting instructions at each other. It was hardly possible to understand anything, but Goten didn’t think it was a problem because he didn’t know what to say anyway. This was it, he was being sent to war, and the prince was going to stay safely tucked in the capital.

The prince watched Goten fidget with his suitcase uneasily. It suddenly came to him that he and Goten might not see each other for a very, very long time. They would see each other eventually, there was no doubt about that, but a lot of things could change during that time. Goten was one of those who were most comfortable going with the tide, not swimming against it. Obviously, the third-class was very skeptical about their relationship – he wanted it, but didn’t think it was possible – thus there was a big likelihood that he might try and ignore all of what had been said and just…

It was doubtful Goten would ever initiate a relationship with anyone. He probably wouldn’t. On the other hand, accepting attention was easy and required much less effort. If someone like Kyon – caring and with a well-balanced personality – appeared and offered a lot of pressure, Goten would give in no matter the difference in their classes. The prince was almost certain of that. Goten was the faithful sort, he could tell that instinctively, but as long as Goten didn’t take _them_ seriously, this was not going to work. 

He had to make certain that Goten didn’t accept anyone's attention but his, to do something which would rivet Goten’s interest only on him, at least until they met again. The problem was…how?

“I’ll find you,” the prince said, leaning closer to Goten. “After all this mess is over. I’m really serious about y-”

“What?” Goten shouted at him, pointing at his ears to show he hadn’t understood anything.

The prince flushed red in embarrassment. He grabbed Goten by the front of his uniform and shoved the startled man against the space pod. “I said I’ll find you, you idiot!” he shouted before smashing their lips together.

Goten’s head thumped against the metal, but his yelp was short-lived when he felt the prince’s lips on his. They were firm and demanding and there was a wet flick of a tongue and Goten could think of nothing else except for letting it in. He was somehow stunned and not stunned at the same time, his body stiff, his eyes wide, staring over the prince’s shoulder at a worker who was staring back at them. He obviously knew who h-

“Goten, stop thinking! Just stop thinking shit!” the prince growled out, raising his head. His hand grabbed the back of the third-class’s head firmly, his fingers sliding into his hair to seize it. Forcefully, he tugged Goten’s head upwards to cover his mouth with his for a second time.

Goten opened his mouth without any hesitation, but it took him a few seconds to start answering the kiss. Then he stopped again as, in reaction to him answering, the prince had snarled into his mouth possessively, gripping at his hair even more tightly. It had been an approval, though, and Goten closed his eyes again, allowing himself to relax into the kiss and embrace. He inhaled the familiar scents that had enveloped him: a faint sheen of sweat, clothing, and something which was similar to tranquil boredom. There was something new in that mixture as well – something primal, excited, possessive.

Goten had felt the hand sliding down his waist and over his thigh, but he was still unprepared for the prince grabbing a handful of his ass. With a gasp into the prince’s mouth, he jolted forward and his eyes shot open, the suitcase dropping onto the floor as he let go of it. The clatter of the suitcase was swallowed by the sound of the roaring engines and it didn’t seem that anyone noticed it at all. The hand boldly kneading his rump became the center of Goten’s world and he moaned softly, his eyes sliding shut again.

When one of Goten’s arms wrapped around the prince’s shoulders and his palm pressed against his nape, the prince felt as if he had already won the entire war. He grew excited when he felt the second one tentatively sliding down to his waist. It perched there for a few seconds, then it got even bolder and slid around to the small of his back to press their bodies as close as possible. He could feel Goten harden against his thigh and this made him grind against the younger male.

The kiss turned searing and fierce, and was permeated with frustration from the knowledge that this was as far as they were going to get. Goten broke the kiss by shakily turning his head away, then he moaned at the way the prince’s mouth slid over the column of his neck, hot puffs of air making his skin tingle. He bucked his hips against the prince’s for friction. 

The hand on the back of Goten’s head ruffled through his hair, then gripped it, and turned the third-class’s head so that now the two men were facing each other. The prince’s tongue darted out to trail along Goten’s lower lip, then he let go of Goten, leaning away. Goten held onto him for a second, then also let go.

The third-class leaned against the space pod as he felt his legs were going to buckle under him. He wiped at his saliva glistening lips absentmindedly. 

The prince was watching him, then chuckled softly when Goten suddenly decided that it was time to blush and reddened up to the roots of his hair. The prince leaned in to steal another quick kiss, then moved back again.

“Don’t get killed!” he shouted.

“You t-too,” Goten stuttered out dumbly, staring at him, unable to answer anything else. The words came out in a whisper and he straightened, intending to repeat them more loudly, but the prince nodded, indicating that he had understood. He turned to go.

Silently, still leaning against the space pod, Goten watched him go until his back disappeared behind one of the spaceships. The third-class stared at the spaceship for some time, then lowered his head. He picked up his suitcase off the ground and straightened. His eyes met the intrigued gaze of the same worker who had been staring at him and the prince previously. Bravely, Goten withstood the gaze for two whole seconds, then flushed brilliant red one more time and, holding the suitcase in front of his unruly arousal, scurried off towards KIF 693.

The workers who had been working on the spaceship’s front spire had gone away. The third-class ran to the lowered trapdoor and then the whole way up along it until he was inside the ship. He found himself in a large area with a runway. Space pods lined the metallic walls while several small scouting ships, and even a few air fighters, took up most of the space. 

Goten rushed onwards where he found a door connecting the runway to the rest of the spaceship. There was a card lock on the door. The door was closed and the light around the lock was burning red. The third-class stared at it for a few seconds. The only thing he had to offer to the keyhole was his credit card. Tentatively, Goten reached out for the buttons under the keyhole but, before he could touch any of them, the light around the keyhole flared green and the door opened. Instinctively, Goten saluted the officer’s uniform that floated through it.

“Sir!”

“Ugh.” Startled, the man turned to look at Goten. “Who are you?”

Goten, who meanwhile had enough time to decipher the stripes on the officer’s shoulders, gave him the most loyal look he could muster. “I’m Goten Bardock, Captain. I think I’m the newest addition to your crew.”

For a moment, the captain still seemed uncomprehending, then his face acquired a painful expression. “Ah right, that kid from Hataro Officer Training School.”

Goten realized that the man had hoped he would not show up. Oh joy.

Still saluting, the third-class turned to the second man who had just appeared in the doorway. “Sir!”

“You are five minutes late!” the man notified him angrily.

“Yes, sir, I’m sorry, sir!” 

The second man had the same exact amount of stripes on his shoulders, but wore a slightly different uniform and Goten identified him as a backup captain.

“Ah, I see you are already excited at the thought of blasting off into space,” the backup captain said, indicating towards Goten’s suitcase, which was covering the slight bulge in Goten’s trousers. “First time, isn’t it?”

Goten wondered if there was a limit to how many times a day one could go as red as a boiled crayfish. There was probably none. “Err…” he stuttered out, utterly mortified. “Yes, sir. One could say that.”

Behind Goten, on the runway, the navigator and the communications specialist met each other’s eyes and grinned. This was going to be fun.

ooOoOoOoo

Up on the thin metallic grate, the prince watched the ceiling slide open. An alarm sounded to warn everyone about a spaceship taking off. The prince leaned on the rail separating him from the two-hundred-meter-deep abyss and looked down at Goten’s ship.

Goten was going to be fine. He had checked the destination data, the crew members, and even read a few reports from their earlier patrols. He had also spotted a familiar surname amongst the crew and made sure to call him and ask to keep an eye on Goten. Certainly, the third-class was not going to like that. If he ever figured it out. 

Without doubt, Goten was able to stand up for himself. In some unfathomable way, he also compelled others to stand up for him, thus there was hardly any danger of him not getting along with the crew. He might make a few enemies, but it was not easy to intimidate the third-class. And, now, with the power Goten possessed, it was probably also impossible.

He wished Goten would feel that way about them.

Underneath, the spaceship started rising slowly. The prince’s eyes followed it up until the ceiling. 

His fingers squeezed the railing. Damn. He should have just fucked Goten in that room. He should have just cornered the third-class and fucked his brains out. His bodyguards had been behind the door, right, but who cared what they thought? Anyway, they could have used the bathroom, and…

The spaceship blasted off into the sky and the prince rolled his eyes at himself. Really, to get all hot and bothered from just a kiss. Goten wasn’t even that good at kissing. The prince had to admit, though, that exact fact could be one of the things that made him hot and bothered. 

The ceiling started sliding closed and the alarm was turned off. The prince let go of the railing and moved away to lean his back against the wall. He was going to have and wait a minute or two before leaving the earsplitting hangar to rejoin his bodyguards; his body was still tingling.

ooOoOoOoo

The soft but insistent beeping stopped and a green lamp lit up above the door. However, instead of unfastening the belts, Goten sat in his chair, waiting for his head to stop spinning and his stomach to settle down. In a few minutes, carefully, he unfastened the belts and stood up. He had had no idea that breaking through the atmosphere could be so…jolting.

He looked around his cubical cabin. It wasn’t big, about fifteen square meters, but after having shared a similar-sized room with other three people for half a year, this was a palace. And he was the king. His palace had two bunks which were obviously welded to the metallic floor. Apparently, the cabin had been designed for two, but currently there weren’t a lot of people on board, so he was allowed the luxury of living in here alone. 

Goten walked over and sniffed at the bedding on the bed which was farthest from the door. It smelled of something old and musty, just like the cabin air in general. Goten pressed on the mattress with his hand a few times and then lay down. Surprisingly, it was soft and somewhat bouncy.

The third-class sat up and looked at the large wardrobe, which was actually a metallic cabinet hammered halfway into a wall. There was a lock on it, but to lock it would have required the unanimous effort of both a welder and a locksmith. It was a miracle how the doors stayed closed as they were nearly a perfect example of the repetitive “foot meets door” accidents. They were so bent out of shape that Goten could perfectly see what was inside in cabinet. 

Goten walked over to the wardrobe and, using some muscle, peeled one of the doors open to inspect the dark shapes inside up close. There was an old T-shirt, a boot, a slice of pizza, and two empty beer bottles.

Some cleaning was in order.

Goten tried to close the door. After five unsuccessful attempts where the door just kept opening with a defiant creak, he tried what the former residents knew to work – kicked them. They stayed closed. 

There was also a large cupboard in the cabin. When Goten opened it, he found that it was cluttered with old dirty clothing, grimy tin dishes, flatware, and magazines. Mostly it was pornography, but there were also quite a few scientific magazines about spaceships. The rest of them were filled with some mysterious codes and baffling programming languages in which Goten had absolutely no interest. There was also a varicolored ladle and a small plush in the cupboard that were probably souvenirs. Goten had no explanation as to why they would be there otherwise. The third-class looked at it the plush more closely. It was probably a penguin, if he was any judge about foreign species. Goten thought that the ladle might someday make do as a makeshift weapon, and as for the penguin…

There was a table of sorts. Some five or ten years ago, it must have stood in the middle of the cabin where Goten could still see some metal protruding from the floor. Someone must have wanted to make more space, because now the table top was welded onto the wall. There was an old terminal on one side of the table. It was secured to the table, a wide insulating tape wrapped around both objects a few times to hold them together. Wires and cables weaved out of the terminal’s back and to the ground, slithering along a wall and then scaling up to disappear into a hole above the door. The other side of the table must have served as a dinner-table as it was covered in blackened scraps. 

There were also three chairs with metallic legs. All of them were firmly welded into the floor. One chair was at one end of the table, in front of the terminal, another at the “dining-part” of the table. The third chair was beside the bed Goten had picked for sleeping. All of them had seatbelts, even the one at the terminal.

A bright lamp shone from the ceiling, but there was also a small desk lamp next to the terminal. The bulb exploded when Goten switched the lamp on and he was just in time to move his hand away. Contemplatively, he looked at the glass shards on the floor for a few seconds, then shrugged and tried to turn on the terminal; if he was going to create havoc, it should be done thoroughly.

After several unsuccessful tries of pressing the red button, Goten came to the conclusion that it was either dead or he was doing something wrong. He didn’t have much time to figure out which one it was as suddenly a loud screech echoed in the room. Goten’s eyes concentrated on the electronic clock above the door which obviously had also a microphone installed.

“Is this thing on?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“This is your captain speaking. Everyone come to the briefing room. Out.”

The microphone screeched again, then silence followed. Goten wondered where the briefing room was. After he had met the captain and a few others, he had been quickly ushered into this cabin and told to belt his ass to one of the chairs. Very likely, this was the time he was going to be introduced to the rest of the crew. The third-class looked at his uniform. It was somewhat crumpled, but spotless. He looked around for a mirror, but it didn’t seem that the previous cabin’s owner had ever suffered from narcissism. 

Determined to leave a good first impression, Goten headed out. His determination started wavering when, three minutes later, he was still walking a hallway and had no idea if he was heading in the right direction. Finally, he heard someone’s running feet from behind and stopped to wait for the runner to catch up with him.

“Who are you?”

This was already the third time Goten was asked that question while on board. Goten smiled politely at a bulky second-class who was wearing the standard blue uniform issued on all spaceships. Goten found him awfully young, a bit over twenty in fact.

“I’m a flight officer,” the man said when Goten’s eyes glued to his shoulder insignia but couldn't seem to figure out his rank.

“Sir!” Goten saluted with a belated realization that, here, he was probably the only newbie amongst seasoned officers. “I’m Goten Bardock, the newest addition to the crew.”

The flight officer gave him a blank look, then shrugged. “First time I heard about it. You don’t need to salute me, Goten. You will be under direct orders of our captain and master sergeant. Otherwise, we are more or less… We are late for the briefing,” he said suddenly, as if remembering that only now. 

Goten followed him along the corridor. “Why is there no one walking around? I thought I’d just follow someone to the briefing room.”

“That… They must have already been in the briefing room before the announcement. News travels fast. All of them must already be waiting for you. It’s kind of… I think it’s been five years since someone new came. They are excited.”

The flight officer noticed Goten’s questioning look. “I was at a party yesterday, so I have been sleeping all day today, and the gossip hasn’t reached me,” he explained. “Ah, right,” he said before using his keycard to open the door to the briefing hall. “Try to be careful around Reyn. He’s been in a foul mood recently.”

The door slid open and Goten stepped into the briefing room. The door was at one end of the room, while a briefing screen was on the opposite side. The rows of chairs were turned towards the screen and Goten could only see the backs of his fellow crew members. At first glance, there seemed to be about twenty of them. The rows of chairs were split in the middle to make a narrow passage and Goten, with the flight officer, started walking along it towards the small stage where the captain was standing.

“Adriel, get your dirty boots off that chair or I’ll have you scrubbing the toilets for half a year.”

“Yes, Captain! Sorry, Captain!”

“Rokunda,” the captain growled. “What, in the world, do you have there?”

“Ish mishin arshin mushin.”

The captain rolled his eyes. “Just great. Where did you get it from?”

“Ish morsh crish nushn.”

“They are going to catch you one day,” the captain warned.

“Nahsh, sish.”

Goten looked over at the hunched over creature in the last row that the captain was talking to. For a moment, he wondered if it was a Saiyan. However, it was. Spiky, tangled, and matted hair stood in all directions. From behind, Goten couldn’t see his face, but he realized he couldn’t see it even when he was passing the Saiyan. What he could see was the crumpled uniform which was a size too large. Actually, the man seemed tiny. There was some kind of device in his hands.

“Rokunda, you smell again,” a large man sitting next to the tiny Saiyan complained. “Take a shower, will you?”

“Ish shimsh himsh.”

“Rokunda, seriously, my cat smells better than you. And I never wash him. You probably also have more fleas than him.”

“Faksh yush.”

Goten could not understand the man’s words, but the finger was clearly heard in that last sentence.

“That’s our programmer,” the flight officer introduced Rokunda.

“Ah. Right. I should have known.”

The flight officer grinned at him. “Now, now, not all of them are as crazy as this one gets.”

Goten chuckled. “Oh, I never said that.” Well, Ranvera was pretty normal after all. He just watched way too much porn.

The captain noticed them approaching. “Ah, you are here …errr…”

“It’s _Goten Bardock_ , Captain,” Goten reminded him.

“Ah yes, Goten,” the captain brightened. He motioned for Goten. “Come up here.”

“Ah! It’s you!”

From the stage, Goten turned around to look at the man who had exclaimed and was now pointing at him with his index finger. “Oh, it’s you, Doctor,” he said, surprised, recognizing the same doctor who had tended to the tanks in the intensive care unit. “What are you doing here?”

“I think I should be the one to ask you that. What a third-” The doctor fell silent at the worried look on Goten’s face. “…a third-rate savar like you is doing on this ship?” he finished.

“You think they’d give us anything better?” someone laughed. “It’s just a patrolling ship!”

Relieved that his secret was safe, Goten shrugged. “I don’t really know, Doctor. I just received the orders.”

“I’d prefer a few packs of salami to this newbie,” someone declared.

“Yeah!”

“A hot chick!”

“Well, he’s not too bad either.”

“Yeah.”

“No way.”

“No boobs.”

“Luksh fainsh ash itch ish.”

“Idiots.”

“Quit the chitchat this instance!” the captain snapped at the audience. He turned to Goten after the silence had settled among the spectators. “Now let’s get you introduced.” He cleared his throat. “This is Goten, the newest addition to our team. This was somewhat unexpected, bu-”

“No kidding! Like a blizzard in a desert!”

“Shut it, Adriel! One more word and I’ll make sure you get latrine duty for the rest of our patrol, just like Captain said!” the man sitting in the first row threatened without even turning his head to where the said Adriel sat. Goten had already seen Adriel before and recognized him as the navigator. 

“Aw, man!” Adriel said, grinning widely. He winked at Goten, who stared back at him blankly. He couldn’t be certain, but it seemed as if this Adriel was flirting with him, had been flirting with him from the very first second he had set his foot onto the spaceship. This was going to be troublesome.

“As I was saying,” the captain continued, “Goten’s arrival was a little unexpected. But he’s a young bright man whose presence is a very welcome addition.” The captain’s eyes ruffled through the audience as if daring anyone to oppose to him. “He might not have finished his training yet, but Hataro Officer Training School is known for its high standards, so I am certain that some of us will also have something to learn from Goten.” The captain stepped back, motioning to Goten that it was his turn now.

Goten cleared his throat and smiled in the friendliest way possible. “Err… I’m new to this, but I promise, I’ll try to do my best to be a quick learner. Mmm... Nice to meet you,” he nodded, taking in the crew. Obviously, they were seasoned soldiers, but there were also men who looked and acted about the same age as him. However, sometimes it was hard to tell with Saiyans. To his surprise, Goten also spotted twins in one of the rows. Twins was a very rare occurrence in Saiyan society. Triplets hardly ever happened at all.

A hand shot up in the audience. Goten carefully regarded the young man sitting near the entrance to the briefing hall. “Yes?” he asked, his smile thinning. The man’s face looked a little bit too serious for an occasion like this.

“What exactly will you be doing here, Goten?”

Goten faltered. “Umm… Err? What did you say your name was?” he asked, trying to buy more time before he could think of something to say.

“Reyn. Reyn Dueri. I’m a flight officer.”

Goten turned to the flight officer who had showed him to the briefing room. The man shrugged. Goten concentrated back on Reyn. “I…”

“I think he’ll be just like Edesha,” Adriel laughed. “With no purpose at all!”

“Can it!” Edesha snorted at him from the other side of the briefing hall. “Let me remind you that I was the one to save your sorry ass from that teranus while you were running around panicking, tearing your hair out.”

“Yes, thank you for that. But do we need one more unspecialized soldier?” Adriel wondered. 

“Yeah,” Reyn agreed, “we don’t. Besides, just look at him – he’s green.”

“That’s it, Adriel,” the captain said, “you are in for latrine duty.”

“Ah shit.”

“And you, Reyn,” the captain turned away from Adriel, “if you are unhappy about something, you are welcome to write a complaint letter to the appropriate authorities. I’m certain they will be happy to read it.”

It was silent in the audience.

“Alright,” the captain nodded. “Tamahi,” he turned to the doctor, “you know Goten from earlier, so you will be responsible for showing him around. Just show him what’s where and explain the common rules.”

“Yes, Captain.”

The captain clapped his hands. “That’s it. The meeting is over.”

There were a few exultant whoops and the crew started getting up, drifting towards the door.

“Err…”

The captain, who was about to climb off the stage, turned to look at Goten. The youngster offered him a tentative smile while trying to hide the lost look in his eyes. He also looked very sheepish.

“Yes?”

“I was wondering about our destination, Captain.”

The captain’s eyebrows rose. “Our destination? You mean you don’t know where we are headed to?”

“I have no idea, Captain,” Goten said honestly.

“Oh.” The captain came closer to Goten. “It’s the Renera section. We are patrolling the border between the Terran Republic and the Saiyan Empire.”

Goten stared at him. “Terran Republic? Earth?” he repeated, dumbstruck.

“Well, yes. Why?”

Goten wanted to ask what there was to patrol. They were allies with Earth. Well, certainly, there had to be control on coming and going ships, and recently pirate attacks had become more frequent, but really, Renera section? No sane Ice-jin would come close to it. Now Goten realized what the prince had meant when he said that everything was going to be alright and he didn’t need to worry. What in the world was there to worry about when he was being sent to the Renera section? Goten glared at the captain. If he ever found out that this was the prince’s doing, him being sent to that section, he was going to strangle the bastard.

“Why, in the world, are you looking at me like that?”

Goten took a hold of himself. “Oh, I’m sorry, Captain. I got lost in my thoughts.”

“Ah, I know!” Adriel’s cheerful voice beamed from behind the captain. “Goten would make a good space cadet!”

Goten looked at him over the captain’s shoulder. It seemed that the navigator hated him. Flirted with him, but hated him to the core. Goten wasn’t certain how this was possible, but it seemed it was.

“Adriel, go and clean the toilets.”

“Yes, Captain! Right away!”

“Don’t mind him,” said the doctor, climbing onto the stage while Adriel was scurrying out of the briefing hall. “He means no harm. He’s just excited about a new face.”

“Alright, so I’ll leave the two of you,” the captain said. “Don’t hesitate to ask if there’s something you need. Rokunda will prepare a keycard for you. You can pick it up in a few hours. And get the appropriate uniform from the master sergeant.”

“Yes, Captain.”

The doctor looked at Goten. “Well, I’ll show you around. Actually, there’s not much to see. _Starcut_ isn’t a very large ship.”

“Ah, so its name is _Starcut_?”

The doctor cleared his throat slightly. “Yes,” he drawled carefully, which didn’t go unnoticed by Goten. He climbed off the stage and motioned for Goten to follow him. “We get up at six. Breakfast is at seven. Lunch at twelve, and dinner at six.”

“What do you actually do during the day?” Goten wondered, following the doctor among the chairs and to the door.

“Well, I tend to patients, if there are any. But mostly I clean my operation desk three times a day and count my scalpels five times.”

“Err, yes, I figured that might be the case.”

The doctor drew his keycard over the keyhole. The light around it turned green and the door slid open. “Well, some of us have much busier schedules. Adriel spends most of his time on the captain’s bridge. The technicians always have something to fix or to clean and the cooks are constantly busy.”

“Well, yes, certainly. I bel-” Goten started as an arm wrapped around his shoulders. 

“Welcome to _Starcunt_!” Adriel grinned at Goten, whose first instinct was to elbow the navigator in the stomach. However, there weren’t any signs of aggression in the other male’s scent, thus Goten managed to keep himself from doing that. Then his brain caught up with Adriel’s words. Seeing Goten’s blank face, Adriel turned to the doctor. “Haven’t you told him?”

The doctor rolled his eyes. “I didn’t want to spoil your fun.”

“ _Starc_ …” Goten trailed off numbly.

Adriel patted a metallic wall. “Yeah, that’s how we call her.”

TBC


	28. Part 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: **Starcut’s crew members** :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist  
> 9\. Arms Specialist  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten
> 
> A/N 2: the map of _Starcut_ can be found here: http://pics.livejournal.com/chayron/pic/00008g7t/g1

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 28

Goten sipped his tea and gave the canteen a stealthy look over the brim of his mug. The tea tasted…well, like grass. Or it would have, if Goten had known what grass tasted like. He made himself swallow and hoped that this was just their casual tea and not a test of a newbie’s survival instincts. 

The small canteen was almost empty; only three people were in it, not counting the cook behind the counter, and including Goten and the doctor. There were six metallic tables with benches wired into the floor, thus one could only climb over them when they wanted to sit down or step away from the table. While the cook was pouring the tea for Goten, the third-class had noticed that all the dishes were also made of tin – it was better than having to replace them every time the spaceship experienced a serious jolt.

Goten raised his mug again and took a good look at it. The tin was dented in two places. Goten cast a look at the doctor’s mug, but the doctor’s appeared to have seen even worse times. Goten sighed, then looked at the third person in the canteen.

“Who’s that?” he asked the doctor who had nearly finished drinking his tea. He didn’t seem to be very keen on it either.

The doctor turned around to look at the man. “Oh, that’s our head engineer, Nohail Ofura.”

Goten hummed and turned away from the man. “Anything in particular I should know about him?”

The doctor shrugged. “I don’t think he’ll cause you any problems. He’s a reasonable man.”

“I see.” Goten concentrated back on his mug. He knew he wasn’t going to remember so many new names at once. He was bad at things like names and faces. New surroundings always tended to unsettle him, making him rather fretful instead of eager. At least the doctor was someone he knew. It was faulty thinking, Goten was aware of that – he and the doctor had met only a few hours before the flight, but still, that hour or so they had spent together, while he had been pouring his heart out to the man, made Goten feel close to him.

The doctor had shown him around _Starcun_ …err… _Starcut_. Just as the doctor had said, the spaceship wasn’t that big. It had living quarters, the captain’s bridge, a cargo hold with a weapon store nearby, a storeroom, a runway, a canteen and a kitchen, both of which were merged into one room, a briefing hall, which Goten had already seen, a training hall, and a medical room with one regeneration tank. There was also a tiny shower room.

Goten’s mind was buzzing with the new experience and he felt slightly lightheaded. While he and the doctor had been walking around, he had received curious looks, most of which were unfriendly. Overall, Goten felt like an intruder. The crew consisted of seasoned soldiers and their relationships had long been established. They knew each other, knew what to expect, and then someone threw in a third wheel. Not only was he useless, but he was also completely new to space traveling. Goten knew that it was going to be rough for some time. Maybe not even for some time, but for a very long time.

Adriel had kept Goten and the doctor company up to the excursion to the training hall, but then was seen by the backup captain, who immediately sent him to clean the toilets. Goten still wasn’t certain what he should think of Adriel. And right now he couldn’t – there were simply too many things to think about.

“So how did you come to be on this spaceship?”

Goten resurfaced from his thoughts. He gave the doctor a shrug, then shook his head. “I don’t really know,” he said. “I think exactly the same way I appeared in Hataro Officer Training School. I did tell you about that, didn’t I?”

The doctor pushed his mug aside. “To tell you the truth, I thought you were experiencing hysteria, so I didn’t really listen much to what you were saying.” Goten had an insulted look on his face and the doctor laughed softly. “Well, you have to agree that some things you said sounded rather...”

“Well, they were true,” Goten said dismally; he had poured his heart out to the man. “I’m not that much of a liar.” In a few seconds, he felt his cheeks heat up as he remembered himself crying in front of the doctor. He fidgeted with the tin mug. “And I thought you said you were done with all the distant planets and victories and trophies?” he asked.

“Well, I am,” the doctor said, nodding. “I became a doctor about thirty years ago.”

Goten gave him a searching look. “I saw you a few hours just before the flight,” he drawled.

“It’s war, Goten. Wounded are pouring in. My brother works in that hospital and he asked me for assistance and I was glad to help. I figured I’d have my rest here anyway.”

Goten lowered his head to stare at the murky tea at the bottom of his mug. He wasn’t going to drink it, even if it was his last drink. _Especially_ if it was his last drink.

The third-class had seen the medical room. The old tank with the precious liquid inside was the main accent. There were also five beds and one operating table. He had also seen a young medic there who hadn’t been all too happy to see him.

It seemed that the elder men took his arrival much better than the younger generation.

Goten looked at the ceiling forlornly where his gaze concentrated on a feebly burning lamp. That was to be expected – rivalry among contemporaries was always stronger. He lowered his head. 

All of this was so unbelievably stupid. 

He felt as if he was back at his paramilitary school. Unfriendly looks, attempts to bully him… These petty rivalries amidst war… If they had the time and energy to be upset over someone undistinguished like him being sent here… But people would probably die of boredom if they stopped squabbling with each other. Or maybe he was just a distraction from the reality behind the walls of this spaceship; nobody wanted to think about the outcome of this war.

“I think I will go and pick up that keycard,” Goten said, standing up. He took his mug and returned it to the cook who placed it into the dishwasher.

“Ah. Then I will go with you; you will need someone to open the door to the captain’s bridge for you.”

“Thanks.”

They left the canteen and turned towards the captain’s bridge. There was no hurry and Goten took his time looking around the spaceship. The passages were quite wide and spacious, but poorly lit and depressing. Gray, metallic colors figured everywhere. The air smelled of oil and metal, as well as the tinge of unwashed feet and old clothing.

Goten had forgotten to ask the captain how long their patrol was going to last. He asked the doctor, who replied that usually it was half a year. However, both of them knew that now, during this kind of unstable situation, there was no means to predict that.

The third-class waited for the doctor to open the door to the captain’s bridge, then followed him into the well-lit room. It was circular, with two large screens in front where cameras showed the front and the back-view of _Starcut_. Additionally, a few smaller screens were strewn across the room, a terminal under each of them.

The captain and the backup captain were discussing something while leaning over a map on the desk near the door. Reyn, the flight officer, was wearing a headset and playing some kind of gory game on one of the terminals. The communications specialist was staring at his screen with a dreamy look on his face. Goten couldn’t see what it was, but, once in a while, the man would click on something on the screen. Rokunda, the programmer, was seated at the terminal closest to the two largest screens. His fingers were madly working on the keyboard. Two arms specialists were playing cards. There was a pile of credits on the desk.

“Ah fuck!” Reyn cursed. “I died again!”

“Reyn,” the communications specialist said, “you know that Adriel is gonna go batshit on you for touching his precious terminal. You’ve been here for hours already.”

“This time I’m gonna beat this fucker,” the flight officer hissed at the loading screen.

“Rokunda, turn Adriel’s terminal off,” the captain ordered without raising his head from the map he was studying.

“Ysh, sh.”

“Damn it,” Reyn growled when his screen went black. He peeled the headset off and lowered it onto the desk. He frowned when he noticed Goten and the doctor at the door. “Ha! And here’s our space cadet.”

“Quit it, Reyn,” the communications specialist warned.

“Yes, Reyn, go and keep Adriel company,” the backup captain said.

The flight officer scowled. “Yes, sir,” he said, standing up.

“I came for my keycard, Captain,” Goten said.

The captain looked at the programmer. “Rokunda?”

“Itsh donsh.”

The captain waved his hand. “Yeah, you can take it.”

Goten walked over to the programmer. His screen was split in two. On one side, lines of numbers and some gibberish was running. The second side made it clear that Rokunda was also doing Adriel’s job in addition to his own, as it was full of coordinates and blinking dots.

The programmer held out the card for him and Goten took it. It had a thin metallic chain and Goten secured it to his belt, just as he had seen everyone else carry it around. The third-class was already turning to leave when he noticed something curious. He stopped and checked his senses again. No way.

“A female?” he asked, surprised.

“Oh shit,” the communications specialist muttered. “Run.”

Startled, Goten stepped back when the scrawny programmer suddenly rose and grabbed him by the front of his uniform, pushing him backwards. There was a surprising strength in those tiny arms.

“Yush gotsh a problemsh witsh thatsh?” she hissed at Goten’s face, tugging at his uniform, bending him down so that their noses were nearly touching. “Do yush?”

“Err…no?” Goten stammered, completely thrown off balance by the sudden turn of events.

“Ish thinksh yush do…” the programmer growled, staring at his face.

“Umm…no. I don’t. Really. I _love_ women.”

“Uh-oh,” said someone.

Rokunda’s eyes blazed red. “Luvsh wimensh, yush sash? Ish gonnash kiksh yursh ballsh offsh, yush bashtardsh!”

“Mmm…” Goten tried to turn his head aside, but the strangling collar didn’t let him. “Uhh…help?” he tried, attempting to step backwards, but only succeeding in dragging the programmer with himself. It was obvious that the little female wouldn’t let go of him, not before she did something to him. Goten felt powerless. It was one thing when you were cornered by a bulky elite female, but it was completely different when you were about to be punched by a scrawny second-class female. He felt he couldn’t lift a finger.

“Umm… I have a few female friends,” he tried again. “We get along tremendously.”

“Trimendashly? Ish betsh yush do… Laiksh haush on fair.”

“Err…maybe not that well.”

A quiet but insistent beeping started in the room, making Rokunda turn away from Goten and look at her screen. She hesitated for a moment, then let go of Goten’s uniform and walked back to her terminal where she started tinkering with the keyboard. A few relieved exhalations could be heard. Goten straightened to his height. He was a whole head taller than her and nearly twice as heavy as her, but that was beside the point.

Somebody nudged the third-class in his ribs and, after looking at the doctor, Goten saw him motioning at the door hastily. 

“What the hell is wrong with her?” Goten asked when the door slid closed behind them with a hiss. “I didn’t even touch her!”

The doctor scratched his head nervously. “Well, try not to comment on her…err…femininity.”

“Hah, no problem there,” Goten said, still looking shocked. “There hardly is any.”

The doctor was silent for a few seconds, then shook his head. “She was already like this when she came to work here. My guess would be that she has experienced a lot of rivalry and disregard from her former milieu.”

“Which is mostly male everywhere, isn’t it? Especially in programming,” Goten sighed, catching on. “But why is it me who has to suffer? It’s not fair…”

“Well, we tried to talk to her, but all we managed to do was to make her suspicious that we were looking down on her. It’s a closed circle, I’m afraid.”

“She seems to be good, though.”

“She is _very_ good. Last year she won some kind of programming contest. I don’t understand all that stuff, but the captain showed us the article. We even held a small celebration party. She did warm up to us after that.”

Surprised, Goten looked at him. “That’s awfully thoughtful of you. Or cunning, I should say.”

“It was Adriel’s idea. He’s good at those things.”

“Is he after her?”

“Who? Adriel? Nah, he has his hands full with Sildara. The communications specialist,” the doctor explained when Goten gave him a questioning look. “The one we just saw; the one who told you to run.”

“Huh? Those two are like that?”

“Well…” the doctor drawled, “most of the time, I suppose. They do fight a lot. It’s best not to get in between them,” he warned.

Goten rolled his eyes. Here he was, getting into the life of _Starcut_ through gossip. But he couldn’t see any other way of getting into it. Besides, the doctor was readily sharing the rumors. Certainly, the man thought it was only for Goten’s own good that he knew how life on the ship worked.

“And what about t-?”

“I thought you were told to scrub the toilets,” the doctor said at the sight of Reyn appearing from behind a corner.

“I went there, but Adriel told me to fuck off,” the flight officer said in an irritated voice, giving Goten an unfriendly look. “Which is what I’m doing – looking for a place to fuck myself off.”

The doctor rolled his eyes. Reyn had probably mentioned to Adriel that he had been playing games on his terminal and the two got into a spat. Most of the time, Reyn and Adriel got along pretty well, except when Reyn touched Adriel’s terminal. In fact, Adriel got along with anyone provided they didn’t touch his terminal.

Goten watched the flight officer’s back disappear in the corridor. “I think I’ll go to my cabin and rest for a while,” he said.

“Yeah, you do that. Dinner is going to be at nine today.” 

“Ah, it’s because we left late today, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

Goten thanked the doctor for showing him around and returned to his cabin. He had intended to clean it up, but he was exhausted. He didn’t realize that until he stepped into the cabin. He flopped onto the chair at his bed and closed his eyes. Soon, he felt he was already nodding off, thus he left his chair and went for the bed. The bedding still smelled musty, but now he didn’t mind that. The third-class had no strength to take his clothes off either and lay down on the covers in his uniform. He fell asleep instantly.

“Hey, you alive there?”

Goten’s eyes blinked open at a person in the doorway. Slowly, he remembered that the man was the flight officer who had shown him to the briefing room.

“Yes?” Goten croaked, wiping at his bleary eyes. He tried to sit down, but just folded back into the bedding sleepily. His limbs felt like jelly.

“You didn’t show up for dinner. Is everything okay?” the flight officer sniffed at the air. “Damn, it smells stale in here.”

“Yeah,” Goten yawned. “I’m alright. Been sleeping.” Two identical heads appeared behind the flight officer and Goten wondered if he was seeing double, then remembered that there were twins on the ship.

“We brought you a few ruvens,” the flight officer said, throwing the fruit for Goten to catch.

“Uhh… Thanks for bringing them,” Goten thanked, staring at the wall behind him where one of the fruit splattered when he had failed to catch it. Carefully, he put the other two onto the chair.

“No problem,” the man said. “We are neighbors; we live in the cabin next to yours.”

“Oh. Okay, thanks.”

When the door closed, Goten shortly wondered how many of them exactly were his neighbors, then his mind turned fuzzy again and he fell asleep.

The third-class was turning to his other side when the need for the bathroom opened his eyes. He tried to ignore the pressure in his bladder and continue sleeping, but his dreamlike state was constantly being interrupted by various images of him relieving himself or heading to a bathroom. The third-class’s hazy mind was functional enough to understand that he might simply end up wetting the bed.

Grunting and swaying, Goten stood up. He couldn’t exactly remember where the bathroom was. It took him a while to get his boots on. He was shocked to see that the electronic clock above the door was showing the next day’s midday already. He had slept for nearly seventeen hours. A little disturbed, Goten left his cabin.

After finding the bathroom, Goten decided to have lunch. People hushed when he entered the canteen. The room wasn’t big and the six tables were arranged compactly, the men’s backs nearly touching each other. He could see his neighbors a bit farther ahead. Goten wondered how much trouble he would cause if he took his food and sat down next to the doctor, whom he could see sitting on his right. Deciding that he didn’t want to find out, Goten went and took his ration and sat at an empty table.

Nobody paid him any attention, but because they were trying very hard not to pay any, the air was sizzling with pressure. Goten, feeling the fine hair on his nape rising, set his tray on the table. Silently, he transferred his pea-soup, cutlet, and a mug of tea onto the table and pushed the tray away. He lowered his spoon into the soup, tasted the yellow pellets, found the soup to his liking, and started eating. The lively buzz of conversation restarted.

When the third-class was halfway through his soup, he realized that everybody had hushed again. He turned to see one of the flight officers walking over to him. It was the one who had raised his hand during the introduction and asked what Goten was going to do on the spaceship. Later Goten had seen him play a game on Adriel’s terminal. Goten frowned, trying to remember. The name was…Rail? Rain? Roll? Rum? Roan? Run?

Still trying to remember the name, Goten stared up at the flight officer’s face questioningly. “Mmm?”

A little farther back, just a table away, the head engineer started rising to his feet. The gunnery sergeant’s heavy hand fell on his shoulder and forced him back down.

“The kid doesn’t seem to be very frightened,” he explained to the head engineer. “Let’s just watch.”

The flight officer was standing too close to him, invading his personal space, and Goten could easily tell that it was an intentional move to make him feel insecure. Goten lowered his spoon back into the bowl and stirred it idly.

“How’s the soup?” the flight officer asked.

“It’s good,” Goten answered.

The officer grinned at him. “It had better be, keeping in mind you will be loitering about, doing nothing and getting fed.”

Goten stared the man’s face. He couldn’t exactly tell if the man was irritated, teasing him, or just being spiteful. Maybe all that. What, in the world, was his problem?

Goten shrugged. “Well, I never asked to be sent here,” he said.

“And that makes it alright, doesn’t it?”

“No, it doesn’t, but I can’t do anything about it. However, maybe you writing that complaint letter could,” Goten said. He picked up his spoon again and shoveled some soup into his mouth. He avoided looking around, but he could feel that he and the flight officer were the main focus of the canteen. Everybody was just watching mutely.

“Actually, I know just the right occupation for you,” said the flight officer. “There’s one we are missing here.”

“And that would be?” Goten asked, stirring his now quickly cooling soup.

“A hostess,” the officer said, taking the spoon from Goten’s fingers. He winked at Goten and licked the spoon seductively. He leaned over to whisper into Goten’s ear. “So how about it, love?” he said, blowing lightly on Goten’s earlobe. 

The third-class pressed his palm to his ear and leaned away from the flight officer in shock, then, growling, grabbed him by the back of his neck and slammed him face-first into the pea-soup. 

“Don’t you fucking…!”

The flight officer staggered backwards as Goten’s fingers unclenched from his nape, letting him go. He spat out the peas, gasped for air, and started wiping the mess off his eyes. The officer’s nose was bleeding, the blood running over his mouth, then splattering on the front of his uniform in large heavy drops. His nose was probably broken as well.

His fury starting to seep away, leaving place for unease, Goten watched him get the last of the pea-soup from his eyes. With a feeling of foreboding, the third-class moved away from the bench, in case he was attacked. He had simply wanted to eat! He had simply wanted to eat and go back to sleep again. Instead, he was fighting some idiot. A magnificent start to his career on _Starcut_. 

Goten moved into his fighting stance when the officer darted forward.

“That’s enough!” rang the captain’s voice. “Reyn, go to the medical room and have your nose taken care of. After that, go to your cabin and stay there until further notice.”

The flight officer, who now was holding Goten by the front of his uniform, gradually unclenched his hand. He stared at Goten for a few seconds, eyes filled with malice. Assured that the man would not try anything stupid, Goten unclasped his fingers from Reyn’s fist that had previously targeted his face. He moved away from the officer.

“Yes, Captain,” Reyn growled out, his lips splashing Goten’s face with blood. 

Wiping at his face with his hand, the third-class moved away. He watched the man turn around and march towards the door.

“Goten, clean the table and make sure you pay for the bowl.”

Goten turned to look at his bowl. Reyn’s face had deformed the tin, and the third-class could swear he could see his face-print in it. The soup had fountained out of the bowl all over the table. Goten looked at himself. And over his uniform.

“Yes, Captain,” Goten said. He was suddenly aware of bouts of laughter starting around him. At that point, he realized that he had been hearing this laughter for quite some time now, but it had been hushed previously.

“Well, you’re out of soup, but finish your cutlet,” the captain said. “We wouldn’t want you to starve, now, would we?”

Everyone was laughing, and Goten wasn’t certain what was so funny. Lost, he looked around. He stood for a few seconds, motionless, then went to the counter to ask the cooks for a cloth to wipe off the table. He carried a small bowl of water that he got from the cook over to his table, then dabbed at his uniform with the wet rag. Luckily, he was going to get a new one, blue, just like everyone else was wearing.

While Goten was wiping the table, his neighbor, carrying his tea, came to him and sat down. He was grinning.

“What in the world is so funny about this?” Goten asked him, wringing the cloth into the bowl.

“You,” the flight officer chuckled. “He just freakin’ blew on your ear and you broke his nose. You didn’t need to overreact like that.”

“That was sexual harassment and…”

All tables around him burst out laughing. The flight officer spat his tea back into the mug and joined the crowd. “No, really,” he roared with laughter, “these newbies from officer schools! There’s nothing funnier than you!”

“I seriously don’t understand what’s so funny about this!” Goten snapped at him. He glared at the men around him, but that only made them laugh even harder.

“Okay, okay,” the flight officer patted him on his arm. “Calm down. It’s not really funny. It’s just the fact that it was Reyn who did it. He was simply fucking around with you, testing you. It’s his fault, of course, but you reacted as if he already had you on the floor with your legs spread.”

Goten glared at him. “I hate those kinds of jokes,” he said.

A thoughtful look appeared on his neighbor’s face, then his brow rose in disbelief. Goten cursed himself. The men around the tables hadn’t caught on yet and Goten prayed that they wouldn’t. The last thing he needed was to be a source of constant amusement.

As if he wasn’t one already. Currently, he was a walking circus for all of the crew.

Goten groaned and slumped onto the bench. “Just keep quiet about it, okay?” he begged.

The flight officer shrugged. “Sure, no problem.” He sipped his tea. “But it’s not as if anyone cares.”

_You have no idea_ , Goten thought.

The flight officer had finished his tea, but sat at the table with Goten to keep him company until the third-class finished wiping the table, ate his cutlet, and then drank his lukewarm tea.

“Goten?”

Goten turned to the man who had called him. “Yes?”

“Why haven’t you picked your uniform yet?”

Goten saluted. The stripes on the man’s shoulders identified him as a master sergeant. On this ship, only the captain’s rank was superior to his. And Goten was almost certain that even then the captain consulted him more times than not; one didn’t become a master sergeant without a good reason.

“I was about to go, sir,”

The master sergeant snorted. “Was that before you bashed Reyn’s face into your bowl or after?”

“Uh. After, sir.”

“Ah, a smartass.” The man motioned for the third-class to follow him. “Come.”

“Yes, sir.”

“How are you getting on with the crew?” the master sergeant asked while they were walking down the hallway towards the storeroom.

“Sir, I think you have just had a perfect illustration of how I get on with them.”

The man laughed softly. “That’s so, but you know that I wasn’t talking about that.”

Goten tugged at the front of his uniform, trying to keep it away from his chest. It was damp in the places he had cleaned the pea-soup off. “Yes, sir. I know what you mean. I think it’s alright. Not everyone seems to hate the thought of me being here.”

“In the future,” the master sergeant said, “try to think first and act later. Reyn was just fooling around with you. In fact, he’s pretty much asexual.”

“Uh.” Only now Goten understood why his neighbor had said that it was funny that it was Reyn who harassed him. “Err… I see, sir. I…”

“Well, yes, you couldn’t have known that, but really… Breaking his nose over such…”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“You should apologize to Reyn, not to me.”

Goten mulled over this for a few seconds. “Mmm… I don’t really want to, sir.”

The master sergeant stopped and gave Goten a look. The third-class braced himself for the worst. He flinched when the man patted him on his shoulder. 

“And yet we can still make a man out of you,” he said, turning away and continuing to walk.

Goten stared at the master sergeant’s back in surprise, but felt he was better off staying silent. He followed the man to the storeroom, received his uniforms, and then returned to his cabin. The unpleasant smell was still there.

The third-class threw the new uniforms on the bed. He stared at them for a few seconds, then picked up the fruit his neighbor had brought him previously and ate them. Then, he undressed and tried on his new uniform. His shoulders were going to look lonely among all the officers. Putting on his belt with the attached keycard, he sighed.

His officer school uniform needed washing. Goten wondered if he would ever need it again, but figured it was best to be prepared and started checking his pockets in case there was something which badly reacted with water. His fingers felt a small piece of paper. Goten pulled it out, then stared at the digits on the slip of paper in disbelief. It was a phone number; it was the prince’s phone number. 

Goten let the slip flutter onto the floor and started folding his uniform. When did the bastard… Surely, not while they were… Goten felt himself go red in the face as the whole scene resurfaced in his memory. It must have been around the time when the prince had grabbed him by his ass.

“Shit,” Goten muttered, tossing his uniform onto the chair. He picked up the number off the floor, then walked over to the desk and sat down in front of his malfunctioning terminal. He lay down the paper slip on the desk. He should probably throw it away. No, _definitely_.

It was a social taboo, what he and the prince had done, the kiss. Even talking about it was a taboo. Even thinking about it was a taboo. However, to his surprise, Goten realized that he couldn’t take it seriously. Nothing really happened: some saliva and groping had been exchanged and some promises had been made, which would not be kept. Sexual desires… Goten couldn’t imagine anyone risking their lives for those. And even if they were more than sexual desires…who the hell cared about that romantic crap?

Goten stood up, grabbed the phone number off the desk, stuffed it into his pocket, put his spare uniform into his suitcase, and went to lie down on his bed. He was feeling incredibly sleepy again.

When Goten woke up, he found himself lying on a roof. Mystified, he pushed himself up and saw Gohan standing a few feet away, watching him. 

“You again,” Goten said, getting to his feet. Wondering if he looked good in it, the third-class started dusting his new uniform off. All the time, his brother just kept staring at him wordlessly and Goten decided to ignore him as well. He walked over to the edge of the roof and looked around. He was back at Hataro Officer Training School. In fact, he was standing on the roof of the officer’s club. He could see people walking around in the School’s territory. Goten turned around and concentrated back on Gohan.

“Who are you?”

Gohan smiled. “I’m your brother, aren’t I?” 

Goten rolled his eyes. “Don’t you start. Really, who the fuck are you?”

“It is of no importance,” Gohan said.

“And what is im-?” 

The sirens went off giving Goten a start. He looked at the sky. The third-class could see dots and then he realized what it was about. This was the beginning of the attack. He turned to his barracks and soon saw himself and Kyon running out of the building. His heart beating madly, he ran to the other side of the roof where he had found Toharu. There was no one around yet.

Goten’s eyes snapped to his brother. “What’s this?”

“Why are you asking _me_ that?”

Goten felt the urge to run over to him and shake him for good measure. Punching that smug face would also work wonders. If only he didn’t look like his brother! “And who the fuck else could I ask?!” he snarled.

Gohan rolled his eyes. “ _Yourself_ would be a good start.”

“What in the world does that mean?” Goten growled out. He was trying to keep his attention both on the imposter and down on the ground. He was failing miserably.

“Are you clueless or just stupid? It is probably the same, though.”

Goten glared at the imposter. His brother had never said anything like that to him. “Are you picking a fight with me?” he snapped. Then he realized how stupid that sounded. He cursed softly and was for once grateful that Gohan didn’t burst out laughing, instead just gave him an amused look.

“Aren’t you just seeing what you w-?”

Goten didn’t hear the rest of the imposter’s sentence because, at that moment, he saw Toharu run out of the officers’ barracks. The second-class was buckling his belt. He turned towards the training field, but when he advanced toward it, a ray of blue light bore down on _Matilda_ , at the opposite end from where Goten was standing. The building exploded with a horrendous noise, scattering its bowels outside.

The force of the explosion tossed Goten backwards. Just before painfully boring down onto the asphalt, he cursed himself for his idiocy – hadn’t he known that _Matilda_ had been blown up? After rolling over on the asphalt a few times, he stood up and looked around frantically.

Just a few meters away from him, Toharu was also getting to his feet. The savar shook his head, then touched his right ear. Goten figured he had been stunned by all that noise. 

“Toharu!”

Calling his name didn’t give any result. Toharu either couldn’t hear him or wasn’t supposed to hear him. Goten watched the man rise into the air. He was still shaking his head, as if trying to shake off the aftereffects of the explosion. A blue flash crossed the air, and Goten threw himself forward. 

He could save him, could have saved him, he knew he could. He could change this, could have changed this.

Goten collided with Gohan in midair, just when the building with the laundromats exploded. Goten struggled madly in Gohan’s grasp.

“There’s absolutely nothing you can do. He’s dead already.”

Splinters filled the air, chunks of concrete and metal whooshing past them. All of this happened in the blink of an eye, but was excruciatingly slow when Goten saw an iron pipe imbed itself into Toharu’s head. Goten sank his teeth into Gohan’s shoulder in another attempt to get away. The imposter didn’t even flinch. He didn’t even bleed.

“I’m just as strong as you. It’s absolutely pointless to fight me.”

So this was how he had died. Goten closed his eyes so as not to see Toharu sprawled on the asphalt. So…average. He didn’t even get to participate in defending the base. Instead he was speared by a pipe while belting his trousers. Ah, the irony of life. One had to love it.

At some point, Goten realized that he had stopped struggling and now was in Gohan’s embrace. They had landed as well. His brother was stroking his back gently, muttering something in a soft voice. It felt good to be held like this again, to feel that warmth, to be comforted, to finally stop fretting over everything and feel secure, to belong somewhere just like he belonged in Gohan’s arms.

The soothing touch, though, soon grew into something more intimate, more sensual. A hand slid over his back teasingly and then it rose to his nape to lower his head. Weird, Goten thought, but opened his mouth when he felt a tongue touch his lips. _And…wasn’t Gohan taller than him?_ Goten opened his eyes to see Toharu’s blurry face from up close. Sighing softly, Goten closed his eyes again. They continued kissing, Goten wrapping his arms around his friend’s shoulders. 

They broke apart in what seemed like ages. Goten, though, had wanted for it to last even more, forever, if possible. Toharu was also watching him with hooded eyes. 

He heard the sound of someone walking, and Goten turned his head to look at his brother, who had stopped a little farther away from them. He saluted, and Goten only now noticed that he was wearing a uniform from Hyon’s base.

“I’ll be off, then, sir,” Gohan said. 

Goten gave him a lost look. He felt Toharu’s grip tighten on him. “Mmm…okay?” He couldn’t understand what was going on, but it was just as well. He didn’t really care and, in his arms, he had something he was looking forward to.

Gohan saluted again and faded away. Goten turned his head back to Toharu to meet a blue, steady gaze. He jumped backwards, or tried to. The prince caught him easily, wrapping his arms securely around the third-class’s waist and bringing him closer. Goten stilled, feeling all his blood rush down to his lower body. He was overwhelmed by the same feelings he had experienced down in the launch pad. Instantly, the familiar scents of soap, clothing, and tranquil boredom enveloped him. He could even hear the roar of engines. 

The shaii’s hand slid down Goten’s waist and then south where it brushed over his hardening length. Then it cupped Goten, making him gasp and buck at the friction. Watching Goten’s face, he squeezed lightly. The third-class moaned softly, then opened his mouth when the prince leaned in to kiss him.

He could feel the prince’s hands roaming over his body, unbuttoning his uniform, sliding underneath it. They felt hot against his skin, burning his chest and stomach. 

“N-no, don’t,” Goten gasped out, grabbing the prince’s hand before it could slide into his pocket. “I don’t need it.”

The prince’s face leaned away from him. With mild interest, Goten suddenly realized that he and the shaii were on a bed now. Goten’s eyes returned to the man above him. Hadn’t they been wearing clothes just a moment ago? Where was that paper slip? Where did the bed come from?

Goten closed his eyes as the prince lowered his head and kissed him just beneath his right ear. He moaned softly as the prince’s lips continued moving upwards until they reached his Adam’s apple where he felt teeth scraping against his skin. Goten felt his mind clouding, lust starting to ride his body. He grabbed the prince by his hair, lifting his head. There was a faint smile on his face, while blue eyes regarded him with a touch of amusement. Goten pressed on the prince’s head, bringing it down, kissing those smiling lips.

When the kiss broke, Goten was suddenly aware of someone watching him. Panting lightly, he turned his head to see Kyon sitting on the floor, right next to the bed. Goten instinctively recoiled but, with a heavy body on top of him, it only resulted in him shifting slightly and rubbing against the shaii. The third-class looked at the prince who, again, was watching him with that amused expression of his, as if daring him.

And Goten dared. He felt the prince moving down his body, his mouth leaving a flaming path in its wake. The mattress next to Goten’s head dipped lightly and he reached out for Ranvera, bringing the other man close enough so that their mouths met.

With a groan, Goten broke the kiss when something slid inside him. If only for a moment, he faltered when, after opening his eyes, he saw about a dozen of people staring at him, watching him with smoldering eyes from various angles. The prince nudged his legs wider apart.

Well, certainly, this couldn’t be reality, could it? Thus there was no harm in…this. Was there?

Goten heard himself let out a low guttural groan when it started moving inside him. He hadn’t known he was capable of making a sound like that. It didn’t hurt at all. It was thick and hot, but it didn’t hurt at all. He felt pleasure wash over him in waves.

Goten arched with a grunt, then shuddered. Hazily, he blinked his eyes at the bright light above him. He raised his hand to shade them.

“Unbelievable. You’ve just come, haven’t you?”

Goten turned his head to see the doctor sitting in his chair, which was swiveled toward him. 

“W-what?” Goten asked, utterly confused. He started coughing. His throat felt as if he had swallowed a spoonful of sand. “W-where am I?” he rasped out, swallowing to wet his throat.

The doctor’s face frowned in concern. “What is your name?”

“What?”

“Just tell me your name,” the doctor insisted.

“It’s Goten. Goten Bardock. I’m a-”

“Alright. How many fingers am I holding up?”

Goten blinked, straining to see the doctor’s hand. “Uhh… three? No, two,” he corrected himself when the blurriness in his eyes faded away completely. He shook his head and tried to sit up. With a grunt, he fell back down onto the hard desk. His muscles were jelly. He raised his upper body with his hands and took a good look at where he was lying. It was an operation desk. He suddenly realized that this was the _Starcut’s_ medical room. He wondered how he had not recognized it before. “What…” Goten swallowed. “What the hell is going on?”

“You’ve been out for nearly three days.”

“What?”

“Jadenas went to check on you when you missed dinner again. Your neighbor, the flight officer,” the doctor added when it was obvious that Goten had no idea who Jadenas was. “He said you wouldn’t wake up no matter how hard he tried to rouse you. So we had you brought here. Not that it helped any.”

“Oh.”

The doctor raised a sheet of paper with some sharp-looking curves. “What is this?” he asked.

Goten stared at the paper for some time. “Is this a test?” he asked. “Like one of those where, depending on my answer, you will decide if I am schizophrenic or not?”

“No, you idiot. This has nothing to do with that. This is your brain wave pattern from when you were asleep,” the doctor said.

“Oh.”

The doctor sighed when Goten was just looking at him questioningly. He lowered the pattern back onto his desk. Either Goten really had no idea what it was or he simply didn’t want to tell him. Even if Goten knew, he couldn’t beat the information out of the youth.

“What’s wrong with it?” Goten asked. “The head physician on the base was also very interested in this.”

“I bet he was. Did he tell you anything more about it?”

“Well, no. He just said that it was interesting. Sometimes, I have impossible migraines as well,” he added, just for a record.

“Well, yes, that could be related.” The doctor gave the third-class an inspecting look. “Did you know that your profile states that you’re a second-class?”

“What?!”

“I see that you didn’t. Oh well.” He shrugged. “When you’ve completely woken up, go and clean up; it must be uncomfortable, that wetness. Then return here and we’ll do a couple more tests, just in case.”

“What wetn-?”

The doctor chuckled when Goten’s face went from pale to bright red. He nodded. “Yes, that one.”

TBC


	29. Part 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: **Starcut’s crew members** :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist  
> 9\. Arms Specialist  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten
> 
> A/N 2: the map of _Starcut_ can be found here: http://pics.livejournal.com/chayron/pic/00008g7t/g1

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 29

Tamahi looked over at the door which had just slid open. The gunnery sergeant walked in to the medical room, and the doctor greeted him with a nod. Monteira headed straight for the operating table where Goten lay and gave his still form a disapproving look.

“Is he still sleeping?” the gunnery sergeant asked although it was obvious that Goten was. He folded his hands behind his back and stood motionless while staring at Goten.

“He woke up two hours ago, then went to sleep again. He seemed to be fine,” the doctor added.

“So what’s wrong with him?"

“Well, there is this light hormonal instability, weird brain wave pattern, and…” the doctor trailed off. 

“And that means?”

The doctor leaned back in his chair. “Nothing much: that insignificant hormonal change is commonly called sexual frustration. That strange brain wave pattern…” He shrugged. “I have no idea, but it stopped as soon as he woke up and now it has disappeared completely.”

The gunnery sergeant gave him an impatient look. “So what the hell is wrong with him?”

“Nothing, I think,” the doctor admitted. “It seems he’s just sleeping.”

The gunnery sergeant’s eyes left Goten’s face and looked at the doctor. “Why?”

The doctor cleared his throat. He always found it difficult to deal with the straightforward gunnery sergeant, whose list of excusable illnesses included only broken bones, an absent head, and death in general.

“I am inclined to think that this is a psychological matter,” Tamahi said.

“Is he schizophrenic?”

The doctor sighed. “No, Monteira, he is not. He’s just…” Tamahi wondered if he should tell the sergeant anything at all. Monteira wasn’t good with subtleties and there was a risk that he would begin disliking and looking down on Goten. However, Goten was young, and the sergeant always had a soft spot for youngsters. 

“Psychology is not my field, but I’ve met Goten before,” he started. “He seems to have had a difficult time before coming here: his school was attacked, his best friend seems to have died, his father is still in a regeneration tank, and then Goten was sent here. I think all of this happened in the span of two days. In addition to all that, some of us haven’t been very hospitable either.”

“Reyn was just fucking around.”

“Well, yes, but Goten didn’t know that.”

“So you are telling me that he’s sleeping because he has no balls to face reality?”

“Err… Well, more or less,” the doctor agreed. “I think he’s just doing some catching up with the facts. This is not that uncommon.”

“Just great!” the sergeant growled. “So next time we are attacked he’s going to just fall asleep? Is this what you’re telling me?”

“Well, he didn’t fall asleep when Reyn picked on him.”

“Reyn was just fucking around!” Monteira repeated angrily, but the doctor could already see sparks lighting up in his eyes. “But damn, he whammed Reyn’s face into that soup like a real professional!”

“I don’t think there are any people making a living out of that,” Tamahi pointed out.

Monteira grinned at him. “There was even a fountain!”

The doctor chuckled. “If you say so.”

The gunnery sergeant spared Goten another look. “I’m going to have a stern talk with the brat as soon as he wakes up; he needs some serious disciplining. Tell him that.”

“Certainly.”

“And why is he lying on the operating table?”

“I don’t really know. Jadenas and Sildara put him there, so I just left him lying on it.”

“But you did say he had woken up?”

The doctor shrugged. “Well, he lay down on it again. I don’t know why. Maybe he likes it, or maybe he thought he was supposed to.”

“Actually, is there anything in his medical history about these sleep spells?”

“No, not really, just a bunch of broken bones and some serious ki burns. He did mention that he had suffered from migraine attacks, but this is quite different. Besides, he has also had a few concussions; the migraines might be just a side-effect of them.”

“Ah well, just keep an eye on him.”

“Sure.”

“See you at lunch, then.”

“See you,” the doctor said, waving Goten’s printed out medical history in the air as a goodbye. The door slid closed behind the gunnery sergeant’s back and the doctor’s chair swiveled back to face his desk. He continued to study the documents.

A few minutes later, the door slid open again. “He’s still asleep,” the doctor said without raising his eyes off the papers. In the past three days, while Goten was asleep, he had been visited by nearly everyone. Some even showed up a few times. Currently, Goten was the main attraction in their boring lives.

“Yeah, I can see that. I came because of my nose.”

The doctor’s chair swiveled towards the door where Reyn stood. “Ah,” the doctor said. “Monteira and I were just talking about you. He was admiring the way your face splashed Goten’s soup around so professionally.”

Reyn rolled his eyes. “Give me a break already. I had a row with my father and was a little pissed off with the situation in general, so I thought I’d let off some steam. No big deal.”

“You are lucky he didn’t put your eye out with a fork, you idiot,” the doctor admonished.

“Well, he didn’t look the type,” Reyn said, walking over to the doctor. He took the chair in front of the doctor.

The doctor felt compelled to tell Reyn that, due to the fact that Goten was a third-class, and had somehow managed to survive Hataro Officer Training School and even the attack on it, and then got sent to space with them, there was a very high possibility that Goten was exactly the type. 

“It’s those harmless-looking ones who catch you unaware,” Tamahi said, wheeling with his chair closer to Reyn; his chair was probably the only one which wasn’t welded into the floor.

“Truer words have never been uttered,” Reyn said, wincing when the doctor prodded at his nose. “The bastard got me good.” The plaster had been taken off yesterday. Reyn’s face underneath looked like it had been run over by a tank. He was planning to have a little reckoning with the newbie concerning that when the bastard finally woke up.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten was in the briefing hall. He had managed to locate the controls that operated the electronic devices in the room and lifted the metallic shield off the screen to reveal the vastness of space behind it. The chairs were screwed into the floor and they were farther away from the screen than Goten would have liked, thus he sat down on the floor, with his nose nearly touching the glass. This was what he had always dreamed of seeing since he had started going to paramilitary school. In fact, just like any other boy.

Sitting alone in the briefing hall, staring at blinking dots in the darkness, the third-class realized that this was not something he could do for long – he would get bored. He had also seen a varicolored nebula, which had been a wondrous sight, but when he had tried to turn on the terminal in the hall to identify it, the terminal asked him for the password. With that, his educational program was concluded.

The main reason Goten was sitting alone in the hall gazing at the stars was that he had just been nagged at by the gunnery sergeant. The third-class knew he was childishly sulking, but he fretted that all of his conversations were going to be similar. He had just left the medical room and the prospect of everyone trying to teach him how to lead his life was horrifying. 

Goten was under the impression that the gunnery sergeant believed that, in addition to being a coward, he also had a screw loose. He had been talking to him slowly and deliberately and also repeated things a few times. The damn doctor must have mentioned something about his stupid brainwaves. Now the whole ship would think that he was a schizophrenic sissy.

Well, maybe he was.

Goten sighed. The dream had been something…to remember. It was the hottest dream he had ever had, and it also made him feel a little like a whore. Technically, it had just been something his frustrated mind had conjured, but there was almost always a reason behind dreams like that. He didn’t particularly want to go there. Not when it concerned his brother, his dead friend, an elite prince, and an entire crowd of onlookers.

The stars winked at him tauntingly. He had never imagined his flight into space would be like this: he was not enthusiastic about it, nor did he know the purpose of his presence on the ship. It somehow felt like a waste of a fulfilled dream. Goten looked at his reflection on the screen. His new uniform looked strange on him, but it was probably just because he still needed time to get used to its blue color. His hair was of average length already. Had been for quite some time, in fact, only he had been too busy to notice. It was, however, still distinguishably short for someone on board. His shoulders felt bare as well.

There was also the feeling of helplessness present – whatever the crew thought of him, he had had no choice in the matter - his life didn’t belong to him. 

Goten didn’t want to leave the safety of the briefing room, thus he lingered in it idly until he fell asleep again. He woke up twenty minutes later to the sound of something whirring softly. The third-class looked around, then realized that the sound was coming from a black creature next to his side. Its eyes were closed, but it obviously wasn’t asleep, as the sound didn’t cease even for a second. It was puffy and also smelled of worn socks.

Carefully, Goten reached out for the thick fur. He laid his hand on the creature and the whirring sound intensified. This was the first time he had ever seen a creature like this. He wasn’t certain if animals were allowed on board, but maybe they were as this one was here. It also had a leather collar. Something hard and round touched Goten’s fingers and he pushed the fur aside to examine it. It read: _Mr. Elite_. Confused, Goten turned the metallic object around where he read: _Starcut_. So this was the property of _Starcut_.

Goten petted the animal for a few more minutes, then stood up. He was hungry. He took the return of his appetite as a good sign. The animal didn’t follow him and Goten left it where it was. Steeling himself for the inevitable, he made his way towards the kitchen. Men quieted when he passed them, but, as they didn’t make fun of him, Goten could tell the gunnery sergeant had kept his mouth closed. The third-class understood that his encounter with Reyn had done him a favor – instead of being hostile, now everyone seemed to be rather amused. He even received a few greetings. Goten felt malicious glee overtake him – if all it took was to bash Reyn’s face in, he could do that any time! Even a few more faces could be in order!

Dinner was still a few hours away, but Goten talked the cook into giving him leftovers. Since they technically belonged to Goten, as he had missed out on eating while staying in the medical room, the cook wasn’t stingy about it. After eating, Goten returned to his cabin. The musty smell slapped his face like a wet towel. Goten found an old T-shirt its previous owner had abandoned in the wardrobe, then set off on a quest for a bucket and cleaning liquid. After asking around and receiving curious looks, he finally obtained both from one of the maintenance technicians.

Goten thought of himself as a tidy person. He had also been the one to clean their room in the barracks. True, that had only happened once in a half-year, but still, he was a rare gem amongst Saiyans. One could trust him not to have half-eaten sandwiches, used condoms, and dirty underwear lying around (Goten wasn’t certain about used condoms – that might still come).

In two hours, Goten’s kingdom of about 15 square meters was sparkling: he had gathered the broken glass from the lamp that had exploded; he had thrown the bottles and the slice of dried pizza away and cleaned the wardrobe; he had wiped the desk/dinner table and the impassive terminal off; he sorted the magazines and cleaned the cupboard; he had also taken the plush penguin outside into the corridor and beaten the dust out of it; he had washed his old uniform and one of the sheet sets so that it would be dry tomorrow and he could change the bedding.

Content, the third-class cast his eyes over the dripping clothing on the rope he had stretched from one corner of the room to another. He had tied one end of the rope to the wires and cables above the door while the other was fastened to the wardrobe. There was hardly any place left to move around, but that was nothing in exchange for clean bedding and clothes.

Goten leaned against the door and patted his pockets absentmindedly. He stuck his hands into them and wiggled his fingers about. Frowning, he wiggled them about much more actively. Nothing. He turned his pockets inside out. Empty.

The fucking telephone number was gone.

Had he lost it? Had somebody taken it? The third-class tried to reconstruct the chain of events in his memory: the number had fluttered to the ground when he had changed uniforms, then he had picked it up and pocketed it into his new uniform. It was really gone. He needed to check the medical room and the toilets, just in case he had dropped it there. Goten’s gaze went out to the wet clothing on the rope. Well, if anyone found out who the number belonged to, he had enough rope to hang himself with. Or to hang someone else. Huffing loudly, he leaned his head back against the cool metal of the door.

He had known it was going to be a pain in the ass, the number. He should have torn it up and thrown it away at once. Why the hell had he kept it? He doubted he was going to meet the prince ever again. Well, maybe that was why he had kept it – as a memento of sorts.

The third-class nearly fell over when the door let out a soft ping behind him and slid open, taking away his support. Stupefied, he watched the same black animal waltz into his cabin. Why in the world had the door opened for it? The creature sniffed around, trotted forwards and backwards, then turned its backside to the wall and let out a few sprays of piss. Goten grabbed the first thing under his hand, which happened to be the penguin, and threw it at the animal. The creature screeched horribly and shot away from the wall. It took a few minutes for the third-class to chase it out of his cabin, then a few more to wipe the wall off. Yet, he could feel the “deodorant” lingering in the air. Damn animal.

It was dinner-time and Goten headed for the canteen. He had eaten two hours ago, but the cleaning had made him hungry again, not to mention he had been lying about without eating for the last three days.

Indeed, the crew’s interest in Goten had wound down with startling speed. The canteen hardly stirred when the third-class entered. Goten received his share from the cook and looked around for an empty seat. All six tables were bustling. Probably nearly everyone was present, because now he had to pick a place from six available seats. There was one free at the gunnery sergeant’s side, but, after having listened to Monteira’s one hour lecturing monologue just after waking up, Goten would rather go hungry than sit there. Another seat was opposite Reyn, but Goten would rather shoot himself. The third was next to the captain, but Goten couldn’t allow himself such liberty yet. There were two seats available on both the left and right side of the programmer, but the third-class treasured his family jewels too much to risk them. The last one seemed to be the most appropriate, even though Goten would have avoided it if he had been able to: it was next to Adriel, the navigator.

Adriel beamed at Goten as soon as he sat down at his right side. “So, I hear you have done some spring cleaning?”

Sighing inwardly, the third-class nodded. There wasn’t much space on the table either for arranging his plates, so he left his food on the tray. He glanced at the communications specialist opposite him. Sildara had nodded at Goten to acknowledge his presence, but otherwise paid him no attention. Somehow, these two were always together. _Well, duh_ , Goten thought, after remembering the doctor telling him that the two were lovers.

“So how is it going?”

“The gunnery sergeant chewed the hell out of me,” Goten muttered, not particularly eager to continue the conversation. The other three men sitting around the table were eating with a kind of noiselessness which told him that they were trying to catch every word. Goten looked at the small piece of meat on his fork. He had no idea what animal it had once been, but it smelled okay, so he pushed it past his lips.

“Monteira?” Adriel wondered. “Well, yeah. He tends to bitch and moan about our lack of discipline a lot.”

“Not that it helps,” Sildara said, with a snicker, from the opposite side of the table. He motioned with his head towards Adriel. “Especially in your case.”

With his spoon, Adriel scooped up some cabbage salad off his plate and shot it at Sildara. 

“Fucking idiot,” the communications specialist cursed, wiping the cabbage off his uniform.

“Careful, you moron,” the head engineer sitting at Sildara’s side warned, looking at himself to check if he had been splashed as well. “Where the fuck do you think you are? In a kindergarten?”

Adriel scowled at him.

“Listen,” Goten said after eating silently for a few minutes, “there was this black thing in the briefing room and it followed me to my cabin. What the heck is it?”

“Black thing? Must be Mister Elite,” Adriel said. 

Goten looked incredulous. “It’s his name? Why? And what is it?”

“A cat. It’s a cat,” the navigator explained. “A pet,” he said, when it didn’t seem that it was any clearer for the newbie. “He is just Monteira’s pet.”

Goten blinked. “The gunnery sergeant’s? Isn’t that against the rules?”

Sildara shrugged indifferently. “He found Mister Elite on Jomen colony, in the Terran Republic. He was starved and half-dead and somehow Monteira picked him up.”

“Just a whim, I suppose,” Adriel said.

“Unlike you, Monteira doesn’t do anything on a whim,” Sildara protested.

Adriel glared at him. “Will you freakin’ stop criticizing me?”

Now Goten knew what the doctor had been talking about. The communications specialist and the navigator were one of those couples who were constantly nagging at each other, but once you tried to get in between them, you could expect them to unanimously beat the crap out of you for so much as offering to buy the other a cup of tea.

The medic, who had been eating on Adriel’s left side, finished his dinner and stood up, Adriel shifting over to make Goten more room on the bench. Goten didn’t get to enjoy the additional space for long, though, as Reyn settled comfortably at his side.

“What’s up?” he asked, lowering his metallic mug of tea on the table. He smiled at Goten encouragingly. “How do you feel?”

Everyone at the table and the surrounding ones tensed. Not certain what to expect, the third-class inspected Reyn’s bruised nose with a certain amount of fondness. 

“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” he said. “How is your nose?”

Reyn didn’t even blink, but his smile widened up to his ears. “It’s getting better. Thank you for worrying.” He lifted his mug to slurp at the tea noisily, then lowered it back onto the table. “I was wondering here. Three days of sleep must have bored you out of your head. Why don’t we go to the training room for a friendly spar?”

Ah.

Goten groaned inwardly. He was aware how quiet it had become in the canteen. Reyn was probably a formidable opponent. The third-class hoped that he would manage to avoid fighting him. Gods only knew how the rest of the crew would take it after he broke Reyn’s nose again. Everyone might start ignoring or picking on him. Right now he could at least socialize with most of them.

Goten blinked when he saw everyone’s expectant gazes directed at him. Right, he hadn’t given his answer yet. “Sure,” he said. “When?”

ooOoOoOoo

A training room with adjustable gravity was a thing of luxury on any spaceship. However, it was necessary equipment if one didn’t want soldiers to be taken out with one punch. Space traveling during a mission or patrolling could last for months and there was hardly anything else to do on a ship. It was preferable for soldiers to spend at least a few hours a day in a training room in order to maintain their physical condition, instead of playing cards.

Goten took in the room. The walls were covered in ki-absorbing material. It seemed to be of better quality than that he was used to seeing on the base; protecting the walls of a spaceship was serious business. At first glance, the room seemed to be about a hundred square meters. It was pretty large for a spaceship of _Starcut’s_ size. 

“Lovely, isn’t it?” Jadenas asked.

Goten nodded. He didn’t tell his neighbor that he had already been shown around in the training room by the doctor. The flight officer had offered to take him to the room immediately after dinner, and Goten had decided to accept the offer just to strengthen the connection between them. He liked the pilot, and he seemed like a good companion to keep around. He was also the one to check on Goten when he hadn’t shown up for meals.

“You know, I don’t want to dampen your spirit,” the pilot said, “but Reyn will beat the crap out of you. There’s no one on this ship who can stand up to him.”

Goten was surprised. “He doesn’t look it,” he said, walking deeper into the training room towards the terminal.

“Yeah,” Jadenas agreed. “That’s a part of the problem. He looks like your average guy until you get into a fight with him.” He shook his head at what he read on Goten’s face. “Actually, he’s usually quite passive. However, something happened before we boarded and he took it out on you. He can be like that.”

“Like he broke up with his boyfriend, you mean?”

The flight officer shrugged. “Could be.” Goten guessed from his expression that Jadenas didn’t believe that Reyn had a boyfriend.

Interested, the third-class inspected the terminal. It was a small square screen with keys set into the wall. It was unlike what Goten was used to. Usually the control panel was outside the gravity room so as not to get damaged. This one had a see-through lid to protect it though.

“It’s not glass,” Jadenas explained, knocking on the thin lid with his knuckles. “This stuff is as tough as these walls.” He brushed over the wall with his palms. “Maybe even tougher.”

Goten followed his example and brushed with his fingers over the lid, then lifted it to touch the panel. It was locked and the request to unlock it floated out onto the small screen. The surface was cool and smooth. Goten looked at the screen again, then entered the usual combination which was used to lock and unlock electronic devices to prevent them from turning on or off from accidental touch.

“I didn’t train much in amplified gravity,” Goten confessed, the terminal beeping softly, granting the access. “A few times only.” The keys started to blink readily under Goten’s fingers and he moved aside to let Jadenas through; he didn’t trust himself not to mess something up.

“Want to try?”

The third-class’s face lit up like a thousand suns. “Sure!”

Jadenas laughed at his overflowing enthusiasm. “Here, you push this button to increase gravity, and then use this key,” he demonstrated, holding his finger above the button. “And the opposite one is for decreasing it,” he said pointing. “The red one is for an emergency – it shuts down the whole gravity room at once.”

“Oh, that’s pretty easy to use.”

The pilot nodded. He advised that, in case Goten felt that the gravity was too much or was increased too suddenly, he could easily solve the problem by powering up and putting on a ki-shield.

The flight officer pressed the “increase” button and the blinking numbers shot up on the screen. Making pauses, he tapped on the key a few times to gradually increase the gravity. Goten gasped, his eyes bulging out at the suddenly heightened weight of his body. It was pulling him down to the ground so much that he wondered if he would be able to make a step. While studying, he had tried a few gravity rooms, but this felt vastly different. 

The third-class watched the pilot lower the lid over the control panel. They moved into the middle of the room. Goten started doing warm up exercises, and Jadenas followed him.

“I’m not that good a fighter,” Jadenas admitted when they were standing in front of each other, ready to fight.

Goten had figured that much. However, if at first he had believed that he could easily overwhelm Jadenas, now he was much less certain about that; Jadenas was used to sparring in increased gravity and he could be much stronger and faster than Goten in conditions like these. In any case, Goten was very interested in trying out the gravity room.

Jadenas attacked first, the third-class blocking him. Goten’s arms felt leaden, and he grunted when the pilot’s fist connected with his left arm. He kicked out at the pilot’s chest, throwing him down. Clumsily, Jadenas tried to sweep Goten off his feet, but the third-class simply stepped away from him. Were this not a friendly spar, the Goten would have kicked the pilot down again while he was trying to get to his feet. 

The second-class’s foot lashed out. Goten blocked it and punched Jadenas so hard that he flew backwards. Only at the last moment, he managed to land in a half-crouch instead of dropping to the floor on his side. But Goten was already there, his boot whooshing through the air where the pilot’s head had been a millisecond ago. Jadenas shifted backwards, but Goten’s left knee got him in the shoulder while he was trying to stand up. He staggered back, but managed to block Goten’s backhand aimed at the side of his head. 

Goten lowered his hand and retreated a few steps, allowing Jadenas to stand up. The third-class felt much heavier and clumsier than usual, but it was obvious to him now that he still had a very big speed advantage over the flight officer. This time Goten attacked first, his fists quick and merciless. He didn’t aim for the pilot’s head, targeting his chest instead. Although the punches hardly moved the second-class from his spot on the floor, the force behind them made the pilot feel as if something had exploded inside him. While Jadenas stood gasping for air, Goten’s foot kicked out for his chin, throwing him back, then his other foot kicked at the pilot’s stomach while he was still in air, sending him bent over backwards and into the wall.

The flight officer hit the wall and dropped to all fours. He stayed down on the floor, coughing and trying to get his breathing back. He realized that if Goten had put as much power in his kicks as in his punches, his head would have been torn off his shoulders and his stomach ruined. Through the buzzing in his ears, he could hear the younger male approaching and shook his head.

“No more,” he gasped, putting out his right arm defensively, suddenly anxious that, affected by the fervor of the fight, Goten wouldn’t stop. “We are done.”

“Alright.”

Blinking the sweat out of his eyes, Jadenas looked up at Goten, who had already turned sideways and was going in the direction of the control panel to reduce the gravity. Jadenas lowered his arm; the youth wasn’t aggressive. Their fight was over, and Goten had no interest in him. The boy’s breathing was without any change – calm and even. Jadenas laughed at his unfounded fears. He choked and started coughing, rubbing at his chest. “You broke something in there,” he accused.

Confused by his laughter, Goten stopped and gave him a questioning look. He shook his head. “Nah. Should pass in a couple of minutes.”

“Lovely.”

ooOoOoOoo

“Sildara, come here for a moment.”

The communications specialist’s eyes left his screen and looked over at Adriel on the other side of the captain’s bridge. Currently, there were only three of them here: he, Adriel, and Rokunda. 

“What is it?” he asked.

“Just come here.”

Huffing, Sildara left his terminal and walked over to his lover. “Well?”

The navigator pointed at something on his monitor. “Look here.”

“What’s that?”

“Just read it!” the navigator snapped at him. “You can read, can’t you?”

The communications specialist took another look at Adriel’s screen. It was the new guy’s profile. The crew members could not and were not allowed to access personal information without the captain’s permission – it was a severe breach of protocol which could be punished even by demotion. “Listen, Adriel, this is pretty illegal,” Sildara warned.

“Shh, you idiot!” the navigator shushed him. “Yeah, I know. But someone sent it to me.”

“What do you mean ‘ _someone sent_ ’ it to y-?” Sildara fell silent, glancing over at the programmer, who was typing away on her terminal a few meters away from them. 

Adriel shook his head, indicating that he was mistaken. “No, not her.” He pointed his finger at his screen. “Look at this.”

The communications specialist looked at Goten’s photo on the screen. “So what?” he muttered, starting to read the profile. “I don’t get why you’re so excited about such a…” he trailed off, continuing to read silently. “Oh, shit,” he muttered, his eyes quickly swallowing the text in large chunks.

The navigator nodded. He pointed at a particular paragraph on the screen. “He had a gang! A gang, for fuck’s sake!”

“It was just a bunch of kids,” Sildara said, rolling his eyes. He stood up and returned to his terminal. “Besides, it was mostly only third-classes anyway.” He unfastened his chair and started dragging it over to Adriel’s terminal.

“Who went against second-classes and elites. Can you freakin’ imagine that? Why isn’t he locked up? And you just look at this,” the navigator said, after Sildara had sat down next to him. He opened Goten’s profile from Hataro Officer Training School.

“Oh, he got drunk in the kitchens, watched porn, and then got two years of kitchen duty.” Sildara started laughing. He clapped his lover on his shoulder. “That’s our type of guy!”

Adriel rolled his eyes. “Here, look here. He took part in the fight at Laundromats, also the brawl of massive proportions near the kitchens.”

“Damn, he was chosen to represent his School in friendly games with Longdam. That’s awesome!”

Annoyed by his lover’s fascination with the newbie, Adriel sighed. “Yes, he was the squad leader and they won. Fucking great. Here.” He pointed at a particular paragraph which enumerated the days Goten had spent in medical bay. “Look at his medical records. He spent so much time at med-bay that it’s scary!”

“He found the stolen guns, blew up in their training hall and…Oh man! Some chick said he was the father of her kid.”

“That was just slander,” Adriel pointed out.

“Yeah?”

“Yes, here.” Adriel’s finger hung in front of the screen. “See the report?”

“Aww… She lied. But goddamn!”

“Now read here.”

Sildara read silently, then looked at Adriel. “Hey, hey, is this for real?”

The navigator gave him a serious look. “He saved a Vegeta’s life. How is that for ‘real’? And did you see who all these reports were written by?”

“Are you serious?” Sildara muttered, scrolling over the reports anew. “Well, fuck me!”

“Yeah, His Highness Himself. He was the shaii at the school.”

Sildara and Adriel stared at each other for a few seconds, not certain what to make of this. Finally, Sildara shrugged. He looked back at the screen. “Okay, I bet a hundred credits that Reyn will mop the floor with his ass.”

“Funny you say that, because the one who sent the file to me said he put a thousand credits on Goten.”

Sildara’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. “Who the fuck sent you that letter?”

“There is no sender. Well, there is, but it’s my own email.”

“They hacked your email?”

“No, don’t think so. They probably just typed in my own address before sending. You can do that.”

“Really? I had no idea.”

Adriel rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I put fifty on Reyn as well. Goten made him seriously mad, he won’t hold back now.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten entered the training room and then took a step back in surprise. However, he had to move from the entrance to let the door close. Nearly all members of _Starcut_ were present. They were sitting on the floor or leaning against the walls, engaged in friendly chatter. The noise ceased, though, when they saw Goten come in. If they had been allowed to unscrew chairs from the floor, some of the crew members would have definitely brought them here to enjoy the show.

The third-class could even see both the captain and the backup captain amongst the gawkers. Clearly there were bets involved. He had spent enough time with Toharu and Kyon to know that. That knowledge, at least, made Goten less anxious, as he knew that there were bound to be those who had bet on him and who would be happy if he won; not everyone would turn against him.

After noticing Goten enter, Adriel walked over to him. “Quite a crowd, huh?”

Casting his eyes around the room one more time, the third-class nodded. “What are the odds?” he asked.

Adriel masked his surprise quickly. “Well, most of the crew went for Reyn. You’re my favorite, though, so I put my bets on you.”

Amused, Goten chuckled. “Liar.”

Adriel laughed out in unexpectedness. “Hey, what do you know? You aren’t as naïve as you appear to be.”

Goten winked at him. “Fifty credits on me winning this fight.”

“Sure,” Adriel agreed, grinning at him. “Do you have the cash?”

“Well, no, only my credit card. Is that a problem?”

Adriel gave him a scrutinizing look, then shrugged. “Usually it is, but never mind.”

Reyn entered the gravity room right on time. Just like Goten, he seemed to be taken aback by the number of spectators. He observed them, then, deciding to just ignore everyone, headed for the youngest crew member.

Goten, after having made the deal with Adriel, had sat down on the floor. Now he stood up and went to meet Reyn. The third-class finally had a good opportunity to take a more evaluating look at him. Reyn was of similar height as him, only a few centimeters taller. Undoubtedly, he was older than Goten as well. From the look of it, he could be from twenty-four to thirty, and the third-class's approximate guess was that he was twenty-five or twenty-six. He wore his hair short and his face wasn’t memorable at all: average facial features on an oval face. It was no wonder that Goten hadn’t been able to remember Reyn’s name previously.

“Will we up the gravity?” Goten asked when they approached each other.

“Are you used to fighting in increased gravity?” the second-class asked him, even though he believed he knew the answer already.

“Well, no.”

“Why did you bring it up in the first place, then?” Reyn said, rolling his eyes. He motioned at the third-class. “Need to warm up?”

Goten nodded. It appeared that, despite the fact that Reyn disliked him, he was a fair and straightforward guy. The third-class found this endearing. Reyn had moved away from him to do warm up exercises, and Goten watched him with interest. Unlike Jadenas, Reyn was good. The third-class could decipher that much from the way the flight officer moved – he was smooth and confident. There was much power behind those simple warm up moves. Goten wondered if he had been too full of himself to have bet on his own name. 

Indeed, he had been. And it didn’t even have anything to do with the fact that Goten really believed that he would win. He simply shouldn’t have done it. He didn’t need to prove anything to anyone, and he shouldn’t be fighting the strongest guy in the crew – he didn’t need to draw so much attention towards himself.

Cursing softly under his breath, the third-class got down to his own warm up. He felt as if he had set his foot into a carefully arranged trap. Of his own volition, at that.

TBC


	30. Part 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: **_Starcut’s crew members_** :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist - (Mandro)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist - (Hazel)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 30

Reyn had finished his warm-up and was waiting for Goten now. The second-class could feel his anticipation mounting. It was not only the need to teach the insolent newbie a lesson; having watched the youth moving about smoothly, he was also looking forward to a decent fight. It had been a long time since he’d had a worthy opponent. But he was probably expecting too much.

The audience was chattering softly, commenting, gauging their chances. Reyn was certain that he was going to be reprimanded. The captain had come and didn’t forbid the spar, but that was as far as it went; he was going to have his ass for this. He was in for latrine duty for the rest of the patrol. On the other hand, that would at least give him something to occupy himself with instead of mooching about.

Goten finally finished his warm-up exercises and moved in closer. “How about I give up?” the youth offered heartily, wearing an innocent face.

The unexpectedness of the comment made Reyn laugh out loud; something had made the youngster change his mind. Reyn drew a circle with his hand around the room, indicating the spectators. “I think it’s a bit too late now.”

“A draw, then?”

Goten was becoming irritating, and Reyn ignored him. Something was telling him that the newbie wasn’t afraid of the fight, instead he was more worried about getting into trouble. But even if Goten’s words were serious, they had a particular tinge of amusement to them. The youth found the situation…stupid? Silly? Well, certainly it was stupid, but wasn’t Goten to blame for that? He had just lightly teased the newbie bastard – there had been no need to break his nose over a trifle like that.

Goten was still uncertain about the whole thing when the second-class attacked him. He blocked Reyn’s punch, shoved the guy away and kicked him in the stomach. Gasping, the flight officer skidded backwards, but caught his balance quickly and rushed at the third-class again. He and Goten collided in a blur of fists and hands, punching out and blocking.

The third-class was surprised, and he could see that Reyn was no less surprised than him. Reyn was an exceptionally good fighter. However, that wasn’t what surprised Goten – it was, instead, the extraordinary speed and strength behind the punches. It was also clear that the second-class was only testing him, measuring his abilities and strength. Goten decided to up the fight a notch.

The third-class tried to elbow Reyn in the face, but the second-class blocked the strike with his palm. Goten twisted around, his left arm about to backhand the flight officer, and was blocked again. The next time, Reyn simply moved away from him, letting the third-class’s fist lightly graze his side. Goten gasped as the flight officer’s elbow caught him in the chest. He hunched over and the next thing he knew was Reyn’s knee smashing into his face, swinging him backwards. Then the flight officer’s leg fully extended, his foot catching Goten’s chin, adding even more force to his already transpiring flight.

Goten dropped to the floor on his back, let himself be carried by the momentum, planted his palms by his head and shifted all of his weight to them. He shot back to his feet, punching out blindly, instinctively knowing that Reyn would be somewhere there. The flight officer tried to avoid the fist to his stomach, but it was too late. Then Goten planted his left palm on the floor and his right foot kicked out with all the might he could muster. The second-class whooshed across the hall, but instead of hitting the wall behind him, he turned in the air and landed on it with his feet. He jumped off the wall and dropped gracefully in front of Goten.

After upping the fight a notch, the third-class was and wasn’t surprised by the fact that Reyn could easily follow him. He had expected that, but it was still astonishing. It made Goten remember the spars he’d had with Toharu and the prince. Reyn was physically stronger and faster than the prince or Toharu had been. It wasn’t unexpected that he was better than Toharu, as, even if Toharu had been of mixed blood, Reyn was about ten years older. However, his being stronger and faster than the prince, an elite from the most powerful bloodline, was inconceivable. 

The flight officer was undoubtedly physically stronger than Goten as well. However, something in Reyn’s fighting style reminded Goten of a plain classroom. It was nearly pure art: polished and solid, consistent, aristocratic even. Reyn was beautiful to watch. Goten, though, was never consistent in his fighting style. He had been toughened and hardened in infinite fights with elites and second-classes and could resolve to modifying his fighting style depending on whom he was facing. He didn’t avoid using tricks either; anything was fair as long as it helped to keep his teeth and bones intact.

Goten jumped, rolling over in the air to deliver a flying kick at the second-class’s face. Reyn blocked it with his arms and kicked out, but Goten dodged easily. The third-class fist dashed for Reyn’s head, but was caught in the second-class’s palm. Reyn grabbed it firmly and twisted Goten’s arm, intending to either dislocate his shoulder or force him to his knees. The third-class, however, turned together with his arm, fell to the ground and his foot shot straight into Reyn’s stomach. The kick was pure force, hardly moving the second-class from his place, Goten careful not to sprain his captive fist. The flight officer cried out, but didn’t even have the time to release Goten’s arm as the third-class whirled around, his other foot catching Reyn on his side, throwing him sideways.

The second-class rolled over the ground and out of Goten’s way and the third-class landed on the floor instead. It was possible that there was a dent now under his right heel. Reyn was on all fours and his leg caught Goten in the side, making him stumble and lose his balance. Supporting himself with his hands, Reyn delivered another kick to his shoulder. The second-class got to his feet and straightened, but the increased distance between them gave Goten enough time to recover and defend himself from the next attack. 

Goten performed a side kick, which Reyn diverted with his arm. The flight officer kicked at the back of Goten’s left leg, sweeping the third-class off the floor. Goten, however, arched his back and caught himself on his left hand, his feet whirling around, one hitting Reyn’s chest, then his other leg going for the second-class’s footing. The flight officer slid to the ground, and Goten was already airborne, landing nearly on top of him. Reyn twisted aside, and this was where he made a mistake. The third-class allowed him to do that, then fell on his back like a ton of bricks, catching his wrists and trussing his arms up.

Panting, Goten struggled to keep his hold on the second-class. Sweat was pouring off his face and dripping down on Reyn’s back. It was stinging his eyes. Blinking, Goten lowered his head to wipe his face on the flight officer’s uniform. The fight had only taken a few minutes, but even the spar with the prince hadn’t left him so exhausted. He could hear Reyn’s harsh breathing as well. Overtaken by a sudden feeling, the third-class leaned to his ear.

He rasped out softly, “Have you seen the edge of the world?” 

“The fucking what?” Reyn panted out.

It seemed that he was mistaken, but Goten wasn’t so quick to discard his suspicions – he remembered his and his father’s conversation about the old man. He had pretended not to know anything as well. Of course, most of it had been due to the shock, but still…

Reyn had stopped struggling, but Goten wasn’t certain about letting him go; he hadn’t felt anything from the older male which would indicate that he had given up. Gradually, he was becoming aware of the other crew members. It was absolutely silent in the training room. He could only hear himself and Reyn wheezing for breath.

“Shall we stop for today?” Goten asked tentatively.

Reyn sighed and lowered his head to cool his forehead on the floor. “Yeah. You’re freakin’ exhausting.”

Goten rolled off him and stayed lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He wasn’t feeling that well. Reyn pushed himself off the ground and, for a moment, the third-class thought that he would conk him. Reyn didn’t, though. He just flopped on his backside and exhaled loudly. The sound, though, was lost in the sudden clamor that started among the rest of the crew members. Banknotes started trading hands.

“Can we do this again?” Reyn asked, raising his voice to be heard above the noise.

Goten laughed softly. “Yeah. But not too soon.” He looked at himself, then the second-class. Both of them had somehow managed to avoid serious injuries, which was rather unusual for a fight of such scale. Yet the adrenaline was wearing off and his body was starting to ache in various places. He got up slowly; it was about time to hit the showers.

Silently, Reyn followed him. Passing the noisy crowd, they stepped out into the corridor. They reached Goten’s cabin without saying anything. The third-class brushed over the lock with his card, then grabbed Reyn, who was about to go past the door, and pulled him inside his cabin.

“Hey, what…?!” Reyn struggled, protesting.

“What the hell are you?” Goten demanded, letting go of him.

“I wanted to ask you exactly the same question,” Reyn drawled, looking around. He seemed to be amazed by the hanging covers all around. He reached out to touch a damp pillowcase. “What the hell did you do to the cabin?” 

Goten nearly growled at him in frustration. The second-class – or what appeared to be one – continued to inspect his surroundings while smoothing his uniform absentmindedly where Goten had grabbed him.

“I cleaned it,” Goten snapped, his annoyed voice finally forcing the other male to look at him.

“Can you do mine as well?” Reyn asked, and wondered why he had asked that. He wasn’t the playful sort, actually the opposite. Neither did he usually try to annoy the hell out of people, but there was something about Goten which made him want to tease the guy. Just like he did in the canteen and was doing now. Must be something disagreeable in his pheromones.

Goten glared, and Reyn gave him an apologetic smile. “You somehow make me want to tease the hell out of you,” he admitted.

“I suppose beating the shit out of me is also included,” Goten offered sarcastically.

Reyn rolled his eyes and brushed the covers aside to make himself a way to the chair at the malfunctioning terminal. He dropped into it ungracefully. “Well, you did break my nose. For no apparent reason.” He tried to turn the old terminal on without any luck. “What’s wrong with it?” he asked, pressing on the button again.

The third-class’s eyebrows twitched angrily and he whacked at the cover behind which Reyn had disappeared. “For no apparent reason? You make me want to break it again.”

“Won’t be that easy this time,” the second-class said, trying to make the terminal work. He thumped on it with his fist a few times – it was strange that it didn’t function. The cabin used to be inhabited by a programmer, Cid Alright. It had been, of course, his nickname. Reyn couldn’t even remember what his real name was. The man had been very meticulous concerning computers – he could fix any. 

“What is your power level?” Goten asked.

The computer wasn’t being cooperative and Reyn decided to leave it alone. He turned to face the third-class. “It’s just above average.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “Oh, please… Be a bit more convincing. You aren’t a second-class.”

“Well, neither are you.”

Reyn was grinning at him, and Goten felt the urge to bash his face in. The older male just kept looking at him with a wide, amused grin on his face. If he was waiting for Goten to admit that he was of mixed blood, he could wait forever. However, there was a possibility that Reyn, just like him, was a third-class and suspected Goten of the same, but didn’t want to admit it first for safety reasons. 

With an annoyed grunt, Goten went to his wardrobe and fished out a towel with a spare uniform to change into. He was so overwhelmed by the possibility of Reyn being just like him that he didn’t even know what to think. He felt impatient and irritated that he couldn’t just ask the older male directly. Frustration wasn’t even the word for it.

Reyn watched the third-class’s back disappear behind the washed covers, and, true enough, soon he heard the ping of the opening door. The newbie idiot had just left him alone in his room. He held no interest in Goten’s belongings at all though, and after relaxing in the chair for a few more minutes, he followed the younger male outside.

While Reyn went to his cabin to take his sponge, a towel, and the change of clothes, Goten had finished his shower. He was already toweling himself off when the older male entered. Red blotches from the spar were covering Goten’s skin, some of them already bluish. The third-class passed Reyn coldly and went to the door. He’d probably intended to dress in the spare uniform he had in his hand. Instead, he approached the door and leaned against it. 

“Hey, are you alright?”

What at first Reyn thought was demonstrative disregard directed at him appeared to be something else. The newbie was hardly standing, putting most of his weight on the door. The clothes he had been holding previously were scattered around him. He clearly wasn’t alright – he needn’t have asked. Briskly, the flight officer walked over to Goten to prevent him from slumping onto the wet floor.

“Hey.”

“D-don’t touch m-me.”

Reyn thought about letting him flop onto the soaking floor. Just to teach a lesson. Goten, though, didn’t seem to be a good student. Nothing had come out of his attempts to teach him.

“Stop fussing, you idiot. If I let go, you will whack your head against the ground.” The newbie tried to push him away, but his attempts were so meek that Reyn could hardly feel them. “Struggle some more and your towel will fall off,” he warned, half-serious, half-amused. It didn’t seem that the newbie registered the warning at first. Then he stilled. Reyn pulled the younger man off the cold steel door and accepted most of his weight, Goten’s head lolling forwards, his chin thumping against the flight officer’s shoulder. 

“Is this some kind of seizure?” Reyn wondered aloud. “Do you have medicine for that?” Goten’s unfocused gaze was drifting over his shoulder and flitting all over the opposite wall. “Calm down,” he said when he noticed how anxious the younger male was and how hard he was trying to concentrate, his breathing now coming in quick short spasms. “I’m not the least bit interested in you. Not in that way, anyway. Just calm down, okay?”

Goten hummed out what seemed was a positive answer about five seconds later, which gave Reyn the insight into how slow his responses were. The flight officer wondered if he should wait for the attack to pass by itself or it was better get Goten to Tamahi at once. It seemed, however, that the doctor was at a loss as to what was wrong with the newbie as well.

“Hey, Goten?” Incredulous, Reyn realized that the younger male had fallen asleep. He slapped Goten’s face lightly. “C’mon, I’m not going to carry you to your cabin. Wake up, dammit!”

Goten’s eyes blinked open. “Mmm?” he hummed, absolutely disoriented. His eyes skidded across the shower stalls absently, then Reyn felt Goten’s head come back to rest on his shoulder. He freed his hand and took hold of the third-class’s head. Sleepily, Goten blinked at him. It was useless.

“Can you walk?”

Goten smiled at him stupidly. Reyn sighed and, using his acrobatic skills to keep the younger male upright, bent down to gather his wet clothes off the floor.

ooOoOoOoo

Jadenas froze at the sight of the other flight officer and Goten appearing in the corridor. Goten’s towel hardly covered his hips and he was plastered to Reyn.

“Close your mouth and help me get him to his cabin.”

“Uh. Sure.” Only now he became aware at how limp the youngster appeared. “What happened?” he asked, rushing to Goten’s other side to help Reyn support him. 

“He fainted in the showers.”

“A concussion?”

Reyn shook his head. “No. I never hit his head so hard to give him a concussion. It’s probably similar to what happened that time he slept for three days straight.”

“A genetic defect?”

“Most likely.”

They approached the door to Goten’s cabin and Reyn wondered if the newbie had already programmed it to open only for him. The keycard was probably somewhere amongst the clothes he had picked up.

“He hasn’t changed the code yet,” Jadenas said, seeing how Reyn was trying to shake the card out of the clothes he had in his fist.

“Why?”

“I don’t think he knows he can. Shall I go and fetch Tamahi to take a look at him?”

“Sure. But help me get him into the bed first. There are clothes hanging all over his room.”

Jadenas fished his card out of his pocket and drew it over the slot in the lock. The door slid open. They maneuvered Goten inside and through the maze of hanging covers until they reached his bed.

“He doesn’t react to anything,” Jadenas wondered, pulling the covers off the bed. He watched the other flight officer seating the youngster onto the bed. Reyn let go of Goten in order to take his boots off and barely had time to grab his shoulders again to prevent him from falling backwards and whacking the back of his head against the wall.

“Can you take his boots off?”

“Sure,” Jadenas said, squatting down at Goten’s feet. He started pulling at the shoelaces, then grabbed the boot firmly and tugged. The kid’s toenails were in need of trimming. Curious, Jadenas lifted his head a fraction.

“Stop peeking.”

Blushing, Jadenas lowered his eyes away from the towel. He cleared his throat. “Just a habit. He’s quite attractive, isn’t he?”

“Is he?”

Jadenas stole a look at Reyn. The other flight officer had never shown much interest in men, or sex in general. The common opinion on board was that Reyn went only for females. However, Jadenas suspected that, due some kind of hormonal unbalance or mental trauma, Reyn was simply frigid. Practically asexual.

“Done,” Jadenas said, arranging the boots next to the bed.

“Thanks. Can you get Tamahi in here?”

Jadenas nodded. He watched Reyn pulling the damp towel off the younger male’s hips and thought that, if this were any other man, he’d have serious doubts about leaving Goten in his care.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten woke up to the voices inside his cabin. Yawning, he rubbed at his eyes and turned to his side. Something touched his forehead, but whoever was standing next to him didn’t exude any pheromones indicating aggression. Actually, the opposite. His instincts told him that he could trust him, and Goten didn’t react to the touch. He hummed out something incomprehensible and opened his eyes. Reyn moved his hand off Goten’s forehead.

“Well, you aren’t feverish,” he informed the third-class.

Frowning, Goten stared at him, not certain why the flight officer was in his cabin and wondered why he hadn’t reacted to him at all.

“What’s going on?”

Jadenas saw the youngster’s confusion increase when he realized that, under the covers, he was naked.

“You fainted in the showers,” Reyn explained. “Tamahi asked us to check on you. Don’t you remember?”

Something hazy and damp floated out of the third-class’s memory. Now it had become clear to him why he hadn’t reacted to Reyn – the man had helped him out back then, and he trusted him on a subconscious level. It wasn’t wise, of course.

“Oh.” Goten ruffled through his hair. He felt fine now, rested and refreshed. He looked at the two flight officers in front of his bed. “How long have I been out?”

“You slept through the night. It’s eleven o’clock.”

“Does this happen to you a lot?” Jadenas asked.

“More often than I would like.”

“You should go and eat something,” Reyn said. “You look pale.”

The third-class nodded. “Thanks. Really. For taking care of me.”

Reyn shrugged. “There isn’t anything much to do here anyway.”

Once Reyn and Jadenas left, Goten took his clothes off the line and started dressing. Just to be certain, he thoroughly searched both his new uniforms one more time. Nope, the prince’s phone number didn’t magically appear.

“Ah, fuck it, fuck it, and fuck it one more time!” Goten chanted, summing up all the recent events. He stuffed the dirty uniform into a garbage bag with the intention to wash it later. He threw the bag into a corner and left his cabin again.

His search in the medical room gave no results: there was nothing on the floor, and the doctor said that he had never seen any paper slips lying around. The third-class walked forwards and backwards to check all the corridors and places he had been, but his search appeared to be fruitless. Somebody had taken it. 

Finally, Goten gave up and went to have lunch. After that, he returned and flopped back onto his bed. He thought about reading one of the magazines he had found in the large cupboard, but his inability to concentrate at the moment would probably result in him getting even more frustrated and then throwing them all around the cabin.

A knock at the door echoed throughout the room and Goten was instantly grateful for the distraction. He shouted for the person to come in, and a soft ping indicated that the door opened. 

“I heard you’re… Damn. And you were pretty serious about spring cleaning…” In a few moments, Adriel’s head appeared from behind the curtain of covers. “Can you do mine?”

Not moving, Goten rolled his eyes at the ceiling. His cleaning service would definitely be popular. “Sure. Thirty credits.”

“No, thanks.”

Maybe not.

“Here are your winnings,” the navigator said, holding out a few banknotes above Goten’s bed for him to see. “Most of us put our bets on Reyn, so you have doubled your sum. A hundred and two credits.” Goten reached out for the money, but Adriel moved his hand away. “Can you actually explain what that was in the training room, though?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t bullshit me, Goten. We have known that Reyn is not your average second-class for quite some time now. But what’s the deal with you?”

_Here it goes again_ , Goten thought. “Mmm… I eat a lot of brussels sprouts?” he offered. 

“What’s that?”

“A vegetable,” Goten explained, realizing that staying in the kitchens with Kyon had rubbed off on him much more than he would have ever believed. By Saiyan standards, he was practically an expert in cooking now. The third-class suddenly felt a bout of nostalgia and with that came the urge to go and ransack his suitcase for the cookbook and read those lines Kyon had left for him.

Adriel seemed to finally understand the intent for a lame joke, and waved the money in the air. “You’re not getting this until I know what the hell is going on.”

“You know,” Goten said, “I can just easily beat it out of you.” He didn’t look all that intimidating while lying lazily in his bed, but the navigator was giving him a rather concerned look. 

“Yeah, you could,” he agreed. “But you won’t do that,” he said with much more certainty than he felt.

“Nah, I won’t. I don’t particularly like violence.”

“You could’ve fooled me.”

Goten knew that he was treating Adriel in absolutely the same way Reyn had treated him. Both of them were protecting themselves. It was not that his awareness of that made it any better, though. 

“I suppose I am not your average second-class either,” Goten muttered. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. The thing was, he didn’t know the truth himself. Maybe Reyn did. 

“Tell you what,” the third-class said suddenly, “give me the money and I will treat you to a drink.”

“It’s dry law on board,” Adriel said. “We’re working full time here; it wouldn’t do for the enemy to catch us drunk off our asses.”

Goten thought back to his first day on board when he found empty beer bottles in his cupboard. He chuckled. “Don’t bullshit me. There’s always a way.”

The navigator’s sly grin would have put the Cheshire cat to shame.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten’s eyelids fluttered open. He lifted his head and wiped at the drool on his right cheek. He swallowed; the taste in his mouth was that of rotten fish. Groaning softly at the hammering in his head, Goten cast his hazy eyes around. He was lying on his stomach on his bunk in his cabin. The floor was littered with crumbs, cards, magazines, covers, a body, and hell knew what else. There were also a few empty bottles of something which Sildara had called Antimatter.

So much for his cleaning.

The third-class only vaguely remembered what happened yesterday. It all started with Adriel bringing a bottle of _Antimatter_. It seemed only fair when Sildara joined them a few minutes later. The news went around and, in about ten minutes, Jadenas and two arms specialists (the twins) appeared with another bottle of _Antimatter_. The doctor was the last to join the company, and they locked the door.

After that, Goten’s memory turned even hazier. He had probably drunk no more than two or three shots of Antimatter, but the effect had been outstanding – nothing mattered after that. He remembered the twins dancing a striptease while he, Tamahi, and Sildara were singing and clapping their hands to show their appreciation of the show. Adriel had taken the sheet off the line and had been walking around wrapped in it, flapping around like a bird in a disoriented fit. Jadenas had been chasing after him, imagining that he was some kind of a hungry predator. Later, Jadenas threw up into the cleaning bucket, which Goten hadn’t had enough time to return, and passed out.

Stunned, Goten stared at the sleeping Jadenas, who had curled up in the corner next to the terminal. He had wrapped himself into the sheet Adriel had used as wings. He was snoring loudly. Both twins were lying on another unmade bed, hugging each other. They were completely naked. Sildara, the doctor, and Adriel were missing. They probably had work to do.

With a loud curse, Goten’s eyes shot to the clock above the door. It was past eleven. Everyone was at their posts already. 

Right. He didn’t have a post to go to. He wasn’t at the officer training school anymore.

The realization was both relieving and disappointing: he didn’t need to hurry anywhere, but he had no place where he was needed either. Goten’s head flopped back onto the pillow and he winced at the pain which bore through his head. Goten couldn’t remember ever being _that_ drunk – the stuff was unbelievable.

Breakfast was over long ago. Goten wiped at his damp face with the back of his hand and rolled out of the bed. His hand thumped against something. He turned to see Kyon’s cookbook next to his pillow. Had he been hugging it before falling asleep or something? Embarrassed, he patted the thick cover. He felt sticky with sweat and his uniform was clinging to his skin. He pushed the recipe book deeper under the pillow and left the room for the toilet.

When Goten returned, he found Mr. Elite inside his room, snoozing on his still warm bed. In order to check his presumption, Goten caught the cat and, with Mr. Elite sitting in his arms peevishly, went back into the corridor. His theory proved to be right – as soon as he and the cat approached any door, it opened. The third-class inspected the cat’s collar. Obviously, it had a microchip installed which allowed him to wander through the spaceship freely. The only places he couldn’t enter were the captain’s bridge, the captain's cabin, and the training room.  
Thinking that the spaceship’s security had been entrusted to a bunch of idiots, the third-class left the cat in the corridor and returned to his room. Jadenas was already up. He was sitting on the floor, still wrapped in the sheet. He blinked blearily at Goten, then stood up slowly.

“Uh,” he stuttered awkwardly after catching sight of the naked twins on the bare bed. He stared. “Do you have a camera?” he asked finally.

Goten chuckled softly and shook his head. “No. But you can lend them the cover,” he said, pointing at the sheet the flight officer was still wrapped in. “It’s not very warm in here.”

Jadenas took in the sheet, clearly wondering where he had gotten it from. He walked over to the bed and tossed it over the arms specialists.

“Those two are a bit weird, aren’t they?” Goten asked, watching how the cover settled and billowed over the two still forms.

Jadenas shrugged. “Most twins are.”

“Well, yeah,” Goten agreed. The birth of Saiyan twins was a very uncommon occurrence. They usually had an exceptionally deep connection and most of them spent their entire lives together. The third-class wasn’t certain, but the widespread judgment was that twins shouldn’t be separated as it made them suffer and sometimes even caused mental damage. They were mostly viewed as one entity.

“Let’s go to the canteen,” Jadenas suggested. “Maybe we’ll manage to beg out some leftovers, and then I will help you to clean up again.”

“Aww… How sweet of you.” Goten grinned. “I knew you were a softie.”

Jadenas rolled his eyes. “Well, sorry, but this is how I am.”

“Don’t worry,” Goten whispered, approaching him. He winked. “Softies are my favorite.”

“Oh, gods,” Jadenas gagged to show his disgust. “It’s hardly morning and you’re already flirting shamelessly.”

Goten pointed at the clock above the door. “It’s already past eleven. I am allowed to flirt, aren’t I?” He laughed at how fast the flight officer’s eyes shot to the clock.

“Oh, fuck,” Jadenas cursed. “Those bastards left me sleeping on purpose! I’m gonna rip Adriel’s throat out!”

“Are you supposed to be somewhere?” Goten wondered with a little worry evident in his voice.

“At Reyn’s. We were supposed to discuss…”

A soft ping echoed, cutting him off, and the second flight officer entered Goten’s lair. Speak of the devil.

The messy cabin rendered Reyn speechless for a few seconds, then he took in the people in the room. “That was some party…” he muttered. “Hello, Goten.” Then his index finger pointed at Jadenas. “You forgot our appointment.”

“Yeah. Sorry about that. I overslept,” Jadenas said sheepishly.

Lowering his hand, Reyn sighed, “Yeah, I can see that. Let’s postpone it for the evening. And wake Hazel and Mandro up – Monteira has been looking for them all over the place; there is something he wants to ask them about the new RNM 281 in storage.”

“Crap.”

Goten watched Jadenas waking the twins. Mandro and Hazel rolled out of the bed and started stumbling around the cabin, gathering their clothes. Mandro and Hazel were at least ten or more years older than Goten and, even if they didn’t act their age, Goten somehow felt the age barrier. There had always been something which made him reluctant concerning elder males. 

The third-class could feel Reyn’s gaze on his back. The flight officer stood at the door without moving. 

“Why don’t we go to the canteen?”

Goten enjoyed the sight of the two naked twins for a few more seconds, then turned around to see Reyn’s back disappear behind the door. Without saying anything, the third-class followed. The two of them had many things to discuss, providing Reyn consented to talking. 

The canteen was empty, if one didn’t count the sleepy cook staring forlornly at a bowl of cereal. They sat down in the corner in the farthest end of the canteen. Goten didn’t feel like eating, thus he took two teas. He set one in front of Reyn and took a place opposite him.

“Thanks,” the flight officer said, his fingers wrapping around the mug. He preferred coffee, but he wasn’t about to complain. “Not hungry?”

“No, not yet,” Goten said, sipping his tea. “My head’s killing me.”

They sat silently, Goten drinking, Reyn watching the leaves swimming in his tea.

“Well…” the third-class said, breaking the silence. “Where are you from?”

The flight officer lifted his mug to his lips to hide his smile. Goten was an amusing guy. “Toska, south of Velora.”

Goten nodded. “Why did you pick on me?”

Maybe he wasn’t all that amusing after all. 

Reyn suddenly felt tired. For some reason Goten had managed to bring out all of what was worst in him. “Sorry about that. I really am. I simply had a spat with my father just before the flight. Then you, an easy target – a usual newbie idiot – appeared, and I took it out on you.”

Goten wondered if Reyn would answer if he asked what he and his father had argued about. Probably not. Everyone’s family business was only their business and interference was unwelcome. 

The third-class sighed. “Yeah, newbies always have it tough, don’t they?”

“Yeah, but I haven’t seen anyone faint as much as you,” Reyn bit his tongue and immediately raised his hands. “Sorry, that was uncalled for.”

“Your apologies piss me off even more than your insults,” Goten informed him, sipping his tea. That was a lie as, in fact, he didn’t care what Reyn thought of him at all. He simply couldn’t be bothered. The only things he wanted from Reyn were to know what he was and whether he needed to get worked up over the fact that Reyn’s abilities were so similar to his own. Only that.

Reyn gave him a scrutinizing look. He wasn’t good at judging people, but even he could tell that the youngster in front of him was too undisturbed to be insulted. He watched Goten pick a leaf off his tongue and look at it absently.

“What?” Goten asked when he had flicked the leaf onto the floor and noticed that the older man was grinning at him.

“Nothing. I just remembered the showers.”

“What about them?”

“No, nothing. Never mind.”

Goten shrugged. He scratched the back of his head. The cook had finished eating his cereal and put his aluminum bowl into the sink with a clang. With a long, bored sigh, he started washing it.

“You give quite a wrong first impression, you know,” the flight officer said.

Goten’s eyes left the cascading water to concentrate on Reyn’s face. “So do you.”

“Yeah. I’m glad we didn’t kill each other.”

“Would have been such a waste.”

Reyn chuckled at the way the words were dripping with sarcasm. He realized he liked the youth’s unyielding personality. “How old are you?”

“Just turned eighteen.”

The flight officer shook his head in amazement. “Ten years younger than me.”

“Huh. I thought you were a bit younger.”

Reyn shrugged. His eyes suddenly turned serious. “Why are you here, Goten? Why aren’t you fighting in the front lines? It’s an absurd waste keeping you on this god-forgotten ship. Your power level must be at least over a hundred thousand, right?”

Goten’s eyebrows rose. “Right back at you.”

Reyn’s lips pressed into a thin dash. “I prefer keeping my life uncomplicated.”

“So do I.” Goten watched Reyn’s untouched glass of now-lukewarm tea. It hadn’t been his choice, though, Starcut. Somebody else had chosen for him. And he had no idea why. Just like Reyn said, there would have been much more sense in keeping him in the front lines.

“Are you hiding yourself?” Goten wondered.

Reyn chuckled. “Hmm… I wouldn’t call it ‘ _hiding_ ’. I just keep a low profile.”

“Everybody on the ship knows you’re not an ordinary second-class.”

“So what? They don’t tattle.”

Goten had to agree with that. Since his very first moments on the ship, he had felt that there was a very strong sense of camaraderie among the crew. It was a well-working team. This was one of the reasons he had been received so coldly. They were comfortable with each other and didn’t know what to expect from their new member.

“Have you met any more guys like us? This was first time for me.”

Reyn gave Goten a strange look. “Like us…” he drawled. “I’m not certain what you mean. I suppose, yes, there is one.”

“Who?”

Reyn shrugged.

Goten understood suddenly. He laughed softly. “It’s your father, isn’t it?”

The flight officer looked at him suspiciously, then laughed as well. “I suppose yours is the same, isn’t he?”

“I don’t really know,” Goten said. “My brother was the same. I, somehow…I don’t really know about my father.”

“I see.”

Goten returned to his cabin with more questions than answers. Reyn either didn’t know what was going on either, or he was very good at pretending.

His room was empty, though the mess was still present. With a longwinded sigh, Goten cast his eyes around his dirty kingdom. He flopped onto the bed. Something was hard under the pillow. His hand reached under the pillow and pulled out Kyon’s cookbook. He smiled unconsciously when a wave of warmth spread through his body; the book flooded him with fond memories.

Savoring the moment, Goten opened the cover. He frowned in confusion: under Kyon’s message there was a second one. Goten’s eyes skipped over Kyon’s words where he promised to have Goten’s ass if he damaged the book, and set on the new paragraph in a different handwriting. Goten read it slowly:

_Dear Kyon,_

_If you so much as touch Goten’s ass, I will fucking kill you._

_Best wishes,  
Trunks_

Taken aback, Goten stared at the prince’s distinctive handwriting. When did the bastard… Must have been when the prince entered his room and he was still in the bathroom, taking a shower. Or maybe when he returned there to dress. Either way, the claim was painfully clear. Goten’s face flushed red. The screaming possessiveness in the letter made his heart beat faster. A wave of heat surged through his body. He groaned softly in embarrassment and hid his face in his hands. He could nearly feel the prince’s lips on his own again, his hands roaming over his body. He shivered, remembering the demanding tongue in his mouth.

Grunting, Goten turned to his side to face the wall and started fumbling with his belt. Already, while unzipping his trousers, he knew he was making a mistake, but the realization was fleeting. The wave of lust that came crashing down on him made him forget all caution. Seizing himself in his palm, he stroked slowly. His eyes fluttered shut. He was already hard as a rock, even before he had touched himself. 

A soft moan escaped the third-class’s lips. Wiggling, he pushed his trousers further down his hips to give himself better access. He teased himself with languid strokes, his left hand rolling and squeezing his testicles lightly. He bit his lower lip to keep another groan inside. His body felt tight like a string. Damn. He should have let himself be fucked in that room at the National Air Force headquarters. He knew the prince had wanted to do him.

“Ah… Mmm… Gmm…”

Goten’s right hand moved up and down faster and faster, his thumb flicking over the head of his cock, then boring into the slit. His breathing was becoming quicker. He could feel warmth spreading from his cock and fist, the heat starting to coil in his lower belly. He could feel his chest and face flushing in arousal. His tail had unwound from his waist and was writhing on the sheets behind him in wanton abandon.

“Mm… Fuck…”

He was almost there.

Goten screamed when the bed dipped and something suddenly grabbed his tail painfully. Still screaming, he rolled out of the bed, tried to run, but his feet got entangled in his trousers, and he went down to the floor with a deafening crash. He pushed himself up with his palms, and his head shot up, his wide eyes flickering all over the cabin. His heart was hammering in his chest madly, and it was not because he had just been about to orgasm.

“Wh- Who’s here?!” he gasped out.

He couldn’t see anyone in the room. His head whipped to look back at the bed. Two yellow, surprised eyes stared back at him from the black muzzle for a few moments. Panting, with his trousers still down, Goten leaned his side against the bed. He closed his eyes in relief and concentrated on just trying to get his breath back.

If it had been the enemy, he would be dead already. He would be lying dead in his bed with his underwear down his hips and his cock in his fist.

“Fuck you, you stupid cat!” Goten spat, mortified by the probable prospect. “Shit,” the third-class cursed again, starting to calm down. “That’s it,” he said, grabbing Mr. Elite by his collar and dragging him closer. “I’m taking it off.”

TBC


	31. Part 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: **_Starcut’s crew members_** :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist - (Mandro)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 31

“Where do I put these?” Jadenas asked, lifting two magazines off the floor. Just as he'd promised, he had come to help Goten clean his cabin. It was nearly 8 pm, and the third-class suspected that the flight officer had hoped he would have already cleaned his room by this time.

Goten took a closer look at the magazines. It was porn; both males and females. The third-class pointed at the cupboard. “Just stuff it somewhere there.”

Turning one of the magazines this way and that, Jadenas leafed through a few pages. “On second thought… Can I borrow them?”

Goten shrugged. “Sure. There are some more in the cupboard if you’re interested.”

“I sure am.”

The third-class pointed at the bucket next to the door. “You know, you can leave everything as it is. Just go and wash that.”

Jadenas lowered the magazines back onto the floor and walked over to take a look. He moved away in disgust. “Somebody’s gotten sick in there.”

“Yeah, and it was you. Now go and clean that; I need that bucket.”

The flight officer gave him a surprised look. “Seriously? Me?”

Goten let out a longwinded sigh when the door behind Jadenas’s back closed. At least he could do that. The flight officer meant well, but he was absolutely useless – he got interested in everything he found, took his time examining it, and then would put it back in the exact same place where he found it. 

The third-class walked over to the cupboard and gathered the rest of the pornography. After a short pause, he left one magazine for himself and took the others to the door for Jadenas to take later. Goten had seen a porn magazine or two, but hadn’t been particularly interested. It was not his kind of thing; he preferred movies. However, he doubted he had much chance of finding that kind of porn on _Starcut_ , and he badly needed something to direct his thoughts off the prince.

After Mr. Elite’s rude interruption, he went to finish his business in the showers. They appeared to be empty, and he needed only a minute to end what had been started. Later, he had been glad that he went to the showers: the vents functioned passably in his cabin, but even then Jadenas had been able to detect the trail of scent he had left in his wake while masturbating. The flight officer had teased him about it lightly.

Goten couldn’t believe he had been so turned on that he had even regretted not fucking the prince back in the National Air Force headquarters. The thought alone was dangerous. And then he jerked off, having conjured a clear picture in his mind of the person touching him. 

It was best not to make it a habit.

Nevertheless, maybe they really should have had sex. First, it might have appeared that they weren’t compatible at all and the sex was awful. Second, maybe once they had sex, that would be it: sometimes the most appealing idea about things you couldn’t have was the very notion that you couldn’t have them. So maybe after sleeping together, their interest in each other would have dimmed considerably. Goten doubted the second possibility, at least concerning himself, – after all, he had become interested in the prince even before he had any sex-related thoughts about him. Or maybe…

“Argghh!” Goten growled, throwing his arms up into the air. “Just stop thinking about it!”

It was easier said than done, though.

By the time Jadenas returned, Goten had already gathered everything off the floor. Jadenas clambered onto the stripped bed and watched Goten washing the floor with Cid Alright’s T-shirt. Five years had passed, and the crew still wondered what had happened to him – one day he simply didn’t show up for the flight, and Rokunda was sent in his place. They had tried contacting him, but everything had been in vain. They didn’t know what Cid Alright did outside his job when he wasn’t on the spaceship, nor did they know where he lived. The common opinion was that Cid Alright had gotten himself into serious trouble. He had been a laid-back type of a guy, but everyone had a feeling that there had been something shady going on behind his back.

“Well, that’s it,” Goten exhaled loudly, straightening. He wrung the T-shirt into the bucket. “Thank you for your attention.”

Jadenas chuckled. “Hey, it’s still more fun than to do it all alone.”

“For you, it was. You were staring so hard that I’m afraid the skin on my ass has peeled off.”

“That never happened.”

Goten shook his head, smiling. He grabbed the bag containing his sweaty uniform and went to gather the pile of sheets off the bed Jadenas was on. The flight officer had told him that there was a washing-machine on board. He had also warned him that it was broken more often than not. The third-class decided to try his luck first and then wash the clothes by hand if it sucked.

“Don’t you worry,” Jadenas calmed him down, standing up, “a week or so and you will be walking around stinking just like the rest of us.”

“Not if I can help it.”

“Nah, you can’t.”

Sighing, Goten left his cabin with Jadenas in tow. In reality, nobody smelled bad yet, but it hadn’t even been a week since they'd left their planet. Except Rokunda, but obviously she was an exception. She probably kept that horrible smell to ward the males off. Goten wouldn’t be very surprised if that appeared to be the truth. Spending months and months in a closed space with horny men might have driven her to mask herself behind the stench.

Most likely she was only lazy.

“One more spring cleaning?” Adriel asked, giving the bunch of clothes in Goten’s arms a look. He eased into step with the youth and the flight officer.

“You could have offered to help,” Jadenas admonished. “I bet most of the mess was made by you anyway.”

Adriel grinned at the flight officer. “Have you washed the bucket?”

Jadenas looked a little uncomfortable, but glared at him indignantly. “Sure I have!”

They reached the washing-machine, and the third-class realized why he hadn’t noticed it before – it was huge, but it was squeezed into the darkest corner above the stairs down to the lower deck. He must have thought it was some kind of furnace or something. It didn’t look all that trustworthy, and Goten gave it a suspicious look. The washing-machine stood on two planks of wood so as not to electrocute people. Two lights on its front were blinking red. The large round door was open, and Goten peered inside carefully. He yelped as Adriel pushed at his back, making him stumble forward. Only Goten’s wide shoulders prevented him from falling inside. His hands grasped at the frame, the bag and sheets dropping to the floor.

“God dammit!” Goten cursed, pulling his head out to glare at the navigator, who was grinning widely. “You could have knocked my teeth out!”

“Oh, c’mon, it won’t eat you. Just stuff the clothes in and leave it.”

The third-class inspected the controls. There were dials upon dials with all kinds of measurements. “It’s like controlling a freakin’ satellite,” he muttered. “Must be Human technology again – only they can make doing laundry so complicated.” Motioning at the clothes on the floor, he turned to Jadenas. “I just want them to be clean.”

The flight officer shrugged. “Well, your guess is as good as mine. We lost the instruction manual long ago. Just turn something and press that button.”

Goten turned to Adriel. “Any other ideas?”

“No, not really.”

“Just great,” Goten muttered, trying to discern between the knobs. Most of the writing had rubbed off, and he figured that they were the ones which had been used most, thus he set the washing machine according to them. “I’m taking _your_ uniform if I find only bits and pieces,” he threatened Jadenas before pressing on the biggest button. Something clicked, and all lights started blinking.

“Sure. But you will have to take it off me first.”

Goten gave the flight officer a probing look. “Unexpectedly, you’re pretty lewd, aren’t you?” He started and moved away at the whooshing sound coming from the washing-machine.

“Well, it was you who flirted with me this morning,” Jadenas pointed out.

“Whoa!” exclaimed Adriel. “And Goten doesn’t waste time, does he?”

“I wasn’t flirting. I was having a hangover.”

“Aww… Don’t say that.”

Goten stared at the round glass door. Something was clicking and whirring inside. “What the heck is it doing?”

“Press the button again?” Adriel suggested. “Kick it?”

“Now I know why it gets broken so frequently,” Goten said matter-of-factly. “Oh, I think it’s working. It’s started pumping water.”

They stared at the water rising behind the glass. The washing-machine seemed to work properly, providing no entertainment, and they lost all interest in it. 

“Well, I’m going to sleep,” the navigator said. “Gotta get up early.”

Jadenas went back to Goten’s room to take his magazines and also left. Goten mooched about in his cabin for half an hour, then decided to go to the bathroom and check his clothes on his way back.

The third-class was taken aback slightly when, upon entering the toilets, he saw Reyn cleaning one of the hatches. The flight officer turned around to look at who had entered the bathroom, then concentrated back on his task. Goten hesitated at first, then approached Reyn. He stared at the flight officer’s back while he was vigorously working on the hatch with a toilet brush. The third-class wondered why Reyn was doing this and why at this time.

“Did you get punished for something?”

“Yeah, for picking a fight with you,” Reyn explained without turning around.

“Oh. I see. But why aren’t I punished, too? For agreeing to it?”

Amused, Reyn turned around to look at him. He grinned widely. “If you’re looking for punishment, you’ll definitely find it. Are you the masochistic type?”

“Nah. It just doesn’t seem very fair.”

“Well, it was me who provoked you. Besides, you’re a newbie, and I’m an old-timer here. I wasn’t very welcoming.”

Goten was studying him, a hint of suspicion reflecting on his face. Reyn shrugged and turned away to continue cleaning the inside of the hatch. He had apologized to the youth, but it didn’t seem that Goten was taking the apology seriously. He probably shouldn’t either.

“Where can I get this?” Goten asked, pointing at the cleaning liquid and equipment next to Reyn. “What about gloves?”

Reyn lowered the brush to the ground and turned his head to look at him with eyebrows raised. “You serious?”

“Yeah.” Goten laughed at the flight officer’s expression. “I do feel a little bit guilty. And you did help me out that time in the showers.”

Reyn measured the third-class from head to toe. “Try the maintenance technicians. If they aren’t sleeping yet.”

The flight officer snickered and shook his head in disbelief when the door closed behind Goten’s back.

The third-class returned in about ten minutes with a small bucket filled with cans of washing powder and liquid in his hand. He put gloves on and got down to work.

There were five hatches, and Reyn had already cleaned two of them. The working principle of a hatch was simple: everything that went into a hatch was covered by a hermetic lid, then one needed to press a button so that the waste would be sucked out by a blast of air. If you wanted to get rid of something so that nobody would find it, this was also one of the best places.

Reyn stole a look at the third-class who seemed to be working energetically. He was serious about his business, scrubbing the inside of the hatch thoroughly. There was something about Goten that made you like him. He wasn’t overly cheerful, he wasn’t overly depressed, he wasn’t overly smart, and he wasn’t overly stupid, he wasn’t handsome, and he wasn’t ugly either. He was your average guy no matter how you took it, but something in his demeanor had already made the crew accept him. Probably it was that seemingly simple nature that made him into a likeable guy.

In silence, they finished cleaning the toilets, then Goten cleaned two washbasins. 

“How long do you have to do this?” Goten wondered, taking his gloves off.

“For a month.”

The third-class gave this some thought. “Then I’ll be coming here for the next two weeks.”

Reyn couldn’t help grinning at the youth. There was both something irritating and agreeable in Goten’s choice. He shrugged. “Fine.”

When Goten returned to his cabin, it was already half past eleven. He decided not to disturb the maintenance technicians; he would return the gloves and the rest of the cleaning remedies tomorrow. He undressed and went to sleep.

The third-class was half-asleep when a thump against the wall made him stir and open his eyes. He hummed sleepily and closed them again, trying to find a more comfortable position on the bed. A series of rhythmical thumps woke him up completely. Blinking, he stared at the ceiling trying to figure out what was happening. A few more seconds made it clear that someone was having sex behind the wall. Or against it. It was Jadenas’s room on the other side of the wall. Goten sighed and decided to wait it out. However, the thuds against the wall became even fiercer and louder. Now Goten could also hear accompanying moans wafting from the other cabin. 

It lasted for half an hour, making Goten as much hard as irritated. He started pounding with his fist on the wall. “Finish it up and go to sleep, dammit!”

The moans and thumps ceased at once, and it was silent for several seconds. Then a muffled “sorry” came from the other room. Goten couldn’t recognize the voice. The silence lasted for a minute, then even more enthusiastic groans followed.

“Fuck it!” Goten cursed, pulling the pillow over his head to try and block the noise.

ooOoOoOoo

“Goten!”

The third-class, who had just stepped out of his cabin, turned around to see who was calling him. It was Jadenas. “Yeah?”

The flight officer scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Sorry about last night.”

Ah. It was about yesterday’s rendezvous. “Yeah. You’re a bit too noisy,” Goten complained.

Jadenas chuckled. “Sorry, sorry. We promise not to disturb you anymore, right guys?”

Goten looked past Jadenas at the two arms specialists who appeared from the flight officer’s cabin. The third-class blinked. He pointed his index finger at Jadenas, then at the twins. “You three?” Now it became clear to Goten who exactly his neighbors were and why he had an entire cabin at his personal disposal.

“When do you go to sleep?” Hazel asked, ignoring Goten’s disbelieving and somewhat jealous look.

“Uh.” Goten lowered his hand. “Well, usually at ten.”

Mandro shrugged. “Fine, then. Ten it is. You’re welcome to join us, though.” He yelped when his twin smacked at his head.

“Don’t fucking go around inviting innocent children!”

Goten’s eyebrows rose. He speculated shortly if Jadenas had told them that he was still a virgin. And that was after he had specially asked him to keep his mouth shut. Fucking bastard. 

“Yeah,” Jadenas agreed with Hazel. “I’m certain Goten has more interesting things to do.”

Mandro laughed at Jadenas, “Moron.” Hazel was grinning.

Indeed, Goten wondered what could be more interesting than sex with twins, but decided not to voice his thoughts out loud, or he might really find himself in a foursome. That wouldn’t be bad at all if only they weren’t second-classes. 

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Goten said to Mandro. “I kind of already have two hypothetical boyfriends. Wouldn’t want to add to the mess.”

Jadenas’s forehead wrinkled in an attempt to comprehend Goten’s words. “Huh?”

The third-class waved this off dismissively. “Never mind. Even _I_ have trouble understanding it. Thanks for your consideration, though.”

Mandro winked at him. “No problem.”

Goten grinned. “I meant the curfew at ten.”

“Ah. A smart ass.” Mandro’s answering grin rose up to his ears. “Well, neighbors have to live in harmonious coexistence, as they say.”

Goten winked back at him. “I’d like that harmonious coexistence to stay away from my ass.”

Mandro and Hazel burst out laughing.

The third-class became aware of the look Jadenas was giving Mandro. He was going to get his ass fucked tonight or maybe right after breakfast. In any case, Jadenas was not going to leave it like that – Mandro would be howling his pleasure for everyone to hear.

_Damn masochists_ , Goten thought. He was aware of the pain-pleasure appeal for some people, but didn’t really comprehend it. When someone hit him, it hurt. When someone caressed him, it felt good. It was simple as that. And there were things he never wanted to know about some people. Jadenas was one of them.

Together, all four of them went to the canteen and, to Goten’s dismay, sat down at one table. He liked Jadenas, but wanted to be as far away from the twins as possible – he didn’t want to experience more temptation.

Goten and most of the crew members had just finished eating when the loudspeakers screeched like tortured hamsters. Everyone’s heads rose at the captain’s loud voice.

“Your captain’s speaking. I expect to see everyone in the meeting hall in five minutes. Out.”

Sipping his tea, Goten could bet he knew why the meeting had been arranged. He looked around the canteen to see the crew munching on their lunch with renewed speed. Everyone seemed to be a little surprised at the sudden call.

With the rest of the crew members, Goten filed into the meeting hall. The captain, the backup captain, and Monteira were already there. As usual, the third-class took a chair in the front row, as he knew from experience that hearing range worsened according to the number of rows in front of you and, especially, the number of surrounding people who distracted your attention with their babbling.

“I gathered you here,” the captain began, “because the master-key has disappeared. Has anybody seen Mr. Elite’s collar? It’s been missing for a day. As it grants unique access to most of the cabins, its disappearance is worrying.” He pointed at Goten, who had gasped in disbelief and whose hand had shot up into the air. “Yes?”

“Why has nobody informed me of the collar? Isn’t this reckless?” Goten spilled. “Certainly, if an enemy gained access to…”

“Yes, yes,” the captain, wearing a bored expression on his face, agreed with Goten. “In fact, it’s just a kind of walking master-key. It makes no difference if it’s hanging on a wall for everybody to take or is walking around. There’s a tracker in that collar as well. So have you seen it?”

“No,” Goten answered gloomily. “First time I heard about it.”

A soft murmur had started amongst the crew, but nobody had seen the collar. The third-class had suddenly become aware of Reyn’s probing look from across the hall on his left. Slowly, Reyn’s lips stretched into a knowing grin. And Goten knew that Reyn knew the real reason why he had been so bent on cleaning the hatches yesterday.

It didn’t seem that anybody else knew anything about the missing collar, thus the captain organized five search parties and gave the order to turn _Starcut_ upside down to find the microchip. Goten was paired up with Edesha, another unspecialized soldier on board. The third-class had practically had no contact with him up until now. He was pretty interested in what kind of person Edesha was. Their task was to comb the second perimeter in the engine room. Goten and he took their flashlights and went downstairs.

“Does the cat really come down here?” the third-class asked after taking a look at the gurgling pipes and cables twined all around the sector. Huge, looming blocks of machinery took up most of the place. Goten didn’t know the purpose of half of them.

“Yeah, he does. Last time he shredded one of these cables here,” he said, pointing. “Monteira has been cutting his claws since.”

“Why the hell does he keep that furry abomination?”

“Well, you see, there was this time when Monteira was sleeping and his ki-gun malfunctioned and flared up. If not for Mr. Elite, Monteira would have burned alive.”

Now it became much clearer to Goten. “I see. Kind of makes more sense now.”

Edesha nodded. 

While they were looking for the collar, the soldier tried to do his best to show him around and explain the tasks certain machinery performed, but he was far from mechanically minded. With an inward smile, Goten realized that he knew about the same or even more than Edesha. The third-class found the older man’s awkward but genuine attempts at explaining endearing.

All the teams gathered just before dinner in the meeting room, and it became clear that the search had brought no results. While the teams were reporting, Monteira gave Goten a mistrustful look: the collar’s evaporation coincided with the youth’s appearance on board. He believed that nobody else suspected anything about Goten as they hadn’t seen his profile. At first glance, the youth looked like a shy incarnation of absolute harmlessness. His history at pre- and paramilitary schools, and later at officers’ school, however, showed that Reyn’s broken nose was only the tip of the iceberg. Was this Goten’s revenge for chewing him out? There was no proof, though, that the collar had been taken by Goten.

“I have some more news,” the captain said when it was obvious that the collar topic had been wrung dry. “The Leiadors joined our side.”

“Yeah!” Adriel exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air. “Fuck yeah!”

Exultant whoops of other officers joined his. Waving his hands about, the captain indicated for them to calm down. “The Nectarines broke the treaty and joined the Ice-jins, though,” he said, dissipating everyone’s good mood instantly.

Adriel scowled. “Fuck. Yellow bastards.”

Musing, Goten scratched his head. “Well, technically,” he drawled, “they didn’t even break it as they had signed the treaty with the triumvirate and it doesn’t exist anymore.”

“That’s old news,” the captain corrected him. “We managed to secure a new treaty with them right after the triumvirate had collapsed.”

“Bastards indeed,” Goten endorsed Adriel indignantly.

“It’s a pity that now we are a bit too late to marry our prince off to Princess Deira of the Nectarines,” Sildara mused. “What?” he asked when everyone fell silent around him. 

Goten suddenly realized that, without a doubt, currently the prince must be pressured from all corners of the universe. It would be no wonder if most of the pressure were coming from the Saiyan Empire itself. Marriage with one of the nations would secure their loyalty and unconditional support. The prince was going to have it rough.

“What? What?” Sildara shrugged at everyone’s stares, then threw his hands up. “Look at the Terran Republic. They can’t retreat even if they want to.”

Goten frowned at him. “Yuck. Can you even imagine what our royalty is going to look like in a few centuries? He’s half-Human already and to marry a Nectarine… His offspring…if he can even have any… Humans are more or less fine. But Nectarines… They are fucking yellow! With pink hair and green eyes.”

“Goten, you’re full of prejudiced shit,” the communications specialist said matter-of-factly, pointing his index finger at the third-class accusingly.

“Ha.” Goten grinned at him. “I’m certainly not. I’d like to see your face if somebody forced _you_ to marry one. The delights of six breasts…” he snickered.

Sildara thought for a moment. “You’ve got a point here. My tastes run closer to…”

“…dicks,” the captain finished for him sternly. “Enough of these useless discussions. That’s not all I wanted to tell you.”

“There’s more?” Adriel wailed theatrically. “Don’t tell me we’ve been ordered to head for battle in this piece of junk!”

“Shut up, Adriel,” the captain commanded. “Nothing changed. We are entering hyperspace in two hours and, after twenty-nine more hours, we will finally reach our final destination – the Renera Section.”

“Ah.” Goten raised his hand.

“Yes, Goten?”

“Why didn’t we use the hyperspace jump right after leaving Vegeta-sei?”

The captain gave him a look. Then he remembered. “Ah, right, you were sleeping for three days so you missed that little interruption we had. The gate we usually use went out of order, and the rest of them were just too busy with sending off battleships to the conflict zones. So we went for the next closest one here, in the Krahu Section.”

“Figures,” Goten muttered.

“Well, that’s all,” the captain said, clapping his hands. “Hyperspace jump in two hours. Go and eat something before that. Dismissed.”

They went to the canteen where Goten took his food and started looking for a place to sit down.

“Hey, come here!”

Goten turned to see Sildara waving at him. There was an empty seat next to him.

“Adriel was just telling us about this guy he had at paramilitary school,” Sildara grudgingly informed Goten while the third-class was setting down his tray. 

Goten groaned mentally - he had just been dragged into a lovers’ quarrel. Silently, he arranged his plates and tea on the table and then leaned the empty tray against the leg of the table. His thoughts went out to his own encounters in paramilitary school which consisted of a third-class cornering him in a bathroom and forcing a kiss on him. He hadn’t been interested in that third-class at all and rejected him at once. Thus his first kiss ended up with them coming to blows. There had been a few more attempts to court him, but he had been rather wild and nuts back then – he hadn’t allowed anyone close to him. All he had cared about was his dead brother and the stupid elites.

“…was this lengthy tapeworm wriggling on the bed!”

Goten resurfaced from his memories. His spoon faltered in front of his mouth while he was looking at Adriel. Mandro and Jadenas were laughing. Hazel had squirted tea out of his mouth and onto the table and was all red from choking on it.

“Must have felt like a ribbed condom!” Mandro squealed in perverse delight.

Grinning, Adriel shook his head. “It wasn’t as if I even knew it was there.”

“So what did you do then?” Goten asked, his spoon still hovering in the air, not touching his mouth.

“Well, we pulled it out. The whole two meters of it.”

Disgusted, Mandro frowned. “Eww.”

Goten laughed at his reaction. “Should they have pushed it back in?” He mouthed his spoon, swallowed the soup, then, remembering, waved it in the air. “I had one as a kid. It freakin’ surprised me one night by…”

“Fuck, Goten! I’m trying to eat here,” Sildara complained.

The third-class grinned and saluted him with his soup-filled spoon. He continued eating and soon was again lulled by the peaceful hum of voices in the canteen. Adriel was still talking about something, his friends listening to or interrupting his blabbering to comment on one thing or another. 

Absently, Goten’s thoughts returned to his first kiss, and then they drifted to the earlier idea of the prince’s union with the Nectarine princess. Politically, it would be a successful union. Genetically… Vegeta’s House had the most powerful bloodline in Saiyan history. It would be unforgivable to allow it to be watered down and degraded. Humans were the only race which had proven itself not to have a negative influence on Saiyan blood. Mixed blood was commonly frowned upon, but the first generation of Saiyan/Human half-bloods were just as strong as – or even stronger – than their Saiyan parent. But this was only with half-bloods. Third- and quarter-bloods were a completely different matter – they were useless. They held only a fraction of their Saiyan parent's power and strength and, in most cases, were born deformed.

The prince just had to have a Saiyan mate.

Personally, Goten couldn’t imagine it any other way. He held conservative views concerning that. He felt no attraction to other species, and the thought of Saiyan blood mixing with other races made him sick. He didn’t feel guilty about this either as he believed that this was simply nature’s way of preserving any species. 

He had very similar views concerning classes in Saiyan society – they shouldn’t mix, to keep power from diminishing. His belief had been unshakable. At least until he had met the prince. Now it wasn’t so firm anymore. It seemed that the elites had already reached a time when their genetic pool was too small and they were starting to degenerate. It was all that purple-haired bastard’s fault, all these ill thoughts.

And he badly missed that bastard.

“Goten!”

Goten started in his seat, his eyes concentrating on Adriel, who had obviously been calling him for a few seconds.

“Want to go play cards before the jump?”

“Sure,” Goten agreed. “Whose cabin?”

“Ours,” Adriel said, motioning at himself and Sildara. He turned to look at the table behind him. “Hey, Reyn, wanna join?”

Reyn raised his head from the bowl of soup. “Join what?”

“Cards.”

“No drinking?”

“None whatsoever.”

“Cool. Count me in.”

Adriel turned back to his table to meet awkward glances. Then everyone’s attention went to Goten, who was silently wondering about Reyn’s question.

“Huh? Oh, Reyn and I are cool. Really,” the third-class reassured them, seeing the disbelief on their faces, “we are cool. I swear.” 

If at first Goten wondered why Adriel didn’t invite more people, it all became clear to him when he stepped into their cabin. Seven of them were a full house, and there was simply no space for more. All of them were sitting in a tight circle, trying hard not to show their cards or to see the cards of their neighbors. Despite Goten’s assurance that he and Reyn had no lingering resentment towards each other, it was arranged so that he and Reyn would be sitting separately.

They played for an hour, then, gathering their winnings or mourning their losses, they drifted away to their cabins.

“We are entering hyperspace in ten minutes,” Adriel’s voice sounded through the loudspeakers soon after they had separated.

Goten went to his desk/table to belt himself to the chair in front of the dead terminal. On his way, he had grabbed a magazine filled with computer science gibberish in the hope that it would make him fall asleep. However, he found a page with jokes and started perusing it.

“Entering hyperspace in thirty seconds, twenty-nine, twenty-eight, twenty-seven…”

There was a jolt and _Starcut_ started shaking and vibrating. The shaking lasted for a few minutes, then there was one jolt and the ship evened out.

“Hyperspace cleared,” Adriel announced. “Reaching the Renera Section in two days. Goodnight. Out.”

Goten yawned. Indeed, he felt sleepy. He undid the belts, took off his uniform, and went to bed. Sleep wasn’t in a hurry to claim him, though. His thoughts inevitably went out to his friends. He didn’t allow himself to brood during the day, but thoughts about Toharu and worries about his father overtook him at night when his will softened. 

The prince’s promise to keep an eye on them offered him a sense of ease. It was false, of course, – it was not as if the prince would lock them up to protect them from this war. His promise only meant he would know their location. Anything could happen. Thinking about them made Goten fear for his own future.

It was dark when Goten woke up. At first this confused him. Then he remembered that he wasn’t on the base anymore. The total darkness which came after turning off the lights was still surprising, even after spending several days on board.

“Lights,” the third-class commanded. This gave no result. He clambered out of bed and groped his way to the light switch. He pressed it, yet the lamps didn’t react at all. The third-class tortured the switch for a few more seconds, but the lights stayed out.

On his way back to the bed, Goten hit his big toe against the chair. Cursing loudly in pain, he groped around for his boots and clothing. It took him a while to dress, then he went to the door, which slid open without any problems. The whole length of the corridor behind it was submerged in darkness. Wishing he had a flashlight, the third-class stepped through the door. He powered up slightly to light his way. 

Goten was passing doors on both sides of the corridor without trying to open any of them. There was something strange about this endless hall: he couldn’t remember some of the doors ever being there; the corridor itself seemed to be longer and wider. The most peculiar thing his senses registered was that the smell was different – the air was filled with the scent of Humans. This definitely wasn’t _Starcut_.

Everything around the third-class shook suddenly, the floor slipping from under his feet. Goten drew himself close to the wall. At about the same time, the sound of an explosion caught up to him. Wide-eyed, he stared at the brightening light in front of him.

“Fuck! Fuck!” he growled out panicky, looking around for a door. He jumped to his left and tried to open the door there. It didn’t even budge. The card lock appeared to be different, and Goten didn’t even have time to try his keycard. He powered up and kicked the door in. He was just in time to roll inside the cabin and take cover behind the walls as a blast of fire and heat whooshed past the open door.

Now Goten had to change direction and head back, away from the heart of the explosion. To return into the corridor would be insane – he could feel the heat radiating from it. The third-class settled on blasting a hole in the wall. Stepping inside the neighboring cabin, he looked around. It was completely dark in this one as well. He flared his ki, but it was empty, lifeless bunks and chairs standing around. Not certain if he wouldn’t be swallowed by a wave of water or sewage in case he burst a pipe or a reservoir, he blasted through the next wall. After the dust had settled, he saw a couple of silhouettes in the room. One was glowing with ki, and when he turned around to say something to the other, Goten called out unthinking:

“Reyn!”

There was no reaction, neither from the flight officer nor the second person in the room; they didn’t pay Goten any attention, exchanging words rapidly.

“He can’t hear you.”

Even before turning around to see who was behind him, Goten already knew whose voice it was. “You again…” 

Goten’s eyes left Gohan’s face and concentrated back on Reyn. A dream. Something at the back of Goten’s head was shouting at him that this one was of those dreams where he had to pay attention to every detail. The third-class found it hard to believe: despite the rising heat and Reyn’s presence, all of this felt unreal and irrelevant.

“Where are we?”

“On a spaceship.”

Goten grunted something unintelligible. He was already used to the imposter’s useless answers. “Gohan” never knew more than he did. That, however, didn’t mean that he wouldn’t try:

“What kind of spaceship is this?”

With a knowing smile on his face, Gohan watched Goten’s back. “ _ORION 3056_.”

Goten’s lips twitched, but he nodded. Just as his nose had told him, it belonged to the Humans.

The third-class walked closer to Reyn and the person he was talking to. He flared his ki higher and, to his surprise, saw that this was a delicate Human child of the male persuasion. Only now Goten realized why he hadn’t been able to understand what they were talking about: the language they were using was Terran and Reyn was employing a translator. The child was frightened and was crying. Reyn, as far as Goten could tell from his vocal intonation, was asking a lot of questions. 

Finally, the flight officer lost his patience with the terrified human child, grabbed him by his midsection and flung him onto his shoulder. Flaring his ki and putting on a ki-shield, Reyn moved towards the door. He kicked it, tearing it off its hinges, and, instinctively, Goten flared his own ki as a wave of heat hit him.

The third-class could hear Reyn cursing as he was running along the blazing corridor. Forgetting all about the imposter, Goten ran after them. The walls of the corridor were glowing ember red behind them. Now the corridor was littered with dead bodies, and the third-class wondered how he hadn’t seen them before.

The heat was intensifying with each passing second, no matter how fast they ran. The spaceship was enormous and the hall never seemed to end. The air around them was filled with smoke and was steadily turning into molten lava, starting to scorch their lungs. Their clothing was smoking, and Reyn had moved the child off his shoulder and onto his forearms to shield him from the heat following them from behind. Goten could see blisters forming on the fair child’s skin. He was crying loudly and smelt of burning flesh.

The third-class didn’t know where Reyn was headed, but the only place to be now was the hangar with the space pods; the spaceship was done for. It was too late to isolate separate sections, and Goten doubted that Reyn had any idea where the emergency button was or whether it was functioning at all.

They had finally reached a door. Goten’s lungs were burning, eyes aching and watery from the smoke. He was coughing and could hardly walk. His only hope was that this was one of those dreams. Now it felt only too real, and he couldn’t see Gohan anywhere.

Reyn blasted the door open, and a second later, the wave of fire that had been raging behind it engulfed them. Goten screamed in pain, feeling his skin burning and peeling off. 

The third-class woke up gasping for air, his whole body trembling and covered in cold sweat. Only now Goten realized what it was he had been witnessing. He rolled out of bed, but his legs were jelly and he crashed down onto his knees. 

“Lights!”

Cursing, on all fours, Goten scrambled to his desk in dire need of a pen and a sheet of paper. Still cursing, with a trembling hand, he wrote down the name of the spaceship he had just escaped from – _ORION 3056_.

TBC


	32. Part 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: **_Starcut’s crew members_** :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quetreofdoom

Part 32

_Starcut_ started patrol in the Renera Section, quadrant 2, six days ago. Goten was tense, not certain what to expect after a dream like that. With the start of the patrol, the activity on board had also increased – they had already stopped two passing ships to check their identity and cargo. They had found nothing suspicious: one passenger ship belonged to the Terran Republic and had been heading for Oren, and another was a Saiyan transporter, delivering a cargo of weapons to Earth.

The third-class soon found out that usually the crew didn’t even check ships like those two – this used to be done in the territory of the launch pads; usually they were crawling with soldiers. However, security had now been increased, lest the Ice-jins try to sabotage the hyperspace gates or launch pads by sending down ships filled with explosives to blow them up.

They had also received an order to attack a ZIR361 named _Domera_ on sight. The news was that it was a pirate ship which had recently attacked a carrier in a nearby section and stolen the expensive equipment inside. _Starcut_ hadn’t met anything suspicious yet.

Goten didn’t take part in any of the inspections as he hadn’t been trained how to do them and didn’t know what he was supposed to search for. It was usually Edesha, one of the flight officers, and the maintenance technicians who checked the cargo. They went into the other ships armed from head to toe, and constantly kept the link between themselves and _Starcut_ open. Depending on the cargo or the size of the ship, it could take hours upon hours to inspect it. To make their job easier, they used scouters with thermo-scanners.

Goten had gotten used to the daily life on _Starcut_ , and _Starcut_ got used to him. The third-class spent his time acquainting himself with what people did on the spaceship. He didn’t interact with all of the crew, as some of them had naturally split into groups according to their daily activities, but everyone had more or less acknowledged him. He mostly found himself interacting with Jadenas, Adriel, and Sildara. The doctor and the twins were always near him as well. The doctor was bored, and the arms specialists were simply following Jadenas around like two watch dogs to prevent the friendly man from getting too friendly with Goten. It was a peculiar relationship, not one the third-class had encountered before. Sometimes he didn’t even know how to behave around the three of them. In comparison to that, despite their endless bickering, Adriel and Sildara were easy.

Just as Goten had promised, he and Reyn had sparred one more time and, for the last two days, the third-class had been walking around with a black eye; Reyn had conked him good. It seemed that the flight officer had meditated on their last spar and decided on more aggressive tactics, which, to Goten’s regret and excitement, worked much better. 

Besides the thrill of a good fight that Goten was getting out of their spars, there was one more goal the third-class had in trying to get closer to Reyn – he wanted to keep an eye on the flight officer. What he had seen in the dream didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t have any particular plan, but was ready to do everything to help Reyn avoid the death he had seen. He doubted anything depended on him, though.

What Goten found peculiar was that the flight officer had never questioned him about Mr. Elite’s missing collar, never nagged at him about it. He kept quiet, even when it disappeared for a second time. 

In fact, even the third-class was surprised at his own impudence. The thing was that when he saw the damn cat in his bed again, with that accursed collar around his neck, he felt as if the stupid animal was challenging him. He probably was too. And since Goten now knew about the “master key” detector, he had dragged the cat to the showers, took the collar off, cut out the chip, crushed it under his heel, and threw it into one of the hatches. It took him more time to chop the leather collar into pieces. That was when Reyn had entered the showers to perform his latrine duty.

“You’re at it again…” he said absently while Goten clutched the shredded collar, trying to look as innocent as he could while being caught red-handed. “Fighting for your territory with a pet? That’s quite…”

Reyn didn’t seem to be interested enough to finish the thought and set about cleaning. Goten, meanwhile, realized that it was exactly what he had been doing. He glared at Mr. Elite at his feet. The animal was washing himself thoroughly, not heeding Goten. The third-class threw the shredded collar into the hatch. Staring at the cat, which currently was licking his ass and balls, Goten scratched his head. It was probably more about privacy, but he felt antipathy for the cat. He strolled around like he owned the entire ship.

“Ah!” Goten thumped his fist into his palm in sudden realization. “That’s why he’s called _Mister Elite_!”

“You can be pretty slow at times, can’t you?” Reyn muttered. “Besides, you can simply ask Adriel to change the combination of your lock.”

“Can I? Really?”

“Sure. Rokunda would do it in two seconds, but it’s a bother to ask her.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

The thing was, though, if Goten went and asked to change the combination now, Adriel and then the whole ship would know that it was him who took the collars. Adriel was a total blabbermouth. Goten was certain that he couldn’t keep a secret even if it killed him. The third-class wondered if the flight officer had suggested he ask Adriel for help purposely. But then…if he wanted him to get into trouble, he could just tell everyone himself. 

Goten and Reyn’s relationship was a peculiar one. There wasn’t tension between them anymore, but both of them were unnaturally careful and considerate around each other so as not to spark off yet another conflict. While sparring, they were also ultra careful not to inflict any unnecessary pain on each other. The rest of the crew obviously felt the same and were on the lookout to prevent any arguments between them. Goten was certain that this had a lot to do with the amount of damage they could do to their surroundings if they got into a serious fight and resorted to using their ki.

The next day, after Goten had thrown away the second collar, the captain gathered the crew and gave them a long lecture about damaging equipment on purpose. There were no threats, but he seemed to be seriously pissed. Goten wondered if they would install a camera in the collar. Or maybe in the corridors. However, they gave up, and soon Mr. Elite got a new collar without any additional functions. To his surprise, Goten didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. He had somehow been looking forward to annihilating yet another master key.

ooOoOoOoo

It was the captain’s birthday celebration on Tuesday. Saiyans rarely bothered to mark their birthdays in any way, but the crew seemed to be keen on this Terran tradition. Goten wasn’t very surprised as he figured this was one more way to provide some light relief from their monotonous lives. He had expected something special, but there hadn’t been much in a way of amusement so far: they had received some special dish for lunch (which Goten would have gladly done without as he didn’t like that particular dish) and then, for dinner, shared a few bottles of wine among themselves while saying a few words to the captain and raising their tin mugs to toast him. The third-class had liked the mood, but that had been pretty much it. Soon everyone had dispersed, leaving about ten crew members who weren’t busy at that moment.

Goten was sipping the last drops of his wine when Adriel approached him. Somewhat confused by how close the navigator was standing to him, the third-class gave him a questioning look and set his tin mug onto the table.

“Want to come to a party tonight?” Adriel whispered so that only Goten could hear him. 

The third-class was reminded of his first party on _Starcut_ with vomiting Jadenas and the twins dancing striptease. “Sure,” he agreed. It sounded like fun. Despite the fact that it was forbidden, the crew seemed to find a way around it. It wasn’t wise, of course, but Goten couldn’t force himself to care – he simply wanted to forget himself and his worries. At least for a few hours. Obviously, some of the crew felt the same.

“Then be at my place at eleven.”

Goten nodded. “I’ll be there,” he said softly. He watched Adriel fluttering around the canteen, inviting a few others. With interest, the third-class watched him approach Reyn. The flight officer shook his head indicating that he wasn’t interested. From the look of it, Adriel was trying to talk him into it, but received the same answer again.

The third-class spent the next five hours looking forward to the party. He felt a bit uncomfortable that he didn’t have anything to bring with him to the party; he had boarded the ship with only a suitcase filled with clothes and Kyon’s cookbook. He was pretty certain that there were going to be rivers of alcohol and mountains of snacks and eats. Well, he would try and at least donate some money to Adriel. The navigator would really accept it.

Five to eleven, Goten was already thumping with his fist against the metal door of Adriel and Sildara’s cabin. The door pinged open almost instantly and he was met by Adriel’s grinning face. 

“Come on in,” he said, letting Goten pass. He stuck his head out into the corridor and looked around quickly, then locked the door again.

Goten’s smile froze on his face when he took in the cabin more carefully. It was not that he had constructed a certain image in his head of what the party was going to be like, but this was definitely unlike what he had expected. The contingent of the present people was different than he was used to. Except Sildara and Adriel, he hadn’t interacted much with them. 

The third-class shook off his stupor and went to sit down at the table. The rest of his prediction was true: the table was covered in snacks and eats and, from the corner of his eye, Goten could see a row of bottles hidden behind Adriel’s bed. All of them would soon find themselves on the table. From the bottles, the third-class’s eyes rose to the faces of the people sitting at the table. There was the head engineer, Nohail Ofura, with whom Goten had never exchanged even a word. There was also Edesha; Goten thought of the unspecialized soldier as a somewhat awkward but likeable guy. Then there was the medic. Goten had only spoken to him once or twice. From the way the man constantly gazed at the much older Tamahi while in the medical room, the third-class suspected a heartbreaking case of unrequited love.

“So, as everybody is here,” Adriel started, “let’s begin. Pass me that bottle, Goten. The one with the red label. Sildara, the shot glasses.”

Reaching out for the bottle, Goten wondered about the overall atmosphere. There was some kind of strange tension. It wasn’t hostile or anything, but there was something awkward and embarrassed about it. Well, there was no ice a few shots of alcohol wouldn’t break. 

The third-class watched Adriel distribute the drinks. He was a party animal; he loved being the center of attention.

The head engineer raised his shot. “To this evening,” he said, bottoming it up and grabbing what looked like an enormous hamburger from the table. He took a mammoth bite and started chewing.

“Yeah,” Goten agreed and emptied his shot glass together with the rest of the men.

Sildara filled their shot glasses again. Adriel retrieved cards from his wardrobe and the atmosphere started warming up considerably.

“You suck!” the medic declared to Goten, who had lost three times in the row. He had been paired up with Goten for three rounds of _Dumb Corner_. “You really suck!” he repeated, scattering his cards onto the table angrily.

“It’s my first time playing this game. What do you expect?” Goten said, throwing him an unfriendly look. He grabbed his shot glass, which had been miraculously filled by someone while he hadn’t been looking, and downed it.

“Yeah, leave Goten alone,” Adriel said, patting the third-class on his arm soothingly. He winked at Goten. “They say that if you have bad luck in cards, you have good luck in love.”

“Who says that? First time I heard this,” Goten mumbled out, chewing on a stretchy piece of something which tasted like dried ham.

“Humans.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “Ah, them. They sure spout a lot of crap.”

“I said you’re prejudiced!” Sildara exclaimed, pointing at him with his middle finger while his other digits were securely wrapped around his shot glass. “Admit it! You hate everybody who is not Saiyan!”

“I do not, you dumbass!” Goten argued. “I hate Saiyans too!”

Adriel let out a longwinded sigh and whacked at Goten’s forehead. “You’re drunk. Has anybody told you that your attempts at jokes suck?”

“Oh yeah, frequently.”

“Give up, then.”

Goten pouted at him.

“You’re good at sarcasm, though,” Sildara comforted him. “I sometimes don’t even know if you’re serious or not.”

“I always am!”

“Was that sarcasm again?”

“I think he meant he is never serious,” Adriel said, filling their shot glasses again. “So tell me, Goten. Do you have a sweetheart?”

“A what?”

“Don’t give me that. Everybody’s been using that term for about ten years now.”

“I seriously hate Humans and their language, their pizzas, and their freaky sense of complicated simplicity in technologies. Ah! And shaving us bald! What the hell’s with their unnatural obsession with our hair?”

“See! I told you he’s a racist!”

“Just roll over and die,” Goten said. “Seriously. What the hell is wrong with you and your taste? At least don’t push it on me.”

“Who is pushing what? I’m just saying you need to reconsider the way you see and talk about other species!”

“And what the fuck is wrong with the way I talk about other species?”

“I will tell you what is wrong with the way you talk about other species!”

“Oh, yes, pray tell me!”

“Isn’t this getting too personal?” Edesha whispered to Adriel.

The navigator waved it off. “Nah.”

“He’s quite drunk,” said the head engineer.

Adriel rolled his eyes. He downed his shot. Frowning and sticking his tongue out in disgust, he shuddered. “Well,” he said, raising his eyebrows, “weren’t you the one who asked me to get him drunk?”

“No,” Nohail said, shaking his head. “In all honesty, I believe that was Edesha.” He gave a somewhat reproachful look to the soldier.

Edesha glared at him. “What?”

All of them started at Goten’s loud yell: “Shove your fucking Nectarines up your ass, you fucktard! Oh, wait… They have got nothing you can shove in! HA!”

Adriel slapped himself on his forehead. “Oh, gods.” He smacked his palm over Sildara’s mouth to keep him from answering. “Enough, baby.” He threw his other arm around Goten’s shoulders. “So let’s return to the matter at hand, Goten. Do you have a boyfriend?”

Goten was staring at the navigator while his mind was trying to switch gears according to the topic. And here he had hoped that Adriel had forgotten all about it during all this bitching with Sildara. Goten suddenly became aware that the rest of the room occupants were also looking at him with interest evident on their faces. Even the communications specialist’s eyes were glimmering above Adriel’s palm. What the hell was this all about?

This was a complicated question and Goten considered it very carefully. “I didn’t commit myself to anything,” he finally said after having summed up his relationships with Kyon and the prince.

Everybody met each other’s eyes and then some of them burst out laughing, others whooting and catcalling.

“You’re a freakin’ slut, aren’t you?” Adriel chuckled, removing his palm from Sildara’s mouth and wiping the saliva on his lover’s trousers.

Goten considered what he had said and how it had sounded. “I’m drunk,” he concluded. “But I don’t have a boyfriend. Probably,” he added, just in case. Then he decided to explain to the laughing audience: “I’m a little bit confused concerning that.”

“Are you? Poor thing,” Adriel soothed him. “Well, let’s get you a boyfriend whose existence you won’t doubt.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Sildara agreed, clinking his shot glass against his lover’s.

“I don’t really need a boyfriend,” Goten protested meekly.

“You need someone to fuck you,” Sildara said seriously.

Goten blinked at him. “I don’t really need a boyfriend for that, do I?”

“Shit, he’s a slut alright!” Adriel squealed in perverse delight. “Anyone will do, won’t they?”

“Adriel, you twit, stop calling the guy a slut or he will turn into one.”

“I don’t think I’m in danger of that,” Goten denied. “And h-”

“Dammit! Will you finally shut the fuck up, all of you?” the head engineer groaned. “Let’s finally watch that porn you promised, Adriel.”

Goten perked up. This was more like it! He badly needed some new jerking off material. Recently all his thoughts and dreams had been full of that purple-haired nuisance. And that telephone number. He had fucking lost it. Even though the purple-haired nuisance had specifically told him not to! Well, it was not that he had promised anything. Right? He had never ever promised anything. Neither to the prince nor to Kyon. Oh, man, was he really trying to avoid any responsibility? Well, of course he was! Who the hell in their right mind would want to tamper with a prince? And Kyon…Kyon… He was afraid that he couldn’t exactly return as much as Kyon was ready to give him; their “likes” for each other were obviously not on the same level.

The terminal on the desk/table started exuding the first sounds of the movie and Goten threw all tedious thoughts out of his head. Everybody started scuffling around in order to be facing the screen. The third-class vaguely felt someone push and shove and then get behind him, but, as long as he could see the screen, he didn’t care. 

The porn opened with two young uniformed men running track on what seemed to be a military base. Then the camera zoomed in to show the lecherous face of their sergeant, and Goten knew what it was going to be about. True enough, after having eagerly “helped” the savars to stretch, the sergeant followed them to the showers. It seemed that it was half serious, half amateurish movie. The acting sucked. The “sergeant” was trying too hard to come across like a lewd bastard, and one of the “savars” could hardly keep his face straight; he was always on the verge of laughing. Goten liked the third actor, though. He was showing much more effort than the other two put together.

No sooner had the savars started to spectacularly shower themselves than the sergeant entered the cabin of the guy Goten had his eye on. The savar acted surprised (gods knew why, because, according to Goten, he should have clearly expected it after having noticed the sergeant vigorously winking at him all the time while he had been running track). At first, the guy put up some resistance with his meek attempts to push the sergeant away and the common “What are you doing, sir?”, “Sir, please”, “No, sir, we can’t”, “This is a breach in protocol, sir”, “Oh, sir, please”.

“Oh, just fuck him,” Goten advised, downing one more shot from his miraculously full glass. “He wants it badly.”

The sergeant seemed to be of the same opinion and paid no attention to any of those words. While the sergeant was trying to subdue the younger male, his clothing got wet in the shower spray. Now he was peeling it off himself. His boots, his uniform, his underwear, all of that went until he graced the camera with the sight of his naked ass. Adriel wooted.

The savar was soon manhandled into the shower wall, face-first, the older male pressing himself to him. He twitched and moaned in aroused surprise when the sergeant’s cock slid over the crack of his ass. The sergeant was fumbling around with the shower, trying to stop the water flow before both of them drowned. The older man finally managed to shut the water off and went on to stroke the savar’s cock. 

Goten watched the younger male clawing at the wall, his hips bucking into the sergeant’s tight fist. The older man was encouraging him with nibbles on his neck and shoulders and an occasional dirty word. When the savar’s gasps had turned more urgent, the sergeant pulled away. The camera zoomed in to show his leaking cock. When the savar turned around, it concentrated on the younger male’s erection, then slid up his chest to his flushed face.

From then on, the events progressed even more predictably: the savar leaned against the shower wall and arched his back. A large bottle of lubricant miraculously appeared in the sergeant’s hand (the man was sure prepared for anything life threw his way to be carrying it around) and soon his fingers slid up the younger male’s ass. For a few seconds, the camera did nothing except concentrate on those digits working the savar’s hole. Goten could hear the younger male panting softly.

“Damn. Just fuck him finally,” Goten slurred impatiently. “Fuck the protocol.”

And fuck they did. The sergeant had stopped moving his fingers to watch the savar pushing himself forwards and backwards, and then removed them completely. He poised himself at the loosened entrance and started impaling the savar on his cock. From the sounds the younger male was making while being breached, one could guess that he was already coming. The ecstatic look on his face was nothing short of nirvana. Goten wondered if it really felt so good to have someone’s cock up one’s ass. He’d rather have his cock up someone’s ass. But he couldn’t be certain before he had tried both ways.

The sergeant soon found a comfortable rhythm and had them going like there was no tomorrow. He also slapped the younger male’s ass and thighs for greater effect. Goten didn’t notice that this would bring out any particular response from the savar; obviously spanking wasn’t his thing.

And then the second savar, whom Goten had completely forgotten, appeared on the screen. He was dripping wet, his cock in his hand and a sly grin on his face. He was clearly targeting the unsuspecting sergeant’s laboring ass. He snuck up to the busy couple from behind and joined them. The sergeant forgot to act surprised while the savar he was fucking let out a low yip and rolled his eyes in what seemed to be shock at being discovered (Goten figured that it probably didn’t take a lot of effort to discover someone fucking in the next shower stall; the sergeant and the guy he was fucking were obviously retarded).

Goten was so engrossed by the porn that he started and let out a shrill yelp when someone’s hand slipped into his crotch. His back tense and rigid, he grabbed at the offending hand and turned around to see Edesha looking at him with a lust-filled face. With a motion of his head, he indicated towards the bed where Adriel and Sildara were already getting it on. The third-class had predicted this would happen, but the change in his pose made him become aware of even more things transpiring in the room: the medic had cornered the head engineer and was giving him a blowjob. Goten’s and Nohail’s eyes met, the head engineer keeping his gaze evenly.

“Umm…” Goten drawled embarrassed, his face flushing red as if it were on fire. He turned away and dropped his eyes to his lap where Edesha had him in his grasp. Dazedly, he stared at the hand. The soldier obviously took his silence for a “ _yes_ ” and his palm started massaging Goten through his trousers. The third-class squirmed under the assault. He was painfully hard and his drunken mind suddenly saw little to no reason why he shouldn’t just go with the flow.

The third-class felt the other man’s left hand tug at his uniform, then slide underneath it to caress his stomach and sides. Goten closed his eyes. Edesha moved in closer to him so that the upper part of his body now was pressed to Goten’s shoulders. His hand slid out from under Goten’s uniform and started fumbling with his belt. The third-class could hear its faint clinking through the haze filled with Adriel’s moans and the medic slurping and salivating on Nohail’s cock. He inhaled sharply as Edesha seized and pulled him out. The man was stroking him already. 

There was no shyness to Edesha’s touch. It was purposeful and direct; the man knew what he wanted and knew how to get it. Goten suddenly found this very different from the always eager but tentative Kyon or constantly horny but watchful of his wishes Ranvera. This wasn’t a hesitant and horny teenager, this was a much older man with plenty of years of experience behind his shoulders and Goten found himself uncertain.

The older male’s hands tugged at his waist with intention to turn him around and Goten allowed himself to be maneuvered so that now he was facing the other man. He stared at Edesha’s face awkwardly. The soldier leaned in and Goten found himself accepting the demanding kiss. At some point his back had touched the floor, but Goten wasn’t aware of that. He was only aware of the other man’s hands stroking his chest and, at the same time, unbuttoning his shirt.

Edesha tugged Goten’s trousers down his hips and the third-class couldn’t help moaning when Edesha took hold of his erection again and his thumb flicked over the sensitive head. His mind fuzzy from the alcohol he had consumed and numb with pleasure, Goten concentrated on the fist working on him. Then it disappeared and, vaguely, he could hear the older man starting to shed his own clothing.

“Mhnh…” Goten grunted at the feeling of the other’s body pressing against his. Their erections brushed against each other, and the third-class arched his back with a soft gasp. He opened his eyes to see Edesha’s face descend on his and allowed the older man’s tongue to slip past his lips. The tongue was practically fucking his mouth and Goten couldn’t keep up with the other male’s urgency. Goten’s uncertainty only increased further when Edesha bucked against him. The gasps, grunts, and moans wafting from around him suddenly made him uncomfortable and the feeling only increased the older male’s hand wrapped around both of their erections. Goten pushed at his chest. Edesha ignored him, starting to stroke them both, and Goten’s head fell back onto the floor while he wondered why he was fighting it so late in the game. Nobody would ever find out that he was just a third-class, and this felt good, didn’t it? No strings attached, wasn’t it?

Goten turned his head to stare at Sildara and Adriel on the bed. His tongue snuck out to wet his lips subconsciously, his hips finally starting to adjust to the rhythm Edesha’s fist worked on him with. The third-class turned his head to the other side to find the head engineer staring at him. There was something questioning in his eyes. Goten was baffled as to how he managed to question anything with the medic wantonly riding his cock. 

The older man’s questioning face, though, made Goten reconsider and, muttering something unintelligible but apologetic, he tried to shove Edesha off him. This didn’t work well with the aroused male and he grabbed at Goten’s wrist, forcing his hand aside. The third-class bucked and tried to pry Edesha’s hand away from his cock. He wasn’t surprised at all when this resulted in Edesha growling at him and then using all of his body weight to press him down to the floor. At this point, the older male wasn’t going to let him go without some serious struggle.

“I’m feeling sick,” Goten moaned miserably, trying to pry his right wrist out of Edesha grip. “Let me go. I’m about to throw up!” He struggled fruitlessly for a few seconds, but then the grip on his wrist loosened. Edesha allowed himself to be rolled over and, panting, on all fours, Goten backed away. He pressed his hand to his mouth for the show and, holding on his trousers with his other hand, scurried out of the cabin. He had no intention of returning, even though he suspected that Edesha might be waiting for him.

Without a clear thought in his head, he headed for the showers, which had already become his usual place for masturbation. He stumbled in through the door and, unsteadily, trudged forward where his sudden and disheveled appearance was suddenly met by Reyn’s soft whistle. The flight officer seemed to be both astonished and amused by the sight of him.

Shakily, Goten leaned against one of the shower stalls. His brain soon processed that, in order to do so, he had let go of his trousers and now they were pooling at his feet. He cursed softly and squatted down to grab them. This didn’t go too well and he fell forward, banging his forehead against the tiled floor. He grunted in pain and clutched at his head.

“You okay?”

Goten looked at the flight officer, who had abandoned his toilet brush and was staring at him while trying very hard not to laugh. Embarrassed to his bones, Goten flushed red. He wasn’t okay at all: he had nearly had sex with a man two or three times his age, he was painfully hard, and he was mortified to no end.

“Everything’s just peachy,” Goten muttered, sitting up and trying to wriggle back into his trousers.

Reyn laughed quietly. “Need help?”

“I’ll manage.”

Decidedly ignoring Goten’s erection tenting his underwear, the flight officer took up his toilet brush again. He went on cleaning the hatch. “So what made you escape the party without waiting for its culmination?” he wondered. “Didn’t your partner measure up to your standards?” He turned around and cast a meaningful look at Goten’s crotch. “Although it’s hard to imagine…”

The third-class scratched his head sheepishly. He let out a longwinded sigh: “Haaahhh…” Then an idea occurred to his fuzzy mind. “You knew!” he accused.

“Knew what?”

“That it was that kind of a party! That’s why you refused!”

“You mean Adriel didn’t tell you?” Reyn gave him a look. “It’s his specialty, matchmaking. But, you know, someone must have specifically asked him to organize this party in order to get close to you. And I think that now you must have a pretty clear idea as to who it was.”

Goten groaned and flushed red again. He realized that, somewhere during their conversations, Edesha had felt that he didn’t dislike him, so he took his chances. This was one big misunderstanding. He had to be careful – this wasn’t the base with his awkward contemporaries whom he could lead on and then safely reject. These were grown men; they took what they wanted without fussing around. He should have known that watching porn with them wouldn’t limit itself only to watching. This was a serious business - if they wanted to fuck, they did. And if he had chosen to attend the party on his own free will, nobody here would understand his reluctance to go further.

Goten rubbed his forehead. “Crap.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen you so drunk,” Reyn said, grinning. “It’s quite engaging.”

Goten pouted at him. He had finally gotten his trousers up and zipped and buttoned, and now he was trying to stand up. At the moment, the alcohol was influencing him even more. He leaned against the wall, then realized that he had to pee. The prospect of one more time unbuckling his unruly belt and trousers made him grunt in frustration. Undoing his belt, he trudged over to the hatch which was the farthest from Reyn and lifted the lid.

“It’s quite surprising that, despite the fact that your coordination is close to zero, your mind is still pretty lucid.”

“And you deduced this from…?” Goten wondered, trying to steady himself so that he wouldn’t piss all over the walls and around the hatch; Reyn wouldn’t appreciate him making more work for him.

“You did lift the lid.”

Goten chuckled and then cursed loudly as this made the stream curve outside the hatch and onto the floor. “Sorry.”

Reyn sighed resignedly.

ooOoOoOoo

Avoiding Edesha’s uncomfortable look, which he could feel from across the canteen, Goten took a seat next to Sildara. He arranged his plates around him and leaned the tray against the leg of the table as he always did. The communications specialist gave him a questioning look.

“Where the hell did you disappear to yesterday?”

Goten took his fork and raked through the grated carrots in his plate. He raised his eyes to look at Sildara, then turned his attention to Adriel. “You should’ve warned me Edesha was after my ass.”

“Huh? Why should I?”

“You tried to get me drunk on purpose.”

“So what?”

Goten rubbed his forehead. He sighed. “Listen, I’m not interested. Edesha misunderstood me.”

“Ah. If it’s because of Edesha, I can suggest Yereli – he likes taking it.”

With a long sigh, Goten rolled his eyes upward at the ceiling. “Oh, gods. You completely missed the point here. Never mind. Who the hell is Yereli?”

“You’re really bad with names, aren’t you?” Sildara wondered.

“It’s the medic who was at the party yesterday,” Adriel explained.

Goten closed his eyes in disbelief as his mind threw up yesterday’s image of Yereli riding the head engineer’s cock.

“Thanks, but no thanks. Besides, isn’t he crushing on Tamahi?”

“Hey, you can be observant at times.”

Goten scowled at Adriel. “Anyway, I am not interested in anyone on _Starcut_. Got that?”

“Hey, are you looking down on us?”

Goten hardly resisted the urge to thump his fist on the table. “No. I’m just saying that currently I’m _not_ interested in _anyone_.”

“Suit yourself.”

Adriel looked a great deal pissed, and Goten groaned mentally. He knew the navigator had meant well. He was certain that Adriel had very likely put in a lot of effort and now, instead of being thanked, he was suddenly reprimanded.

“Listen, Adriel,” Goten said, knifing his steak, “thanks for trying, but really, I don’t want to get entangled into anything.”

“Do you only go for females?”

Sildara snickered at his lover’s question. “Are you an idiot? Didn’t you see how turned on he was when Edesha manhandled him to the floor?”

Adriel turned to stare at his lover. “No, I didn’t, but you seem to have been watching Goten quite a lot, weren’t you?”

“Oh, gods,” Goten groaned, hiding his face in his palms. The last thing he needed was to become something for the idiot couple to fight over.

“ _You_ were the one who told me to watch him in case Edesha tried something!”

“Well, he did try!” Goten declared.

Sildara shot him a look. “Tried something you _didn’t_ like!”

Goten flushed red for the hundredth time these past few days and shut his mouth. He kept it shut the whole time Sildara and Adriel went on bickering and would open it only to fill it with carrot salad, steak, and mashed potatoes. Sometimes it was wiser to just keep quiet.

Goten and the rest of the crew perked up when the loudspeakers screeched. 

“Your captain’s speaking. A meeting in ten minutes. Out.”

In a few minutes, Goten found himself walking towards the briefing hall with Adriel and Sildara.

“What’s this about?” Adriel asked the master sergeant in front of them. 

The master sergeant shrugged. “I think it’s because the cook’s gotten ill. The chef has been struggling with breakfast, so the captain will probably ask someone to help out in the kitchen.”

“Oh. Is it bad?” Goten wondered.

“It seems he has poisoned himself.”

“Was it something he ate?” Goten asked, then became aware of Adriel shaking his head at him quietly. “Huh?”

“Goten could help out,” Sildara said, eager to change the topic. “He used to work in the kitchens on the base.”

The master sergeant looked at Goten. “Really?” Goten nodded, and the master sergeant’s eyes left his face to concentrate on Sildara. “And how do _you_ know?”

Sildara laughed nervously. “Goten told me. He constantly talks about the base, right, Goten?”

Sildara was giving him a pleading look, and the third-class nodded. “I feel rather nostalgic about my studies,” he said with an affected sigh. 

“And you call yourself a communications specialist?” Goten snickered at Sildara when the master sergeant moved forward in the crowd.

“I think you misunderstand his job – he mostly looks after communication devices,” Adriel enlightened him.

“Screw that,” Goten muttered. “So how did you two come across my profile?” It was obvious that if one had found it, he gave it the other to read it as well.

“Someone sent it to me,” Adriel said. “It happened just before your and Reyn’s epic fight. He also bet a thousand credits on you.”

“What do you mean ‘someone’? That’s a freakin’ lot of money!”

“Just someone. I don’t know who.”

“So where did you send the money to?”

“There was an account, so I transferred the money into it.”

“Any possibilities of tracking who it belongs to?”

“You can ask Rokunda. I’m only an amateur.”

Goten frowned at the prospect and shook his head. “Nah.” This would be too much bother. If he had any contact with Ranvera, he could ask him. But alas…

“Well, we haven’t told anyone.”

The third-class’s attention was suddenly occupied by Adriel. “Told what?”

Adriel squirmed. “Well, that you hate elites, and practically attack them on sight.”

Goten relaxed. “Ah, that. I don’t care; you can tell anyone. And I don’t attack them on sight. That’s a blatant lie.”

“You know,” Sildara drawled, “Reyn hates them too. With a passion.”

“Does he?”

“Yeah. Once in a bar he…gh!” He rubbed at his side where Adriel had elbowed him.

“Seriously,” Adriel said, “and you call yourself a communications specialist… It’s Reyn’s business. Leave it to Reyn.”

Although Goten was surprised, it did seem that Adriel could keep a secret when he wanted to. 

All of them filed into the hall. Just as Goten had predicted, five minutes later he was sent to the kitchens. Some things never changed.

TBC


	33. Part 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: **_Starcut’s crew members_** :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 33

Goten tossed a potato into the water bucket where it sank with a splash to join the rest of the peeled potatoes. This was his fifth bucket today. They had kiev cutlets with mashed potatoes for lunch, and now were going to have steak with roasted potatoes for dinner. The chef had put him to good use at once. Despite this, the third-class didn’t complain – this way, at least, he could contribute to _Starcut’s_ life.

As far as Goten had been informed, he was going to substitute for the cook for the next three days. Although it was only his first day, and he started off with lunch, he could see that the chef didn't appear to be a talkative person. Goten was bored. As the third-class wasn’t very good at striking up conversations with people he wasn’t familiar with, this resulted in a rather uncomfortable silence. Goten had tried to break the ice by asking what his daily routine in the kitchens was going to be. The chef explained everything to him in five sentences, and since everything was clear to him, there was nothing Goten wanted to comment on. In hopes that the chef would feel more at ease around him, the third-class resorted to telling the man about his kitchen duty on the base, and the dishes they used to make. This had him and the chef exchange a few tales and recipes, but they exhausted the topic about twenty minutes later. The third-class felt that it was mostly his fault as he couldn’t remember the exact details concerning the dishes, or food preparation in general; he mostly used to do the chopping, slicing, and peeling.

Goten finished peeling the potatoes and took the buckets towards the sink. He poured the potatoes out of one bucket into the basin. He rinsed out the bucket and started washing the potatoes, throwing the clean ones back into the pail.

“…’s som…ne … see …u.”

Goten shut the tap off and turned his head towards the chef who was stirring sauce on the stove. “What?”

“I said Reyn came to see you.”

“Huh?” the third-class wondered, turning toward the counter separating the kitchens from the canteen. “Oh. Reyn?”

“Hi. Having fun?”

Goten wiped his hands on his uniform and leaned against the damp sink. “What?” He grinned challengingly. “Came to bask in my misery? I must disappoint you, though, - I’m pretty content.”

Reyn’s eyebrows rose. “Oh? Bitchy, aren’t we? And here I wanted to offer my help…” He turned to go. “See you.”

“Hey! Hey!” Goten called after him, slapping his palms on the metallic sink. “Kidding! Kidding! Oh, gods, help me out,” he wailed, wringing his hands theatrically when Reyn turned around, “or I’m going to die of boredom!”

Reyn grinned widely. “That’s more like it. Now beg me some more.”

The third-class wagged his finger admonishingly at the flight officer. “Don’t push it.”

“Can’t you just humor me?”

“How about I punch you one instead?”

“Why so aggressive?” Reyn chuckled, rounding the counter and then walking over to the sink to take a look at it. “So what are we having for dinner?”

“Steak and roasted potatoes.”

The flight officer motioned at the sink. “Need help chopping them?”

“Umm… Would you?” Goten wondered.

Reyn’s right eyebrow rose at the third-class. “Hey, I did tell you I came here to help you out.”

“Now you’re making me suspicious…”

“You’re freakin’ annoying,” Reyn said, looking around for a knife. He spotted two on a rack for washed utensils near the sink and reached out to take one.

Goten widened his eyes and gasped in disbelief. “And just yesterday you said I was engaging!”

“When you’re drunk. _Drunk_ , Goten. When sober, you’re annoying as hell.” 

Goten rolled his eyes. He watched Reyn grab a clean bowl; it seemed that the man was serious about helping him out. Goten didn’t feel like pestering him about it; he more or less thought he knew the reason anyway: he had joined Reyn in his toilet duty, and now he was coming to realize just how much Reyn hated to feel indebted.

“So, how is your hangover?” the flight officer asked, sitting down on a bench and pulling the bucket half-full with washed potatoes closer to him.

Goten lifted a second bucket towards the sink and poured the potatoes out. “It’s not too bad,” he said. “It wasn’t so good in the morning, but it’s almost disappeared now.”

“Pity.”

The third-class turned to scowl at him. “You’re pretty annoying yourself,” he noted, opening the tap. He hoped that whatever comeback Reyn had would be drowned out by the racket. It didn’t work as the flight officer simply raised his voice:

“I’m glad our feelings are mutual. How about a spar after we are done with this?” he asked, lifting the knife and the potato he was cutting into smaller pieces.

Unconsciously, Goten touched the fading bruise under his right eye. He started at his wet and cool fingers, becoming aware that he had traced the shiner. “Um. Alright.”

“Does it still hurt?”

Shaking his head, Goten lowered his hand back into the sink. “No, it doesn’t.” He raised his hand again as Reyn was about to open his mouth. “Just don’t say ‘ _pity_ ’ again.”

“I wasn’t intending to.”

“Liar.”

Reyn chuckled. “Damn, you think me too simplistic.”

Goten snickered softly at the sink. “Do I? I don’t even dare think what you think of me.”

Reyn laughed, amused.

The third-class finished washing potatoes and then joined the flight officer on the bench. “Aren’t you supposed to be on duty, on your way to…?” Goten wondered. “What is it called again? _Astar… Estar_ …”

“It’s _Estarde_. I asked Jadenas to switch with me for the rest of the evening.”

“Ah. And the good guy that he is, he agreed at once.”

“Hey, now you make me the bad guy.”

“Well, aren’t you?”

Reyn conked Goten on his forehead with a potato. While the third-class stared at him in stunned indignation, he explained: “ _Estarde_ is an MIRG 258.” Reyn sighed when the third-class’s face remained one big frown. “Meaning that it is a very small passenger spaceship; Jadenas will be back in about two hours. He was pretty glad to be trading places.”

“I know what an MIRG 258 is. There’s absolutely no need to try and beat it into my head.”

“You’re kinda easily upset.”

“You bet I am.”

“I hardly even touched you.”

“Then _don’t_ touch me.”

Reyn rolled his eyes, his face a pure expression of annoyed torture. “Whatever, your highness.” He snorted. “I think your impression of Jadenas is a little bit off. Despite what you think, he isn’t a pushover.”

“I didn’t think he was a pushover,” Goten denied. “He’s just…helpful? Too helpful sometimes.”

“Aren’t you two pretty similar in that respect? Only that you bitch and moan a lot more than him.”

Goten glared at him. “Are you certain you want to piss me off right before going to spar?”

“My, my, aren’t we too full of ourselves?”

Goten glowered at the potato in his hand. Had he known that Reyn would be so bent on pushing his buttons today, he wouldn’t have stopped him from leaving the kitchen. Usually the flight officer avoided saying anything which could spark off a conflict between them. In fact, he had never noticed Reyn getting on the nerves of anyone else in the crew. It seemed that he had chosen Goten to be his scapegoat for diffusing his frustrations. Whatever they were. At this point, Goten couldn’t care less.

“I don’t think that Jadenas and I are similar at all,” the third-class said several minutes later.

Reyn shrugged. “I have known Jadenas much longer than you, but isn’t the mildness of his temperament the reason you like him? Jadenas poses no danger and, as you find it hard to deal with assertive types, you rather like sticking around him. This is where you’re similar. You’re very territorial, though. Well, it’s not as if that’s a bad thing.”

“Uhh…” Goten drawled, taken aback by the litany of presumptions about his character. When he gave it some thought though, Reyn appeared to be very accurate. Goten wasn’t aggressive by nature and was indeed attracted to males with mellow characters. The same was with Kyon. Even Edesha. The ones who posed no eminent danger. He considered whether the prince fell into the same category. Not in the least. The man was too whimsical for his taste. Too stubborn too. And maybe too arrogant. And somehow too pushy.

The knife stopped moving in Goten’s hand. What in the world did he like about the man, then?

The flight officer watched various emotions display themselves one after another on the third-class’s face. “Listen, you’d better forget Jadenas,” he advised seriously. “The twins will kill you. They are crazed enough to do that.”

“What? Oh, no,” Goten said, waving his hands in embarrassment, causing Reyn to shift away from him in case the third-class cut him with the knife he had obviously forgotten he was holding. “You misunderstood.”

“Did I?”

Goten nodded.

“So how are things with Edesha?”

Goten tensed up. “How do you… Haaahhh…” he trailed off with a sigh while lowering his head in defeat. _Starcut_ was a very close community. Everybody knew everything about each other. “Awkward,” the third-class admitted, shifting on the bench uncomfortably. “I’ve kinda been avoiding him since then. I think it’s the same for him.”

Reyn shook his head in compassionate disbelief for the soldier. “Damn, he screwed up royally.” Edesha was pretty picky about his partners and, since he went for Goten, it meant he really liked the youngster. Goten rejecting him must have left a bitter taste in his mouth, not to mention the blow to his ego. “I wouldn’t have guessed you’d mind him so,” Reyn continued. “Or was it something he did wh-”

“Can we not talk about it?”

Reyn chuckled. “Sure.”

“I don’t think I am territorial,” Goten declared a minute later. “I, somehow… Do you think that because of my cabin? It’s the first time I've had my own space after such a long time, so I might be a little too overzea-”

“That too, but I rather meant it in a different way. I mean, you draw a very clear line concerning what is and isn’t allowed to happen to you. You also tend to keep an eye on your friends, don’t you? You seem the type, at least.”

Goten raised his eyes from the potato he had been cutting to look at Reyn. “Huh?”

“Don’t ‘huh’ me.”

“Well, maybe,” Goten agreed. The third-class had presumed that Reyn was bad at judging people’s characters, however, it only took a week for Reyn to know an awful lot about him. This was disconcerting. “I do try,” Goten mumbled. “The thing is, however, that nobody else gives a damn what is and what is not supposed to happen to me.”

Reyn grinned at him. “Look at Edesha. He certainly gives now. Me too. I do know not to annoy you too much as you’re a ticking time bomb.”

“I am not.”

“You are. You can go off at any given moment.”

“Certainly not!”

“Oh, but you can. Who broke my nose just because…”

“Gods, Reyn, leave the damn kid alone before he breaks it again!” the chef spat over his shoulder while seasoning the meat on the cutting board. “Just stop it!”

“Hn.” Reyn grinned. “See? He thinks you’re a ticking time bomb as well.”

Goten sighed. He stood up and went to wash the rest of the peeled potatoes. By the time he washed them and returned to the bench, Reyn had already finished chopping the potatoes he had.

“Man, this is some tedious work,” Reyn complained at the sight of the third bucket.

“You’re free to go any time.”

“Hey, don’t be such an ungrateful bastard; I am doing you a favor.”

“Really? By amusing yourself at my expense? Thanks a lot.”

“What a delicate flower you are!”

“I’ll gut you. Then stuff you with these potatoes and serve you up for dinner.”

“That’s some sick, twisted mind you have.”

“Indeed. I will seek out help as soon as possible.”

“It might be too late already.” Reyn looked at Goten. “If I win the spar, you will clean my cabin. Deal?”

Goten’s eyebrows rose. “And what if _I_ win?”

“Hmm…” Reyn drawled. “Just think of something.” He felt no danger giving Goten the freedom of choice as he had noticed that the boy lacked imagination. Another thing was that the newbie was bound by his own morals. Whatever Goten would think of, it wouldn’t be too bad. Unless he consulted Adriel or Sildara. That would probably result in him dancing in the canteen for dessert after dinner. Naked. The two had one-track minds.

“Umm… Okay. Let’s say then… If I win, you will stop helping me out in the kitchen.”

Reyn gave him a look, then grabbed at his chest with a torturous wail. “That hurt. Here I came with my best intentions to help a friend in need, and you…”

The third-class rolled his eyes. “What did actually happen to the cook?” Goten had asked around, but everyone had been vague. They ahhed and ummed and, in the end, different people told him different diagnoses. The doctor didn’t tell him anything at all as, according to him, one’s illnesses were a private matter. Goten couldn’t agree more, but he was certain that he would feel much more at ease if he knew that those illnesses could not invade his own privacy. And there were always some pretty nasty diseases to catch.

“He’s a drug addict. He overdosed.”

“Reyn!” the chef growled, turning away from the stove to face the flight officer. Reyn merely glanced at him. “What do y-” 

“He’ll find out sooner or later. Besides, Goten doesn’t tattle. Right, newbie?”

The third-class watched the angered and reproachful chef’s face. Goten was aware why Reyn had told him – it was best to be prepared for things like an addict crew member who would suddenly not show up for work, or worse, keel over on the spot. Reyn had a no-nonsense approach to things like these. He probably wasn’t too happy working with an addict either.

“I’ll keep my mouth shut,” Goten promised. As long as the cook was making food and not launching ki attacks, the third-class wasn’t interested in him. Adding too much or not enough salt wasn’t really a problem. Missing one’s target and hitting another was, though.

“That’s a good boy,” the flight officer complimented him.

The chef still looked gloomy and distrustful and Goten decided to ask Reyn for more details when they were alone. They finished cutting potatoes in silence, and Goten headed for the toilets, leaving Reyn to wash buckets and bowls and clean their workplace.

The chef leaned on the counter, absently watching Reyn mop the floor. “You know,” he said in a minute, “you’re going the wrong way about it.”

“Hmm…” Reyn hummed without lifting his eyes off the dirty floor. “Am I?”

ooOoOoOoo

“What the hell are you doing?” the gunnery sergeant asked Goten as soon as he stepped into his cabin.

From the floor which he was currently washing, Goten lifted his eyes to look at the man. “I am washing the floor, sir.”

Reyn snorted at the obvious. 

Monteira looked at the flight officer, who was sprawled on his bed watching Goten work, obviously taking much pleasure in it.

“Is he still bullying you?”

Goten blinked at the gunnery sergeant, then met Reyn’s eyes. “So that’s what you’re doing!” he exclaimed. “Bullying me!”

“Hey, I’m not bullying him!” the flight officer denied. “Well, maybe a little. Just a tiny bit.”

“Goten, you can submit a written complaint to the captain and it will b-”

“Uhhh, sir. I just lost a bet. That’s all.”

“He doesn’t understand jokes,” Reyn explained to Goten. “I’ve been living with him for the last five years and he hasn’t got any sense of humor. You have to be unambiguous with him.”

“Thank you, Reyn, for your priceless clarifications,” Monteira growled. “Goten, why is your left eye black and swollen? Again.”

“That’s because we’ve been sparring, sir,” Goten answered. 

The gunnery sergeant searched Goten’s face thoroughly for some enlightening signs which would tell him whether the youth was telling the truth but found nothing. With a barely discernible nod, he moved towards his bed and sat down on it.

_Great_ , Goten thought, _now I will have the two of them watching me_. He was also certain that now, besides thinking that he was an idiot, Monteira would also think that Reyn was bullying him. Well, in a way, he was.

“So what was the bet?” the gunnery sergeant asked.

“We had a spar,” Reyn answered.

“So you won this time.”

“Yup.”

Monteira’s eyes followed Goten’s journey to the bucket, then watched him wash the rag. “The kid’s only eighteen,” he muttered. “Ten years younger than you.”

“Yeah. Impressive, isn’t he?”

Perturbed, Monteira ruffled through his hair. “I’d say ‘scary’. I have never seen anything like this. And I have seen quite a lot.”

Expressively, Reyn motioned at the third-class, who was wringing the rag into the bucket. “In a few years, I’ll be no match for him.”

Monteira just shook his head in disbelief.

“His fighting style is hard to see through. He’s got excellent reflexes and good intuition. His power level is probably pretty high as well.”

Goten was surprised. Why was it that, when there was someone else around, Reyn had something good to say about him? When they were alone, the older male either said nothing or kept on picking on him.

“Looks good while washing the floor too.”

Goten turned his head to meet Reyn’s amused eyes. The flight officer winked at him. “Just so you won’t get too cocky.”

The third-class laughed softly. Still grinning, he went on washing the floor. The gunnery sergeant, who had seen this exchange, relaxed completely. This, indeed, was a mutual agreement. Their spars were beneficial for them both as well – the workout allowed them to release their tension and, being of nearly the same level, it honed their skills, making them stronger, faster, and more nimble.

“So have you decided about tomorrow?” Monteira asked.

The silence in the cabin lasted for too long and suddenly Goten understood that the question had been addressed to him. He lifted his head. “Huh? Tomorrow, sir? What about tomorrow?”

Reyn and Monteira met each other’s eyes. So nobody had told him.

“It’s Alignments.”

“Umm… Don’t tell me you still perfor-” Goten fell silent at the looks Reyn and Monteira were giving him. “So you do.”

Reyn nodded. Goten dropped the rag onto the floor. Squatting, he rubbed his forehead with his wet hands. He could feel a headache starting. “ _Alignment_ ” was an ancient ritual which was performed approximately every four years when Vegeta-sei, the Moon, and the Sun aligned. It wasn’t so popular anymore and only a few still practiced Alignment as it tended to cause tension and many feuds. It used to be practiced by very small settlements where there was a very real danger of incest. A certain location was chosen by a few tiny settlements and, once every four years, they came there to enrich their genetic pool. More commonly, such events were called orgies.

Just before Goten was born, it was completely abandoned by the people of his village because, a few months prior, someone had killed someone else because he’d slept with the wrong person. The village chief had had enough of that.

Goten couldn’t understand why _Starcut_ would need to practice it. It didn’t make any sense. Even now, _Starcut_ creaked and moaned every evening like a tortured ghost. Besides, there was only one female on board and she’d bite the nuts off anyone who just tried to get close to her.

Reyn burst out laughing at the uncomprehending look on Goten’s face; he found the reaction unbelievably amusing. “It’s just for fun, Goten. And nobody’s going to force you to take part in it. I think usually it’s only five to seven regulars who participate anyway.”

Monteira grinned at the look of relief passing over the third-class’s face. “You’d definitely be popular though.”

Reyn snickered softly while Goten cleared his throat and picked his rag again. Monteira seemed not to have heard anything about Edesha’s recent exploits concerning Goten. If he knew, he wouldn’t have mentioned that.

ooOoOoOoo

When Goten reached his cabin, it was already past twelve. Reyn had insisted he clean every nook and cranny of his and Monteira’s cabin. Only when the third-class pulled the flight officer’s underwear out of his wardrobe and started waving it joyously in the air like a flag did Reyn send him the hell away.

Goten pulled his boots off, undid the buttons of his uniform, and flopped onto his bed. The spar with Reyn, washing the dishes and the kitchen, then cleaning Reyn’s cabin had all left him exhausted, too tired to even take his uniform off. He groped around his bed to find a plastic water bottle and drank half of its contents at once. The flight officer was a real slave driver.

“Lights,” Goten said, capping and lowering the bottle back onto the floor with a soft thump. Enjoying the eye-pleasing darkness, he settled into the bedding. A minute later, he was already asleep.

A loud thumping on his door forced his eyes open again. He was disoriented at first, then realized that it was already time to go to the kitchen and start getting ready for breakfast. He had overslept and the chef had specially come to fetch him.

“Lights!” Cursing under his breath, the third-class rolled out of the bed and pushed his feet into yesterday’s socks and then his boots. “Coming!” He opened the door to meet Reyn’s reproachful face. “Huh?”

“Don’t you ‘huh’ me. Here I offer my help at the kitchen and you readily think I’m going to replace you altogether. Nuh-uh.”

Yawning, Goten rubbed at his eyes. “What was that?” he mumbled, closing the door.

“Nothing, just get your ass to the kitchen.”

“Aren’t you overdoing this?” Goten wondered while they were on their way. “It’s five in the morning! Just go back to sleep, you idiot.”

Reyn chuckled. “A ship is on our radar. The captain ordered me to search it. Edesha and I are off in twenty minutes.”

“Ah, how naïve of me,” Goten muttered, rubbing at his left eye. His fist suddenly froze, his feet rooting to the floor. Inside, the third-class started as if he had been struck by lightning. His hand shot out to grab the flight officer’s uniform. 

Reyn turned around as a sudden tug at his jacket made him stop at once. “Huh? What?”

“What kind of ship is it?”

The flight officer gave him a once over. “What’s with you and ships? You’ve been obsessed recently.”

Only now did the third-class realize that he hadn’t been aware of check-ups taking place during sleeping hours. They were obviously rare as he hadn’t noticed them before, but now the horror of how he had no control over them sank in.

“I was just thinking that I wouldn’t mind taking part in one of the inspections,” Goten said, letting go of Reyn’s jacket. “Just to get acquainted with what needs to be done.”

Reyn shrugged and continued walking down the hall. He snorted. “Only that? I can give you the manual to study.”

“Don’t be an ass. I’m serious. I can learn ev-”

“Goten.” Reyn turned around to give the third-class a look which made Goten close his mouth. “Listen, there’s no way you’re getting outside this ship. You’re untrained, unqualified, and inexperienced. That’s all I have to say about your idea, and that’s all the captain will have to say about it. You stay on the ship. If you want to feel useful, just do what you’ve been doing up until now – help prepare food, clean, try to jolly up the atmosphere.”

All this was said in a serious, authoritative tone, and it was clear to Goten that the discussion was over. If Reyn didn’t agree, there was also Jadenas to ask, but there was also no point in going with Jadenas – it had to be Reyn’s party. The captain might allow him to go on an inspection or two but, as Reyn would not want him in his party, he would be assigned to Jadenas. 

“Fine. So what’s the ship’s name?”

Reyn wasn’t fooled by Goten’s quick retreat. He rolled his eyes with a sigh. “You’re going to try talking to the captain, aren’t you? Just forget it.”

“Just tell me what the ship’s name is and let’s leave it at that.”

“Fuck you,” Reyn spat, pushing Goten through the door into the canteen. “Go and make me a sandwich or something.”

Whirling around, Goten brushed the flight officer’s hand off his shoulder. “Hell, Reyn, can you tell me what the fucking name is or not?”

“Don’t you fucking raise your voice at me!”

“What is the damn ship’s name?” Goten growled out in a hiss. He and Reyn were standing in front of each other, their faces now almost touching. Somewhere at the back of his head, the third-class was astonished at how quickly the situation had gotten out of hand. He could feel the tightness in his jaw, the fur on his tail was bristling, and he was perfectly aware that Reyn was also showing similar signs of aggressiveness.

“ _Argonian Star_. MIKL 252!” Reyn yelled at him. “If you don’t get your ass into the kitchen…”

“Reyn?”

Goten and the flight officer turned to see Edesha standing in the doorway. The soldier appeared to be worried. He gave Goten a questioning look.

“What’s all this noise about?”

The third-class’s attention returned to the flight officer. “I just wanted to know the name of the ship you’re going to.”

“It’s _Argonian Star_ ,” Edesha said. “Anything else?”

“No.”

The soldier turned to Reyn. “What’s the problem?”

Reyn gave him a rather unfriendly look. “No problems at all.” Trying to relax his muscles, he watched Goten walking off in the direction of the counter separating the kitchen and the canteen.

“It’s best you keep away from him,” Edesha warned softly. “He’s only a kid, but you two are of similar strength, skill, and possibly even power levels. It’s only natural his very presence provokes you. Only that we can’t afford to have your little fight for dominance here; you’d tear the ship apart.”

Reyn snorted derisively. “You think I don’t know that? This past week, I’ve been trying to be on my best behavior. I have to tell you that it doesn’t really work. But you know what irritates me most?”

“What?”

“That he doesn’t realize a fucking thing. He just has that confused air about him.”

“Well, he doesn’t seem to be competitive, so maybe that’s why.”

“Or maybe he’s just an idiot,” Reyn threw over his shoulder before walking to the table to sit down.

“Nah, you don’t think that.” Edesha watched him getting comfortable with a suppressed grin. “I’m sorry to say this, but while you were running around in search of Goten and then arguing with him, the time for breakfast was cut short. We gotta go.”

“Fuck it!”

ooOoOoOoo

The lack of sleep and the conflict with Reyn had made Goten irritated and he stayed so throughout the entire morning. He even had malicious thoughts to just leave everything as it is – why the hell should he even try to save that irksome bastard’s ass? Well, of course, it wasn’t as if he had any idea in the first place how he was going to prevent the dream from turning into reality, but it was still an entertaining thought to just do nothing.

He was also seething about somebody having sent his profile to Adriel. What the hell for? To warn them? To inform them? That didn’t make much sense – he wasn’t a psychopath going around killing people. As long as nobody tried to insult, beat, or kill him, he was an absolutely peaceful guy. 

Adriel was probably lying about the profile being sent to him anonymously. Or maybe nobody had sent it at all. The prince had mentioned something about an acquaintance in the Air Force. Maybe he had meant someone from the ship itself? He should have asked. Was it Adriel? Or had his profile come from the outside? From those who put him on this ship? Why was he on this ship at all?

Yet another thing was Kyon’s cookbook. How in the world was he going to return it to Kyon with that lovely death threat from the prince? How many people on Vegeta-sei were named “ _Trunks_ ”? Probably one or two! Was the prince an idiot? Sure it was kind of pleasant and stuff, but also completely senseless, and now he was going to have to tear the page out and get rid of it. And he rather liked that page!

And he badly needed to cut his toenails because his feet could hardly fit into his boots anymore.

ooOoOoOoo

For the most part, _Starcut_ was quiet in the evening. Goten was surprised that there were almost no signs of _Alignment_. If not for the captain announcing that the crew could have the meeting hall for their needs after 8 pm, one wouldn’t even suspect it was performed at all. The third-class couldn’t help but be curious as to who was taking part in _Alignment_. Edesha and a few others from the last party he had attended were first to come to his mind. He was probably wrong though.

Even if the third-class wasn’t taking part in the ritual, his imagination was going wild. He could also hear Jadenas and the twins behind the wall. They were trying to be quiet, but muffled grunts and moans wafting through the steel wall could be easily picked out by a Saiyan ear. It didn’t seem that they were going to stop anytime soon and Goten didn’t feel like interrupting them either. Especially not today.

On his way to the showers, Goten’s senses pricked up and it seemed to him that he could hear different ahhing and oohing here and there. It was probably only his overactive imagination though. 

Just as expected, the showers were empty, and Goten chose his preferred stall at the end of the room. He undressed and hung his clothes and underwear with the towel on the hooks next to the stall.

The ship recycled water: it was gathered from the sewers and cleaned by boiling it. Then the vapor was gathered and heated again, repeating the process until the water became crystal clean. Due to this cycle, the ship’s reservoirs never emptied. However, the crew was encouraged to economize water in case of an emergency. 

There was more sense in showering after, so Goten didn’t waste time and turned all of his attention to his unruly lower part. He touched himself carefully, then ran his fingers across his half-hard length. Taking hold of the base, he started stroking lightly. He drew his left hand over his chest, brushing his nipples lightly. Enjoying the sensations, he closed his eyes.

There wasn’t enough lubrication and Goten groped around the container which hung on the side wall, away from the shower head. He found a bottle and squeezed out a few drops of gel. It was universal washing liquid used for everything: hair, skin, and tail. The third-class rubbed it over his length. He started stroking himself until he brought his cock to full erection. He cupped and rolled his balls in his left hand, then lifted his hand to stroke his chest and tweak his nipples lightly. A soft moan escaped his lips.

Goten’s hips were following the motions of his fist. His breathing had become quicker, shallower. He had supported himself with his palm against the wall as his legs were becoming shaky under the pressure of delight. Goten was close, his wrist working relentlessly to bring him relief.

The third-class lowered his head, the tip of his tongue darting out to wet his dry lips. His mouth was slightly open now while he was gasping with every stroke. He could feel it coming, the precome steadily oozing out of the slit. He was constantly rubbing it with his thumb. Almost, almost there. 

Goten’s mouth locked in a soundless cry, his hips unmoving, but his fist still working, milking out everything till the last bit of pleasure.

With a quiet exhalation, Goten let go of his quickly softening cock. His stomach and the wall were covered in droplets and, still lightheaded, he moved away from under the shower head and turned it on. The water warmed up quickly, and he moved back under the stream to wash himself. The hot water felt wonderful on his skin and Goten planted his hands on the wall in front of him, offering his back to the pleasant treatment.

He was completely relaxed when somebody smacked him on his ass. Startled, with an ear-piercing shriek, Goten jumped sideways. He slipped and hardly managed to catch his balance on the wall in front of him. His head snapped around, his body still in the middle of making a turn. Water was in his eyes, and he blinked rapidly, trying to see who was there. The running water covered all sounds around him. An arm snaked around his waist and he pushed against the invading body in front of him with all his might. The motion got rid of the attacker but it also made Goten slip on the wet floor. His left foot went forward while the rest of him went backwards and then sideways. He started waving his hands about, trying to stop the inevitable fall. The third-class’s head conked against one of the metal hooks, making stars and pain explode. He grabbed at the sore spot. That distracted his attention from his boots arranged next to the stall. He stumbled over them and went down with a crash, knocking his forehead against the cistern of hot water. He fell to the wet floor like a felled tree.

Adriel and Sildara were still helping Edesha to his feet, after Goten had sent him flying into the opposite wall, when a crash made them look over to see Goten thumping against the floor.

They stared at him, confused. “What the…”

“You alright?” Sildara asked Edesha, who was still dazed and huffing while standing up.

“I’m fine, fine.”

“Shit!” Adriel cursed. He moved forward, pulling Goten away from the hot cistern. He pressed his fingers to the side of Goten’s neck to check his vital signs. “What the hell happened?”

“I knew this was a bad idea…” Edesha said, walking over. He stared down at the very naked and very unconscious Goten. “His forehead’s bleeding.”

“His pulse is normal and everything. He’s breathing normally,” Adriel said with a note of relief.

Edesha turned around. “Shut off the damn water,” he said to Sildara. He looked at Goten again. “Let’s get him to the medical room.”

“Tamahi’s in the meeting hall with the rest of the creeps,” Adriel reminded him. “He won’t c-”

“What the fuck are you doing?”

Adriel started at Reyn’s demanding voice. The flight officer had stepped into the shower room unnoticed and was now staring at all of them with an angered look on his face. He pointed at Goten in the middle of the floor. “What’s this?”

“Um.” Adriel suddenly found himself fidgeting guiltily. “Well… It was supposed to be a prank. We just wanted to scare him a little.”

Reyn looked at Goten lying on the wet floor. “Well, I must tell you that your plan was one hundred percent successful. He was so afraid that he started bleeding from his forehead and then blacked out.”

“Err…not really. I’m not certain. I think he slipped and knocked himself out.”

The three crew members seemed to be as bewildered and lost as Reyn was and the flight officer found himself believing them. He relaxed and walked over to the shower stall to take Goten’s towel off the hook. He dropped it over the younger male’s midsection. He squatted down to gather him up into his arms. The thought that this was somehow familiar crossed his mind. “So what the hell did you do?”

“Well… he was showering a-”

Standing up, Reyn hefted Goten up into his arms. “I know very well that he wasn’t showering.”

“Well, okay, he was jerking off, the showering came later. All I did was smack him on the ass.”

“While he was masturbating?”

“After. I’m not lying!”

“Well, in any case, I see why it would make him skittish.” Reyn held out his palm when Edesha opened his mouth. “And I don’t even _want_ to know what _you_ were doing with these two clowns. Grab his clothes,” he said to Sildara with a motion of his head. “Have you no shame?”

“It was just an innocent joke!” Adriel argued.

The flight officer glared at him. “Your only hope is that he doesn’t have a concussion or he might want to write a report on you for sexual harassment. And he would be right. Hell, if he has a concussion, _I_ will write a report on you _myself_.”

Goten stirred, moaning softly.

“He’s coming to,” Sildara noted.

“Yeah.” Reyn watched the youngster turn his head sideways. He lifted his arm to look closer at his face, but Goten’s eyes were still closed. Now Reyn was becoming painfully aware of the bare skin of Goten's upper back and thighs touching his arms. The faint scent of come was still lingering in the showers and he felt himself getting hard.

While he was carrying Goten to his cabin, the youth opened his eyes. Dizzily, he lifted his head to look at Reyn. Confusion flashed over his face.

“What…?” he rasped out, turning his head this way and that. Gray metallic walls were passing before his eyes.

“It appears you’ve knocked yourself out against…a wall?” Reyn half explained and half asked.

“Huh? A wall?”

“I don’t know how, but you seem to be really good at this,” Reyn said, smirking down at him.

Adriel punched Reyn on the shoulder. “It was the hot water cistern. I’m sorry,” the navigator apologized to Goten.

The third-class started, only now noticing Adriel walking a few steps behind Reyn.

“I only… I didn’t think you’d…well… I’m sorry. It was just a joke.”

“I don’t… I don’t think I remember…” Goten lifted his left arm to touch his forehead. A painful lump was forming on it. He lowered his arm and brought his fingers in front of his eyes. They had traces of blood on them. The third-class stared at it until the soft ping of his door drew him out of the trance.

The flight officer carried Goten into the cabin and lowered him onto his bed. While he had been doing that, the towel had rumpled and slid down the third-class’s hips. Reyn reached out to fix it. His hand slid over the side of Goten’s thigh, lingering there before straightening the towel.

“How do you feel?” he asked Goten.

“I think I might have a light concussion,” the third-class said. “Once again,” he added with a roll of his eyes.

“I’ll go and check how Tamahi is doing,” Reyn said. “Or rather if he finished doing it.” He gave a look to Adriel. “Behave while I’m away.” The navigator scowled at him. The flight officer’s eyes drifted over the other two men who shuffled their feet guiltily.

TBC


	34. Part 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Starcut’s crew members:
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 34

The soft beeping in the medical room became more frequent when Goten opened his eyes. He was alone, lying on the operating table. It took him about a minute to realize that the beeping was actually his heart rate. Confused, he stared at the monitor next to the operating table. He turned his head at the sound of the door opening.

“Oh, you’re up,” Tamahi said.

“Umm… Yeah?” 

“How do you feel?”

“Mmm… Fine?”

“Good, good.”

Goten sat up and watched the doctor walk to his desk and shuffle through the papers on it. He was obviously looking for something, and soon became so engrossed in his hunt that he completely forgot Goten.

“Why am I here?”

“We decided to keep watch on you. Well, just in case you got worse,” Tamahi said without even looking at him, his hands pushing the papers this way and that. 

Goten stared at the doctor’s back. A cloud of questions arose out of the mist in his head. He remembered that he had been taking a shower. Then there was a flash of Reyn’s face floating around. It was a mystery to him what happened in the middle. He couldn’t remember how he had reached the medical room either.

“What did actually happen?”

The doctor turned around. He seemed to finally realize what was amiss. “You don’t remember? Well, it’s not unusual. You had a mild concussion. We decided to keep you here for the night.”

“Errr…” Goten touched his head with his hands, groped around, and soon felt a lump on his forehead. “Huh. How did I get this?”

Tamahi leaned on his desk and scratched his chin thoughtfully. “You know, I didn’t actually understand. They were rather incoherent.”

“Who?”

“Adriel and Reyn. Were babbling something about the showers and the hot water cistern.”

Goten tapped the bump on his forehead. “Mmm… Can’t remember a thing. I was showering and th-” he trailed off in sudden realization. “Ah.” 

“Remembered?”

“There was somebody in the showers. I kind of… Somebody attacked me?”

Tamahi gave him a disbelieving look. “Attacked? So this… He hit you on the forehead? Who? What for?”

“Uhh… I don’t know.” Goten rubbed at his face. “Everything’s kind of hazy.”

Both of them started at the howl of alarms suddenly blaring through the entire ship. The loudspeakers clicked into life: “A state of preparedness. I repeat: a state of preparedness.”

The third-class rolled off the operating table. “Hah,” he said once his feet hit the ground and the white sheet fluttered off him and pooled on the floor. “I’m naked.”

“Your uniform is in that cabinet. Move! Go gather your armor from the weapon store!”

“What’s going on?” Goten asked, nearly tearing the cabinet door off its hinges. He grabbed the clothes from the inside and started dressing.

“No idea. Try the meeting hall and follow the announcements. I’m staying here,” Tamahi shouted before bolting through the door and to the weapon store.

A few seconds later, the medic stormed into the room. He was already wearing his armor. He took a look at Goten, then dropped into one of the chairs welded to the floor and belted himself in.

“What’s happening?”

“It seems there’s some trouble with a passing ship.”

“What kind of trouble?” Goten asked, pulling his trousers on and belting them.

“The hell if I know!”

The third-class left Yereli glued to his chair and ran towards the armory. Tamahi was nearly done with putting on his armor and helped Goten to find his fit. Once done, Goten ran to the meeting hall, and the doctor returned to the medical room. The alarm had stopped ringing, but red lamps were blinking all around the ship. Four men who didn’t need to be at their posts were already there, sitting in the chairs, watching the screen on the wall. The metallic shield had also been lifted to reveal the front view from the ship. The blue transparent glow indicated that Starcut’s shields were up. A tiny dot was seen in the distance. 

Goten made his way past the head engineer, one of the maintenance technicians, and the kitchen personnel. All of them were wearing armor and were armed, which made Goten realize that he hadn’t taken any gun for himself. The cook still looked pale and out of it. It was dead silent in the hall. Their foreheads were glistening with sweat, eyes fixed on the screen which showed the magnified view of some ship. The third-class guessed this vessel was the cause of the current tension. Goten felt his legs were becoming leaden.

“Whose party was sent to Morning Moon?” the head engineer asked the men.

“I think it was Reyn’s.”

The head engineer brushed at his damp forehead with his sleeve. There was a spark of relief in his eyes. He muttered something unintelligible under his breath. The chef chuckled.

“What’s going on?” Goten asked, belting himself to one of the chairs close to the other crew members. The name of the ship his crew mates had gone to wasn’t familiar, and he hoped that this wasn’t going to turn into what he had seen in the dream.

“Just before their connection broke off,” the chef started explaining, “Reyn’s team seemed to have found something illegal on that ship.”

“And?” Goten asked.

“And nothing. The line went flat.”

“Maybe they plan on keeping our guys hostage?” the maintenance technician offered.

“Wouldn’t it be simpler to just try shooting our ship down?” the cook wondered.

Goten shook his head. “Not really. Once our shields are up, it’s practically impossible to penetrate them. KIF models are like a fortress, old but tough.” Absentmindedly, he motioned at the ship on the screen. “ZIRs are very fast, but in order to be so, they are very light and small, meaning they had to economize on everything else. Unless it’s custom-made, which I doubt, its weaponry is average, and its shields wouldn’t hold against our direct attacks for too long. Its best course of action would be to get out of our shooting range as soon as possible.”

The head engineer eyed the third-class. The youth seemed to be quite knowledgeable about spaceships, especially keeping in mind he was a complete novice to space traveling. This was becoming more and more curious.

The chef asked, “Are they trying to get away?”

Nohail shook his head. “No. They are keeping the same speed and course. We are moving after them while keeping our distance.”

The screen on the wall blackened, then Sildara’s head appeared. “We still haven’t received any news from our team. There is no news from Morning Moon either.”

“How long have they been there?” Goten asked. “I mean since we lost the connection.”

“For more than half an hour.”

Goten shook his head in dismay. “Too long. Listen, can you check this ZIR more thoroughly? I have a feeling that it’s not really Morning Moon.”

“Yeah, I did that already. Your suspicions are right. It does seem that it’s ZIR 361. There’s a 95% chance that its real name is Domera. I’ve already contacted other patrolling ships. Two are on their way. It will take time though. Up to twenty-four hours.”

The head engineer let out a row of curses.

Goten’s eyebrows rose. “So it’s the pirate ship we were ordered to attack on sight, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And you hadn’t checked it more thoroughly before sending our guys onboard?”

From the screen, Sildara glared at the third-class. “Do you know anything about how disguising software works?”

“Not a thing.”

“Then shut your mouth.”

The screen went blank at the same time as Goten raised his hands, giving up. The third-class dropped his hands on his thighs with a slap and sighed.

“Hey, at least let us see the damn ship!” the maintenance technician shouted at the static screen. “Hey, Sildara! Turn it back on, don’t be an ass! Sildara!”

Goten scratched the back of his head. “He can’t hear you. Sorry.”

“Just great.”

The third-class turned his head towards the glass to stare at the dot far away. Not so far away anymore, in fact. It was getting closer. He wondered if it was Starcut moving towards it, or if the other ship was moving towards them. Goten figured it was the former: if there had been no demands and no threats, then it was only natural that Starcut was moving closer to it. In silence, they watched the ship.

About ten minutes later, the screen buzzed to show Sildara’s head and then blanked out again. The screeching sound of static followed. Goten covered his ears to protect them from the deafening noise.

“Turn it off!” the head engineer yelled to the chef, who sat closest to the terminal.

“Starcut, this is Reyn Dueri. Starcut, this is Reyn. Do you read me?”

Everyone in the meeting hall froze, and Goten moved his hands away from his ears so as not to miss a word.

“Yes, Reyn, we can hear you loud and clear.”

“We have a situation here. Can you get me Adriel, or better yet, both Adriel and Rokunda?”

“Sure.”

“Reyn, report your situation.”

This was the captain’s voice.

“The situation is that this damn ship is on autopilot, Captain. I am not qualified to pilot ZIRs. Hell, I can’t understand what half of these switches are. I can’t access their terminal either. Rokunda, how long will it take to break through their security?”

“Havsh yush the USBsh ish gaivsh yush?”

“Yeah, I already stuck it into their main terminal. It seems to be doing something.”

“Gudsh. Faivsh oursh.”

“Five hours?” Reyn’s voice took an edge. “That’s… Well, okay. Adriel, be ready to overtake control of the ship in five hours.”

“Understood.”

There was more screeching static, then the sounds of steps broke through. It seemed that the flight officer was walking somewhere. Besides Reyn’s steps and his rhythmical breathing, they couldn’t hear any other sounds.

“What’s your status, Reyn?”

“Everything’s under control, Captain. We took over the ship,” the flight officer reported. “Well, will take over as soon as we can pilot this bitch.”

The meeting hall was filled with relieved exhalations. Goten heard Sildara’s relieved groan followed by Adriel’s exultant whoop. It was a weight off the third-class’s shoulders as well.

“Roger that. Need backup?”

“No, but you can send the medical team in. There are wounded here.”

“On whose side?”

“The enemy’s”

“Can you give me a detailed report, Reyn?”

“Yes, Captain. It seems they knew that all patrols had been informed about them. They allowed us onboard because they thought we’d open fire otherwise. They wanted hostages. There’s a lot of stolen equipment onboard. A large shipment of guns too, just like the reports were saying.” Reyn’s voice was losing its anxious edge with every word. Soon he started to sound like his usual self. “I’m pretty sure this is the same Domera that just recently attacked a carrier. The crew was mainly made up of Nondrens. About fifteen.”

“Casualties?”

“None on our side. Three pirates are seriously wounded, others dead.”

“Roger that. We’ve contacted other patrolling ships. Two of them are headed our way. We are sending the medical team now. They will reach you in fifteen minutes. Be prepared.”

“Roger that. Damn, Edesha, don’t touch that! What happened to your arm?”

“Probably broken. Nothing serious.”

“And yet we also need medical help,” Reyn said.

“Roger that.”

“Say, Reyn, will they let us keep any of these guns?”

“If you ask them, they won’t. But if you quickly stash some of them away in our shuttle, it’s a different matter. Take that one and that, and th-”

“Reyn, this is an open line,” Sildara warned.

“Damn. Just joking. Hahaha. Was very funny, wasn’t it? Haha. A great joke. Put that down. End of report. Edesha, leave it! Out.”

When the line returned to static, Goten found himself grinning in relief. The lights flickered and the red alarm lamps died out, the ship returning to its common routine.

ooOoOoOoo

When the state of preparedness was cancelled, the technical team went to the runway to send Jadenas and the medical team off to _Domera_ , aka _Morning Moon_. They returned half an hour later with the three injured pirates. Goten didn’t miss his chance to observe and gawk at everything his crew mates were doing. He followed the pirates into the medical room and to the operating table he had woken up on just a little less than an hour ago.

Just as Reyn had said, the three Nondren pirates were seriously wounded. Tamahi and Yereli started operating on one of them at once. Goten had stayed and was curiously observing the process. The patient’s ribs had been broken, pushed inside, puncturing his lungs and obstructing the heart’s functions as well. Once Tamahi removed the dressing he had previously put on the open wound, a gargling, choked breathing was heard. The Nondren was gasping for air, his face a shade of purple. It was surprising that he hadn’t suffocated by this time. Tamahi pushed some kind of tubes in between the Nondren's ribs. At that point, Goten became lightheaded and quickly left the room.

“You okay?” Jadenas asked at the sight of Goten’s ashen face. He watched the youngest crew member lean against the wall next to the door. 

Goten took in a few deep breaths before answering. ”I think my career as a doctor is doomed in advance.”

“Ah. They are operating on him? Don’t sweat it. I got sick the first time I observed them.”

Goten leaned against the wall for a few more minutes, then felt he was getting better. “What are you doing here?”

The pilot motioned at the door Goten was leaning next to. “I’m keeping watch. It’s three pirates inside, after all. Nondrens at that.”

“Umm… Shouldn’t you be inside, then?”

“Well, yeah, I was ordered to. But you were there.” He chuckled when Goten’s eyebrows curved up. “As I said, I’d only add to the mess, and they are nearly dead anyway; even Yereli can take all of them on.”

“I see. So how is it on _Morning Moon_?”

Jadenas shrugged. “It’s fine. Hazel and Mirun have finally managed to extinguish the fire in the kitchens. Edesha has gotten his arm tended to and has already looted all the bodies. Reyn has somehow managed to convince him they shouldn’t touch any of the equipment, though.”

“I know Reyn sometimes does things just for the hell of it, but I didn’t think Edesha had it in him… He seems rather…”

“Mmm? He’s a die-hard type. It’s only between us, but his salary isn’t high, and what’s the use of being a soldier if there are no spoils of victory?”

“True. That aside, what did actually happen once Reyn and his team set their feet on Morning Moon?”

“Do you think I did nothing, only wagged my tongue, once I touched down? Those three half-dead bastards didn’t get up and walk to my shuttle on their own, you know. We’ll have to wait for Reyn’s written report. As usual, Hazel will be the first to write his, but his reports are rather hard to stomach. He tends to concentrate and ramble on about technical details.”

“But that’s good, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, if you’re interested in what kind of armor the enemy was wearing, how many holes were in it and by what kind of gun they were made, what kind of guns they were wielding, and what the velocity and power of the laser beam which nearly hit Hazel in the head were. Mark my word, you will find all the descriptions of every gun he had ever set his eyes on once on Morning Moon.”

“Well, at least his brother must find his reports engrossing.”

“He does! I’m certain they write those reports only for each other to read!” 

“Like love letters.”

Jadenas eyed Goten suspiciously. “You know, I think they kinda are.”

“You’re jealous!”

“I’m not! It’s just…”

Goten wasn’t certain whether he wanted to laugh or try to comfort the flight officer. The very idea that he was amused made him feel somewhat guilty. He liked Jadenas and he was a good guy, but wasn’t this what this kind of relationship eventually brought? It was fun at first, but once feelings got involved, it would churn out more and more jealousy, misunderstandings and, sooner or later, hate. That much was painfully clear, even for Goten. Saiyans didn’t share easily, whether it was food, loot, or sex partners. 

The third-class wondered if he was doing what Reyn had warned him about – thinking that Jadenas was a pushover. He was really of the impression that the twins were somehow using the flight officer. He did realize, however, that the reason for that was, very likely, the fact that there were two of them. This caused his feeling of imbalance in that particular relationship. When he dug even deeper, he could see that this particular feeling of imbalance was caused by his own conservative views. 

“A credit for your thoughts,” Jadenas said to Goten, who had been standing motionless, seemingly sunk in contemplation. 

“I was thinking that I’m a complete country bumpkin.”

“Huh.” Jadenas laughed. He ruffled Goten’s hair playfully. “Well, you are, but a good sort of bumpkin.”

The third-class gave him a sheepish glance from under his arm. He suddenly thought that it would be a good idea to go and check whether he was needed in the kitchen before things became any more embarrassing.

The chef nagged at Goten for not showing up earlier, which the third-class accepted as inevitable; he had forgotten all about his duties, due to unexpectedly waking up in the medical bay and then being sidetracked by the attack on his crew members. He sincerely apologized and hoped the chef wouldn’t complain to the captain or someone else.

The canteen was buzzing during lunch. The medical team was present too, sharing the news about two recovering patients and one dead body. Goten was listening to the conversations closely, but nobody seemed to be discussing just how exactly Reyn’s team managed to overcome fifteen Nondrens. Even Jadenas had become defensive when he had asked him that. Goten was particularly curious about this fact.

All Nondrens were about the same strength and power. A Nondren was roughly equal to an average second-class Saiyan. There was always a greater chance for a Saiyan to win when faced with a Nondren though, as most Nondrens lacked quick reaction times and fighting skills. That didn’t explain how four Saiyans had dealt with about fifteen Nondrens. The third-class thought he knew the answer though. He hoped that now he would finally be able to corner Reyn.

ooOoOoOoo

From the steak on his plate, Reyn raised his eyes to give Goten an uncomprehending look. “What are you talking about? We acted according to a mind-blowing plan Edesha suggested. Bang! Crash! Thonk! Wham!” He held his thumbs up at Edesha. “Awesome plan, mate!”

Edesha looked at him through the rim of his mug. “Riiight.” His face was blue and black as if he had been run over by a tank. His right arm was in a sling. In comparison to that, except his burnt and ragged uniform and a few minor bruises, Reyn was almost without a scratch. And even then, Goten wasn’t certain if he got those during the fight on Morning Moon or during his and Reyn’s spars.

Goten crossed his arms over his chest. “So what was the plan?”

Reyn looked surprised. “I told you,” he said, starting to wave his hands about. “Wham! Crash! Bang! Two down! Thud! Kaboom! Whoosh! Five down! Bong! Zzzip! Slam! Ten do-”

Goten snorted. “Asshole.” He tried to hide his grin inside his mug but was unsuccessful. He tried to take a sip, but chortled instead, spraying the tea all over the mug and his face. He wiped at it with his sleeve. From across the table, Reyn was watching him with a grin on his face.

“And how have you been doing?” He motioned at Goten’s forehead. “Any headache?”

The third-class touched the painful lump on his brow. “Concerning that. What the heck happened? I am taking a shower and the next thing I know, I am in the medical room!”

“Hah. You don’t remember?”

Edesha sat completely still, watching with relief when Goten’s index finger zeroed in on Reyn. The flight officer at least had a fair chance to defend himself in case Goten went mental. 

The third-class eyed Reyn suspiciously. “Was it you? I remember your face! What the hell did you do?”

“He says he remembers my face,” the flight officer said to Edesha, who snorted into his mug in mutual disbelief and hidden relief. Reyn looked back at Goten. “Well, you’d better.”

“Reyn!”

The flight officer gave him an innocent look. “Gods, Goten, would I ever do something like that to you?” he asked, pointing at the third-class’s bruised forehead.

Goten rolled his eyes. “Keeping in mind that you don’t exactly like me, yes, you would.”

Reyn studied him for a few moments. “Well, yes,” he said grimly, “our relationship is probably not as close as yours and Adriel’s.”

The third-class frowned at him. “What’s with that?”

Reyn thought about dragging it out some more, just to make Edesha squirm and to annoy Goten, but then felt that he was getting fed up with the whole thing. He felt tired and simply wanted to go to sleep. “Well, it must be pretty close for him to smack you on your ass while you were showering. And I hear you were so happy that you jumped two feet into the air and then whammed your head against the hot water cistern. So excited, you were!”

Goten stared at him. Reyn could nearly see him digesting the information. Then a dangerous grin stretched over the youth’s face. “Can you look after my meal?” he asked, leaning away from the table, already lifting his legs over the metallic bench. “It won’t take too long.”

Reyn grinned. “Sure.”

Edesha shook his head once Goten hurriedly left the canteen. He didn’t blame Reyn for telling on Adriel. It had been an accident, but even then he felt ashamed of himself for childishly sulking. At least the flight officer didn’t mention anything about him taking part in that stupid prank.

“Thanks.”

Reyn didn’t say anything, settling down on simply consuming his dinner. He more or less could guess why Edesha took part in it. The soldier was upset by Goten brushing him off. The youth hadn’t been subtle about it either, making his escape just before the culmination, which was thoughtless of him. Now Goten avoided even talking to him. Probably Adriel and Edesha were discussing Goten and then had an idea for payback. It turned out a bit differently than imagined.

“He’ll find out anyway,” Reyn muttered. “I suggest you leg it before he comes back; he can be pretty fierce when he’s pissed off.”

“Tell me about it,” Edesha said, standing up.

Reyn finished his steak and his coffee, pushed his dishes away and slumped over the table to wait for the third-class’s return. He realized he had fallen asleep when he felt someone poking him on his arm.

“Mrrm?” he hummed, raising his head and wiping at his face. “‘s you.”

“You don’t make a good guard,” Goten notified him, pulling his cold dinner closer to him and tearing into it with a ravenous appetite.

“I’m not supposed to; I’m a pilot.”

“So he left already.”

Reyn blinked at him sleepily. “Who? Ah, Edesha. Yes.” He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so tired. “He was rather afraid you’d tear his head off.”

“I wouldn’t have,” Goten said. He chewed and swallowed a piece of steak, then took a sip of his cool tea. “I do understand I kind of insulted his pride,” he continued. “I would have yelled a lot though.”

Yawning, the flight officer rubbed at his eyes. “Same fucking thing.” He shook his head. “Going to sleep.”

“Tired? So what really happened on Morning Moon?”

Reyn groaned. “Just leave it alone, Goten. Or do you want to hear about Edesha’s great plan again?”

“I’ll read your report anyway.”

“Be my guest.”

Goten shrugged. “You can congratulate me.”

“Huh? On what?”

“I got three months of latrine duty.”

Reyn blinked at him. Then he grinned. “You punched him. On the captain’s bridge, in front of the captain.” 

“Yup.”

“That’s nice. Looking forward to working with you.”

“I was already working with you, idiot,” Goten pointed out.

Reyn let out a long loud yawn. “You seriously can’t take those kinds of jokes, can you?” he said, standing up, gathering his dishes by almost blindly groping around on the table.

“I hate them.” 

Goten instinctively leaned away when Reyn reached out for his face. He stared at the outstretched hand from the safe distance. He raised his eyes to meet the flight officer’s curious gaze.

“I just thought that you heal incredibly fast. The bruise I gave you has almost faded away. The lump on your forehead is also much better already since I saw it last. Why is that?”

“Uh. Dunno.” Goten squirmed under Reyn’s intent eyes. “It just is.” The third-class sniffed at the air. “What’s that smell?”

Reyn looked around, but they were alone in the kitchen. “Probably me. Been sweating like a pig.” He lifted his arm and sniffed at his armpit. He gagged. “Definitely me.” He groaned at the unpleasant discovery. “Will have to take a shower before bed…so sleepy.”

“Not you. Something’s…”

“Hmm…” Reyn looked under the table. “Ah, Mister Elite. Right at your feet.”

Not certain whether Reyn was making fun of him or telling the truth, Goten shifted sideways and bent down to look under the table. Two yellow eyes stared at him from the black muzzle. The third-class felt the urge to kick the animal.

“Why the hell is he following me around?”

“Mmm…he likes you?” Reyn offered. “Or maybe hates you. You never know with cats.” He yawned. “Oh, gods, I’m beat. Have fun.”

Goten watched the flight officer carry his plates towards the counter and leave them. The chef was already gone, meaning that Goten would have to wash them. Keeping in mind how tired Reyn was, it was also clear that Goten was going to clean the toilets alone. Not that he minded much.

ooOoOoOoo

One of the patrol ships arrived the next morning. As it was about to head back to Earth, it overtook control of Morning Moon aka Domera. Jadenas transported the Nondren who died during the operation back to his ship too, and then both Jadenas and Hazel, who were the last to stay on the pirate ship, returned to Starcut.

Even though everyone on Starcut was glad that they succeeded in getting rid of the pirate ship and their bodies, there was still the question of the two Nondrens recovering in the medical room. It wasn’t safe to transport them yet, thus it had been decided that they would stay on Starcut. This unnerved the crew as they couldn’t ki-cuff the patients yet, and the only security barrier between the medical room and the rest of the ship was the door.

Goten was busy since early morning, helping to prepare breakfast, then washing the dishes. He had a break of two hours during which he mooched about, watching what his crew mates did. He also tried to find out whether Reyn had written his report, but it seemed that the flight officer was still asleep and nobody knew anything about any report. Hazel had returned to Starcut only an hour ago, thus it was obvious that he hadn’t written his either.

After lunch, Goten could be found in the showers, filling a bucket with lukewarm water. From the container on the side wall, he took the bottle of universal washing liquid. The gloves lay ready close to the bucket. Goten put them on while the water was flowing into the bucket.

Adriel’s head appeared in the doorway. The soft ping of the opening door didn’t attract Goten’s attention at all as the toilet and showers calmed down only in the evening. Carefully, not certain what reaction to expect, Adriel gave the third-class’s back a tentative look. The youngest crew member was squatting down in front of a bucket and seemed to be waiting for it to fill up.

He had intended to talk to Goten earlier, but there had been no time. Only now, when all of the patrolling ships left, was he freed from his post. He was relieved that, after conking his head like that, nothing bad happened to Goten (of that he had been assured when the guy’s punch knocked him off his feet).

When the third-class stood up and turned around, he was met by Adriel’s indecisive posture. He gave the navigator a questioning look.

“Well, I wanted to apologize. That was kind of…”

“I’m still thinking that maybe I should bash your boyfriend’s face in too.”

“I’m certain he’ll apologize as well.”

“He’d better,” Goten said, walking past him.

There was nothing else left for Adriel to do except to follow him to the toilets and then outside into the corridor. Goten was wearing gloves, but had left the bucket and the universal washing liquid in the showers. 

“Where are you going?” Adriel asked curiously.

“I’m looking for Mr. Elite.”

“Huh? What for?”

“He stinks like hell.”

“Yeah, he sure does. And?”

“I’m going to wash him.”

Adriel’s brow rose while he stared at the third-class, wondering whether he was serious or kidding. “You’re serious,” he decided finally. 

“Well, sure I am.”

“Did you tell Monteira?”

“No. I figured that if he were interested in washing his cat, he would have already done it ages ago.”

“You’re one hundred percent right, of course. Won’t you get into trouble?”

“For washing a pet? Oh, c’mon!”

“Mm… when you put it that way… Hey! Here he is!” He pointed at Mister Elite, standing in front of the door leading to Goten’s cabin. His yellow stare was firmly locked on the metal door, waiting for it to open at any second so that he could slip inside. After seeing Goten walk over, the cat meowed happily, certain that now he would be granted entry.

Goten sighed. “I don’t understand why he is so bent on getting into my cabin. And why he keeps following me in general. Ah.”

“What?”

“Reyn said you can change the code to my door. I wanted to ask you for some time but it keeps slipping my mind.”

A shit eating grin spread over Adriel’s face. “So you want to change the code, huh? So wanking off in the showers isn’t good enough anymore?”

Fire spread over the third-class’s face. “And whose fucking fault is that?” he hissed.

The navigator kept grinning. “So, wanking off it is.”

“What else could it be, you idiot!”

“The hell if I know! Maybe you have a hobby of dressing as a woman, eating kids, or maybe you like putting your underwear on your head and dancing around your chair!”

Goten glared at him. “I don’t think there would something wrong with me putting my underwear on my head and dancing around my chair,” he said matter-of-factly. “It would be my head, my underwear, and my chair!”

Adriel rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine. I’ll change the code. Yeesh!”

“Meow!”

Both men looked at the cat rubbing against Goten’s legs. He bent down to pick him up. The cat wriggled about, trying to get free, but then it became clear that he would only succeed in that if his claws came into play. As nothing bad was happening to him (yet), he decided to wait. 

Mandro was heading to his room when he caught sight of the backs of two men. A black tail was waving from under one’s arm. He quickened his pace to catch up with them. After hearing what was up, he joined the trio.

“I don’t think cats like water,” Mandro warned when they stepped into the shower. 

“That’s why I have the gloves,” Goten said, lifting his hands and the cat to show him. “I’ve seen the wooden planks under the washing-machine where he sharpens his claws. Those furrows in the wood look pretty serious to me.”

Mandro grinned. “Well, you seem to be fully prepared.”

Goten had the cat, and there was the bucket filled with water in front of him, but he suddenly wasn’t so certain how to proceed. To wet Mr. Elite was going to be easy – he would just dunk him into the bucket repeatedly until he got wet. But how was he going to pour the shampoo on the cat and rub it into his fur? He would need one free hand for that and he didn’t want to risk it with these razor-sharp nails.

“Adriel, you will help me.”

“Okay.”

The cat was watching the bucket with an apprehensive look in his eyes. Mr. Elite’s tail was twitching nervously, and then the bucket filled his vision. He wanted out and fast.

Goten cursed loudly when all four of Mister Elite’s legs started climbing over him. The cat twisted and turned his claws, finding purchase on Goten’s arms unexpectedly easily. The third-class peeled the cat off him, grabbed his front paws into his left and hind legs into his right hand. Mister Elite could nearly bend in half so it wouldn’t be difficult to dunk him into the water.

“Should work,” Adriel said above Mr. Elite’s hissing and spitting protests. He opened the bottle of the universal washing liquid. 

Holding the struggling cat, Goten looked at the scratches on his gloves. In some cases the claws went right through them. “I think if I ever decide to do this again, I’ll put on some armor.”

“A good idea,” Mandro agreed.

The soft ping of an opening door was heard in the showers, and soon Jadenas was standing behind their backs. “What the hell are you doing here?” He took a closer look. “Oh, shit. You serious?”

Goten didn’t have time to answer how serious he was because, at that point, Mr. Elite managed to free his front paws. Immediately, they dug into the third-class’s arm with unforgettable relish. Trying to take those paws away ploughed ten deep drenches in the third-class’s skin. Goten’s first instinct to the sudden pain was to power up, which, in order to avoid more bloodshed, he did.

Nobody was certain what happened after that. There was an explosion, a screeching roar and Goten was tossed backwards, while a smoking ball of puff whooshed forwards and into the wall. The ball flopped against it and then bounced away, rolled over on the floor a few times and accelerated in the direction of the door. It didn’t open and the screeching and smoking ball of fluff started bouncing around the toilets in circles.

Stupefied, Goten got to his shaky feet. His hair was pointing in all directions but mostly it was upright. A faint smoke was coiling from his hair upwards to the ceiling. He stared at the bouncing ball. It seemed as if bolts of electricity were coursing through it. Then the third-class’s attention was drawn to the floor next to him. Adriel was rolling around, faint with laughter. Mandro couldn’t even laugh, his mouth was open, tears rolling down his cheeks while he was smacking his palm against the wall repeatedly. Jadenas was squatting down, his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking.

Goten coughed spasmodically, then beat with his fist on his chest to relieve the tension. He felt as if he had just gotten electrocuted. He staggered towards the door and let the poor animal out. The cat shot through the door like a rocket.

“Hey, you…hahaha…idiot!” Adriel howled with laughter. “What will…hahaha…you do…haha…if Monteira sees…hahaha…him like that?”

Goten tensed. “Ummm…. Riiiight.” He walked into the corridor unsteadily, but there was no sign of Mister Elite. Lost, the third-class lingered at the door, then turned back in to the showers. 

“Hahaha!” Adriel squealed, breathless. “I think I peed my pants!”

Goten coughed to clear his throat. Mandro was beating his head against the wall, seemingly about to suffocate from laughter, and the third-class turned to look at Jadenas, who seemed to be regaining his senses. “What the hell happened?”

The question made the flight officer break into giggles again. “Well,” he started explaining between his laughter, “cats’ fur can be electrified easily. And then you powered up and your electric fields clashed. Yeah, I think that’s what happened.”

“Umm… Won’t this harm the cat?”

Jadenas burst out laughing again. “Well, he seemed extremely lively, so probably he’s okay.”

Goten brushed his hand over his forehead. He winced when his fingers rubbed against the bruise there. So much for his attempt to wash Mr. Elite. He didn't believe he would try this again. At least not in the near future.

TBC


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: _**Starcut’s crew members**_ :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com)

Part 35

Goten was sitting in the kitchen at one of the tables, alone, drinking his lukewarm tea. His eyes would sometimes linger on the file in front of him, then shift to his mug, the opposite wall. Everybody had gone to bed already, maybe except for Rokunda and Adriel. Rokunda could sleep anywhere, anytime, and Goten would frequently notice her slumbering over her terminal. Goten didn’t really understand when Adriel slept. He always seemed to be present on the captain’s bridge or could be found walking around the ship, just like his boyfriend.

The third-class had just returned from his latrine duty. Before that, he had washed the dishes and mopped the floor in the kitchens. He had also prepared three buckets of potatoes for tomorrow’s breakfast. Reyn didn’t show up for his latrine duty. This was already the second time, and the third-class wondered whether the flight officer wasn’t taking advantage of his service. That didn’t seem to be very Reyn-like behavior, but who knew.

Goten pushed his mug aside and took the file. This was Reyn’s report, fresh from Adriel’s printer. Goten opened it. He skipped the very beginning and concentrated on what had happened on _Domera_. While reading, he had to admit that he liked Reyn’s style: it was clear and laconic, no unnecessary information cluttering it. It seemed that Reyn was pretty good at grammar, not that Goten was an expert – writing wasn’t his forte.

However, the problem was that his style was so laconic that, when Goten finished reading the report, he was perfectly familiar with what happened on _Domera_ , but still had no idea _how_ it all happened. The report looked perfectly normal unless one was interested in how exactly all the events transpired. 

Goten stared at the last few sentences. “What the hell?”

Little did he know that the captain was saying exactly the same words, referring to the same report, at about the same time. He closed it and waved the file in the air.

“Reyn, I can’t accept this.”

The flight officer gave him an unhappy look. “Why?”

“What do you mean ‘why’? You know perfectly well why! It’s missing some essential information.”

Reyn shifted in the chair the captain had offered him before starting to read his report. This was giving him a headache. It took him three whole hours to write that damn report before the end result satisfied him, and the captain was still not happy with it. 

“Well, it is. So what? It’s not like I can tell the truth.”

The captain dropped the file onto his desk. He sighed. “I’ve read the reports from the rest of your team. There were fifteen Nondrens on board. Edesha killed two of them and wounded one. Hazel killed one and wounded one more. Mirun killed one. Four dead and two wounded. No matter how I count, we are missing eight deaths and one fatal injury.”

“Okay, so next time I will pulverize them into dust so that nobody will be missing anything.”

Reyn was obviously annoyed by the inquest and the captain gave him a warning glance. The flight officer lowered his eyes to his lap. Irritated, he scratched the back of his head, but stayed silent.

“I will readjust the count so that the death toll will be shared more equally between you and your teammates,” the captain said. “It will still look strange if someone decides to read the report more thoroughly, but it will be less suspicious. Send me the digital copy of your report. I’ll ask the same from the rest of your team. Later, you will read and sign the final version.”

Reyn nodded. “Will do. I don’t think anyone will bother though. Not right now. They can stay as they are. If they decide to interrogate the pirates, the numbers will be off again. It will cause an even bigger mess.”

The captain gave the flight officer a look. Despite the fact that Reyn had just effortlessly promised to send the reports, he was still arguing. Reyn didn’t usually talk back, at least not to his superiors. The thing was, the flight officer wanted to avoid involving his teammates. 

“Given the current situation, I don’t think they will care, nor will they have time for interrogations. And even if they do, they won’t believe the pirates. I can’t pass in your report like that. It’s nine missing deaths we are talking about.”

“Fuck, should’ve just finished them all off!”

The captain shrugged. “Too late for that now.” He looked at the report on his desk. This was already the fourth time he was meddling with Reyn and his teammates’ reports during Reyn’s career on _Starcut_. There was an unspoken agreement between Reyn and his teammates that, in cases like this, their reports only concentrated on what they did, leaving Reyn out. There was no need to guess what happened. 

The captain could still remember the first time he had to fabricate the flight officer’s report. It was five years ago and Reyn had just been freshly transferred to _Starcut_. They had captured a large shipment of guns as well as a few key members of the Tongerian faction. _Starcut_ had been ordered to immediately deliver the prisoners and goods to the nearest colony. However, soon after landing, while they were leading the shackled outlaws onto the premises of the local police power building, they were attacked. It was an attempt to free the leaders. Total chaos ensued, the local police running around like chickens with their heads cut off, not understanding what was happening or who the enemy was. _Starcut’s_ crew, meanwhile, tried to hold them off. It all ended with Reyn powering up. 

He hadn’t questioned Reyn back then and he wasn’t going to do it now. Despite the fact that Reyn sometimes did things his own way, he was disciplined and tried not to cause too much trouble. The captain had also been quick to notice that he was capable as a small party leader. Reyn also avoided intimate relationships with his coworkers, which made him a perfect choice as a team leader. He thought that his decision to promote a newbie might meet with a few protests, but it had been accepted without any commotion.

ooOoOoOoo

From the corner where he was sitting, Mister Elite was staring at Goten with unconcealed hatred, watching the third-class having his breakfast. His fur had finally smoothed out and stopped shooting sparks this way and that. Mr. Elite wasn’t certain what had happened, but the cause was this two-legged abomination contently stuffing his face with wonderful smelling meat. It was a pity he couldn’t get into the creature’s lair and shit into his boots. He was certain, however, that the opportunity would soon present itself. He was looking forward to it.

“Hi.”

The third-class turned his head towards Adriel, who was climbing over the bench with a tray in his hands.

“Hi.”

“Fixed your lock,” the navigator said, lowering the tray onto the table. He rummaged about his pockets, then pulled out Goten’s keycard. “Here. Reprogrammed it.”

“Thanks a lot,” Goten said, taking the card. He twirled it around between his fingers, inspecting it, though, of course, there was no change visually.

The navigator sat down, arranged his plates on the table, then pushed the tray away. “I will have to give the new combination to Rokunda for her to enter it into the common database. You know, in case of emergencies or in case you lose your keycard.”

The third-class nodded. “Sure.” He pocketed the card. “Have you read Reyn’s report?”

“Not yet. Didn’t have time for that. Still have to write mine. Pain in the ass if you ask me.”

“Hmm…” Goten drawled. He didn’t know if he believed Adriel. He, just like the rest of the crew, must be avoiding any discussions concerning the events on _Domera_. 

Whatever. It was not as if he didn’t know why they were doing it.

Adriel motioned at the cook, who was present today and busying himself with washing the dirty dishes from the counter. “Today is your last day in the kitchens, isn’t it?”

“Well, sorta. It’s not that I have many things to do, so I’ll be helping them out from time to time.”

“That’s what you think. I have news for you. The captain said that you will have to watch over the two pirates in the medical room. We can’t ki-cuff them yet, because it would hinder the healing process, so they are just lying there. Tamahi and Yereli can keep watch over them alternately, but there might be times when they will have to leave.”

“I don’t mind. Will I be issued a gun?”

“What the hell for?” Adriel chuckled. “Well, sure. If you want one. Just ask Monteira for one. I don’t think they will stay on board so long as to recover to that extent. As soon as they are better, we’re going to drop them off.”

“I see. So when do I start?”

“Immediately. The captain didn’t give me any details, so I think you and the medics can make up a convenient schedule yourselves. The most important thing is that the pirates aren’t supposed to be left alone.”

The third-class nodded. The talk about guns made him realize that he hadn’t held a sword in his hands since he left the base. Not good. He was going to lose skill. He had to take a closer look at the weapon’s store and check if they had any swords. In the worst case scenario, a mop would do.

Goten finished breakfast and went to the medical room. Just as he had guessed, the medic was there, waiting for Tamahi’s return, in order to have his breakfast. The third-class informed him about the captain’s newest orders and let him go to the canteen.

The pirates were lying on narrow bunks pushed against the wall. One of them was asleep. The medic had informed him that the second one hadn’t come around after the operation yet. Maybe he would never regain his consciousness. There were a lot of wires and beeping things going on next to them and Goten came closer to inspect everything. He poked the IV drips, examined the lines and numbers on the screens, then looked around for a place to sit down. 

Five hours later, Goten could still be found in the medical room alone, not counting the two Nondrens. He had taken Tamahi’s chair and, out of boredom, was whirling around with it. Two hours ago, one pirate woke up and asked for water. He fell asleep after that, and Goten was left in his own company. He had tried tinkering with the doctor’s computer, but it was password-protected, and he gave up as soon as entering Tamahi’s name didn’t work. 

The third-class spun the chair around one more time, then his gaze settled on the opposite wall, just above the two pirates. He spent ten minutes staring at it, doing nothing, until the soft beep of the opening door drew him out of his trance. His eyes shifted to the door where he saw Reyn carrying a tray. Two steaming mugs were on it. Goten felt the aroma of coffee permeate the room.

“Hi,” Reyn greeted him, walking straight to the desk Goten was sitting at. He lifted one mug off of the tray and put it on the desk. Taking the other mug, he lowered the tray onto a pile of case-records and looked around for a place to sit. He spared a look at the pirates, then, after a moment of hesitation, walked over to the operating table and climbed onto it.

The third-class pulled his mug closer to himself. It was tea. “Thanks.” It seemed that the flight officer was perfectly familiar with his preferences. Goten remembered the first time he had tried to interrogate Reyn and brought both of them a mug of tea. Reyn had said nothing, but hadn’t even touched it, and now it was clear why.

Waiting for the flight officer to speak up, Goten lifted his mug to take a careful sip. It was too sweet. For some reason, this made the third-class appreciate the gesture even more. And it wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t drink it. He grinned.

“Well?”

Reyn seemed to be puzzled. “Well what?”

Goten realized that there was probably no other purpose to the flight officer’s visit except to keep him company. He sighed and blew on his hot tea.

“What’s that sigh for?”

“What s-? Ah, nothing at all. I’m bored out of my mind.”

“Yeah, figured you’d be.” Reyn took a mouthful of his coffee and swallowed. “You can skip your latrine duty for two days. Nobody checks whether you’re performing it anyway.”

“Hmm…”

“The day before yesterday, I slept like a log, and yesterday I was writing that damn report till midnight,” Reyn explained. “Just take two days off.”

Goten chuckled. “Yeah, I figured it was something like that.” Reyn giving him excuses only confirmed his conviction that the flight officer hated to feel indebted. The tea was probably also a form of thanks and apology. Goten found himself liking that. “Did the captain accept your report?”

Reyn lifted his eyes from his coffee. Goten had read it. He wouldn’t be asking that if he hadn’t. The only copy was lying on the captain’s desk. He had sent the digital copy to the captain only an hour ago. There had been not enough time for Goten to have laid eyes on it. 

Adriel had access to his computer. 

Damn fucker. He was going to take that idiot by his balls and give him a good shake. And then threaten to tear them off. And then also threaten to report him to the captain. And then just beat the crap out of him. And after that, maybe he really would write that report, depending on how pissed off he was.

The flight officer’s face told him everything and Goten groaned. Berating himself for his stupidity, he shook his head. “It’s not really his fault. I was very persistent. I practically demanded it of him.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that he broke into my terminal.” Reyn sipped his coffee. He snorted. “Yeah, he still feels guilty about the incident in the showers. He’ll be dancing to your tune for quite some time. Serves him right.”

Goten lowered his mug onto the desk. He rotated the chair to one side, then another, then spun around with it slowly. He still didn’t remember much from the showers. He doubted he ever would; something had short-circuited in his brain when he took that fall.

“Your forehead’s almost healed now,” Reyn said, catching glimpses of the third-class’s brow while he was spinning around. “The eye too.”

Goten stopped whirling. “You too. Aren’t you healing pretty fast too?” He had noticed this only after the flight officer returned from the pirate ship and commented on Goten’s wounds. Once he had done that, Goten had started paying more attention to Reyn’s bruises. The flight officer’s hair had gotten considerably longer as well. Wasn’t it growing a little too fast?

“Am I?” Reyn wondered. “Doubt it.”

Goten shrugged. He took his mug again. It had finally cooled down to the point where he could drink it without scalding his tongue. He took a large gulp. “Does someone cut hair on board?”

“Mm? Why, interested? Does your hair grow long?”

“No. Actually, it’s pretty short.”

“Ah, the kind which looks as if you were struck by lightning?”

Goten laughed. “Yeah, you could say that. What about yours?”

“Grows to my waist. A pain in the ass.”

The third-class stared at Reyn, trying to imagine him with long hair. The picture didn’t connect. “Hm. So do you cut it yourself?”

“No. Mostly it’s Sildara. Mirun is pretty good at it too. Actually, I have a trimmer, so in the worst case, I just give myself a buzz cut.”

“I see.” Then Goten remembered. “Ah.”

“What?”

“Do you have scissors? My toenails grew long and I don’t know how to cut them.”

Reyn gave him a look. “You’re in a medical room. Just get anything sharp.” He pointed at a cabinet on the wall. “Should find something there.”

Goten pushed his mug aside, stood up, and walked over to the cabinet to open it. Indeed, there were boxes with instruments inside. “But they use these for operations, don’t they?”

“The disinfectant is over there.”

Goten picked up a small pair of scissors. He inspected them, then shrugged and returned to his chair. They probably had ten more pairs of scissors like that. He pulled his boots and socks off. Reyn watched him bend and start cutting his toenails. Goten was careful not to let them shoot all over the room.

“You have nice feet,” Reyn said after watching him work for a couple of minutes.

Goten took a closer look at his feet. He wriggled his toes. “Huh,” he wondered. Nothing special about them; absolutely normal feet with overgrown toenails. “Thanks, I suppose.” Did Reyn have some kind of strange foot fetish? The third-class concentrated back on his task.

Reyn watched him with a suppressed grin. He emptied the last of his coffee and set the mug next to him on the operating table. “I’ve been meaning to ask you… What the hell happened to Monteira’s cat?”

“Ah, the cat.” Goten wanted to ask Reyn why he was asking him, but then realized that the flight officer had seen him mess around with the cat’s collar. Reyn had probably decided that he was responsible for all of Mister Elite’s misfortunes. The third-class sighed. It was pretty close to the truth.

“You know he stinks, so I tried to wash him.”

“Tried?”

“Well, he escaped. There was an explosion of sorts.”

“You mean you powered up?”

“Yeah.”

Reyn chuckled. “Damn, wish I’d seen that.”

The third-class rolled his eyes. “Well, nobody warned me.”

“I don’t think they knew.”

“Then why do you know?”

“Think.”

Goten gave him an incredulous look. “No way.”

“Yeah. It probably went exactly the same as it went for you. All I remember is an electroshock and him suddenly turning into a sparkly ball.”

The third-class nodded. “Yeah, pretty much the same.” He laughed. “At least now I don’t feel like such an idiot anymore. Adriel peed his pants laughing.”

“He’d also pee his pants if you showed him a novelty button; he laughs at practically anything.”

“True enough.” Goten finished cutting his toenails, then looked around for a bin. He spotted one in the corner and threw the nails away. He put his socks and shoes back on and started ransacking the cupboard for disinfectant. Once found, he put it to good use, pouring it over the scissors and his hands.

The third-class returned everything back into the cabinet and took Tamahi’s chair again. He drank the rest of his tea and set his empty mug back on the tray. “Thanks for the tea.”

Reyn shrugged. “Any chance you’ll get out of here soon? I’d like to have a spar with you.”

“I don’t really know. We were supposed to make a schedule for taking turns, but last time I saw those two bastards was five hours ago.”

“I see. Well,” the flight officer said, sliding off the operating table, “find me when you’re free.” He picked up his mug and approached the desk to take the tray.

“Sure thing.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten held a mop in front of him, swished it this way and that, and couldn’t help laughing. Telling himself to get serious, he schooled his face into a neutral expression. It wasn’t his fault that they had no swords in the weapon storage. But still… He burst out laughing again when the mop’s rag ends shook and sprang around in a wild dance. He had tried separating the fluffy end from the staff, but then realized that, once he did that, there would be no way to reassemble it as it was. It was either break it or leave it.

Nonetheless, the third-class’s amusement soon started turning into annoyance. There was no balance at all and it felt absolutely different from holding a sword. He tossed the mop and flopped down onto the ground to think. Could he find any other substitute? All he needed was a simple stick. He thought for a while, but nothing came to his mind. In the end, he’d probably have to break the mop. 

Oh. 

Why didn’t he go and ask whether the technicians had something similar? Maybe they would even have a steel bar or two! They tended to all kinds of pipes and tubes after all.

Goten grabbed the mop, chucked the end of the stick into an imaginary enemy’s stomach, then turned sideways and whopped into the invisible guy’s head behind him with the other end. Content with the mop’s last performance, he turned towards the door. He faltered when he saw the head engineer and Reyn watching him with curious expressions on their faces from the doorway.

“What are you doing?” Reyn asked.

“Umm… Mopping the floor?” Goten offered uncertainly. There was some kind of guarded interest on Nohail’s face. He wasn’t sure he liked that kind of curiosity.

Nohail looked at the ground. It was dirty indeed. The air felt somehow dusty too. “Need a real sword for practice?” he asked.

Goten perked up. “You have one?” he asked hopefully, but with an unconcealed suspicion in his voice.

“Sure. How about we have a spar?”

Reyn gave Nohail a look. What was with the man? They had come here for a spar and now he was bailing out on him. Well, whatever. There wasn’t much fun in sparring with Nohail anyway; he always had to hold back.

“With swords?” Goten wanted to make certain.

“What else?”

“Okay.”

The head engineer went to his cabin to get the swords. Reyn settled against a wall to wait for his return. He didn’t believe this whim for swordplay would last long, thus he expected to end his day with a productive spar with Goten. He was a little disappointed that, instead of finding him, Goten had intended to use his free time waving a stick around.

“Are you any good at swords?” he asked Goten, who was poking at visible clusters of dust on the ground, raising them into the air, making an even bigger mess.

The third-class leaned on his mop. “Better than some, I suppose.”

“Are you?” Reyn wondered. Sword-training courses at his officer school, just like at any other officer school, were obligatory. However, he hadn’t been interested in them at all, and later he passed the piloting test, which gave him the privilege of dropping two other courses of his own choice. He had somehow managed to pass the first course in sword-play and never took up the second one. Good riddance.

“How long were you at Hataro Officer Training School?”

“Half a year.”

“Huh.” He sometimes forgot how young Goten was. He looked young, younger than anyone else on board, but once you got used to that, there was hardly anything else to remind you of his age. He had quick wits and was a formidable opponent. Sometimes his inexperience and naivety in certain areas showed, or he acted uncertain, but this was only natural. In fact, Goten acted more mature than a few fifty-year-olds on the ship.

Both of them turned to the door where Nohail appeared with two swords.

Goten observed the blades. A simple but impressive design. He wasn’t familiar with the type, which slightly surprised him. The head engineer walked closer to Goten and held out one for him to take. Both swords looked the same: one-handed, made of some kind of dark metal which had a murky yellow shade. The handles were unusually elongated, the narrow blades also long, thus, if desired, they could probably be used as two-handed swords if one lacked strength.

The third-class took the sword. It was heavy, but the hilt was comfortable, wrapped in a sturdy black cloth. The guard was dark yellow, meaning that the alloy was slightly different than that of the blade. Both ends of the guard were decorated with three small petal-like stubs.

“What kind of sword is this?” Goten asked, hefting it in his palm. “Have never seen it before.”

“Custom-made. Yours is called Hadrian. Mine is Summer.”

“Oh? Hadrian’s Summer? Is this the name of the smith? How do you know which is which?”

“Yes, the smith’s named Hadrian. I think it’s one of his best works. The handles. They are wrapped a bit differently. It’s hard to notice,” Nohail said when Goten started inspecting the handle of his sword.

“Where did you order them? They must have cost a fortune.”

“They were a gift.”

“I see.” Goten wanted to ask whether Nohail could at least tell him their planet of origin, but then decided not to push it any further. For some reason, it seemed that Nohail didn’t like talking about his swords, which was a strange thing in itself.

Without further ado, the third-class moved to the middle of the training room for a warm-up. 

From his comfortable spot at the wall, Reyn leisurely observed Goten’s preparations. He turned to Nohail, who was also watching the third-class. “Not that I understand much, but he seems to be pretty good at handling a sword, mm? What do you think?”

“Too good. You can’t learn that at officer schools. Especially not in six months. Somebody had been teaching him prior to that. Someone who is damn good.”

Reyn gave him a searching look. The head engineer knew something. “Any guesses who it might be?”

Nohail swished his sword about. “I have an idea or two.”

“Oh? Care to share?”

“Not just yet,” Nohail said, moving forward until he had enough space for a warm-up. From the look of it, this intended to be an interesting fight. At first, he could feel Goten’s eyes on him, evaluating, then the youth concentrated back on his own exercises.

“Are you going to fight or what?” Reyn complained five minutes later. “I still want to have a spar with one of you after you’re done.”

“Do we power up as usual so as not to cut ourselves?” Goten asked. “What’s the limit?”

“A thousand’s fine,” Nohail said, moving to face the third-class. He tensed as a sudden blast of force from Goten swept the dust away from them. There was no visible change in the youth otherwise. He hadn’t even strained to summon his energy. Nohail found himself wondering what Reyn thought of this. Probably nothing much. A thousand was usually only a fifth or a fourth of what a grown-up second-class male could handle.

The head engineer attacked first, bringing his sword sideways, aiming for Goten’s ribs. Goten’s blade went down, parrying him. Then his sword suddenly rose, forcing Nohail’s blade upwards as well, pushing him back. The head engineer grunted as the third-class’s foot connected with his chest, tossing him back. Falling, he slashed at Goten, but his sword didn’t reach.

Just before trying to soften his fall, Nohail realized just how much he had underestimated the kid. Goten just stood there, motionless, his calculating eyes watching him. The change was startling. Was this how Reyn felt sparring with him? This was fun, not to mention very, very interesting.

The third-class parried his next attack, their swords screeching against each other. Reyn could swear he could see sparks flying. Goten shoved, and Nohail had to jump back or risk Goten slashing at his stomach in a backhand stroke. The head engineer swung his sword again, but Goten stepped aside. Nohail felt the youth’s boot slam into his ribs. He stumbled sideways, but caught himself before falling. He turned, his sword cleaving the air in a wide arc, but Goten wasn’t there. 

Goten swept at Nohail, his sword aiming right at the head engineer’s neck. Nohail blocked, diverted Goten’s blade aside, and tried to shove the end of his sword into Goten’s chest, but the third-class dropped himself to the floor so fast that he didn’t even have time to react. The next thing Nohail knew, his feet were swept from under him and he crashed down on his side. He nearly skewered himself with his own sword. This was frustrating to say the least.

“He’s simply too fast for you,” Reyn shouted to Nohail after reading irritation on his face. “Too strong too. He’s just kicking you around.” Of course the head engineer knew that himself, but this was hard to watch. Reyn knew that Nohail was considered a capable swordsman. Not first-rate, but good. Goten was obviously good as well, but skill didn’t have much to do with what was going on right now – Nohail was able to handle neither Goten’s speed nor the strength of his blows. Even an elite would have a hard time keeping up.

“Then do you want to try?” Nohail spat angrily.

Reyn chuckled. “Only if it doesn’t include swords; he’d skewer me in a second.”

“Then shut the hell up!”

The flight officer laughed. “Okay.”

Goten parried Nohail’s attack and, almost ashamed, shoved at the man’s chest with his left palm. It was not as if he needed only one hand for holding the sword; he almost certainly needed both hands to withstand the pressure. The thing was, he knew that he was fast enough to remove one hand from the hilt, and Nohail wouldn’t have enough time to react.

Reyn sighed at the sight of the head engineer getting up from the floor. “Didn’t think I’d ever see that,” he muttered.

“Maybe I should power down a little?” Goten suggested.

“Don’t be an idiot,” Reyn snorted. “You might get cut.”

Goten protested, “It’s only five hundred we need to not get cut.” He decided not to say that, more than once, he and his partners sparred without powering up at all. It had been reckless but fun. The duel he and the prince had was one of the best in his life.

“Five hundred is just the required minimum,” Reyn said. “If, for some reason, his ki suddenly fluctuates, rising…let’s say to six or seven hundred, he’ll cut you and your damn sword in half.”

“He knows that even better than you, Reyn,” Nohail said. He gave Goten a reproachful look for even suggesting such a suicidal idea. There was also the possibility of him powering up even more while Goten stayed at a thousand. He used to do this quite a lot, years ago. It didn’t seem that the kid realized this possibility, which showed that he'd mostly had partners of equal standing. Sparring against a much slower and less powerful companion was a novelty to him.

The third-class scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “How about I fight the two of you?” he suggested.

Reyn burst out laughing. “And now he’s getting all cocky.”

Goten gave him a look. He was happy to be wielding a sword again, but the gap between he and Nohail was too big. It was just… He could make two moves before Nohail made one.

“Why don’t you power up, Nohail?” Reyn suggested. “If Goten stays at a thousand and you double your power level, it should work; a thousand should still be sufficient to keep the blade from connecting.”

“Oh! That’s right!” Goten exclaimed, excited. “That’s how I did it with my brother!”

Nohail lowered his sword. “Your brother?” This was…rather unexpected.

“Yeah. I’d power up more while he’d stay at a thousand. Forgot it completely!”

“Was it your brother who taught you?”

Goten nodded. 

“What’s his name?”

Now Goten was regretting opening his mouth because the head engineer seemed to be dying with curiosity. He didn’t like talking about Gohan. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Reyn was no less interested. 

“Gohan Bardock.”

“Mmm.” The name didn’t sound familiar, which Nohail found disappointing. He realized he hadn’t been able to keep this disappointment off his face as he noticed Goten staring at him, confused by his reaction. Then he saw the youngster’s eyes widen. The head engineer cursed at himself mentally. 

“Who did you think it was?”

Both Nohail and Goten turned towards Reyn. Nohail threw him a reproachful look for butting into other people’s business. Reyn shrugged at him. The head engineer scowled. He was aware of the expectant look in the newbie’s eyes. This was one of those times when he wanted to whack Reyn over his head with something heavy. 

“I thought that it might be our mutual acquaintance,” Nohail said.

If Goten hadn’t been absolutely certain at first, now it became glaringly obvious. “You mean the shaii from my officer training school?” he asked, whirling his sword around by its hilt, the tip fixed on the floor. His voice was calm, indifferent even. In fact, he wasn’t certain whether to be annoyed, concerned, or shocked by the head engineer’s presumptions. Who the hell had he just thought his brother was? Or what exactly did he think was going on between him and the prince?

A fucking joke.

“I was solely taught by my brother. Who is not the shaii,” Goten added for a good measure, just out of spite. “Whom I’m not related to at all.”

Besides a slight nod, Nohail was silent, and the third-class shifted uncomfortably, wishing to close the topic as soon as possible. Well, of course there was a relation between him and the prince. Why would a Vegeta have phoned Nohail otherwise? Goten was quite thankful to the head engineer for not bothering to point this out. Maybe he would do that later, when they were alone, face to face. Goten suddenly lost all interest in their sparring. 

“He’s older than you, I presume?”

Goten opened his mouth and nearly asked which one Reyn meant, his brother or the prince. He let out a row of mental curses. Well, this was a blunder, the whole situation, but at least now he knew who the prince’s informant on the ship was. And Nohail knew that he knew. The situation had somehow diffused and then reloaded itself anew. 

The third-class rubbed over his forehead. “Was,” he muttered. “Gohan died four years ago. I was fourteen and he sixteen at the time.”

“Oh.” The head engineer nodded in sympathy. “Very young. What happened?”

Goten’s lips pressed into a thin line. “An accident during training. At least that’s what we were told.”

“You don’t seem to be certain about that,” Reyn stated.

Nohail didn’t even bother to turn his head. The flight officer’s straightforwardness was sometimes cruel to the point. Most of the time it was intentional too. Reyn didn’t like beating around the bush.

Goten didn’t say anything. He felt he had already said too much. He held out his sword for the head engineer. “Thanks. I think that’s enough for today.”

It was clear that no amount of persuasion to continue their spar would be effective, and Nohail took the sword from Goten without a word. There was one more question he wanted to voice, but he wasn’t certain he should. So far, the youth’s reaction to the inquiries about his brother had been unambiguous – he hated talking about him.

“I was wondering,” the head engineer started tentatively. “Seeing how Gohan was very young when he started teaching you, I was wondering who taught _him_ swordplay.”

Goten stared at Nohail for a few long seconds. He exhaled suddenly. He had no idea. The matter had never occurred to him. “At school?” he offered doubtfully, even though he knew that nobody took swordplay seriously at preparatory school, and, at the end of paramilitary school, just before graduation, all they had were about fifteen lessons of practice. It was very likely that Gohan never even got to that. Sometimes, Gohan would bring people over to spar at home, but none of them actually taught his brother anything useful. It was mostly the other way round.

“Well, maybe there was a lecturer who was a hardcore swordsman and decided to teach him after catching a glimpse of talent in him,” Reyn offered. “What?” he asked at the sight of two uncertain faces. “There are weirdoes like that. Swordplay is not popular, even frowned upon. So maybe seeing how your brother liked it, he decided to impart his knowledge on him.”

The third-class scratched the back of his head. Hell knew. It had never occurred to him to ask. Well, was it even important? Shrugging, Goten turned in the direction of the door. His step faltered when something clicked. He looked around for the source of the sound.

“An emergency meeting. All personnel, come to the meeting hall at once. I repeat, an emergency meeting. All personnel, come to the meeting hall immediately. Out.”

Goten blinked at the speaker under the plastic pane. What was this about? He continued walking to the door briskly, Reyn and Nohail in tow.

Since the training room was right next to the meeting hall, they were the first to arrive. The captain motioned for them to sit down. In a minute, everyone was present except for the medic, who was keeping watch over the two patients in the medical room.

“We’ve received a distress signal from a passenger ship in our quadrant. Coordinates 32:51. It seems they were attacked by _Domera_ more than 96 hours ago, not long before we captured them. Upon leaving the ship, the pirates wrecked their main computer. They have been drifting in open space since then and, only now, finally managed to fix their radios. There are many dead and wounded on board. It’s not clear how many survivors there are as, soon after we received the message, the connection broke off again. We’ll be sending in a rescue team in ten minutes. Any volunteers?”

“Is that a Human ship?”

The captain looked at Reyn. The flight officer was known not to be particularly fond of Humans. He nodded. “Yes. I believe there are mostly Humans on board.”

Reyn thought for a moment. Then his hand rose. “Well, whatever. Count me in.”

“Me too,” Tamahi followed.

“I’m afraid you didn’t have a choice in the matter in the first place,” the captain said. “You’re our only doctor and there are wounded on their board.”

“That’s why I volunteered,” the doctor said cheerfully. “Makes it all better, doesn’t it?”

The captain chuckled. He became uncertain when Edesha’s hand rose. “Shouldn’t you take it easy for a few weeks?” he asked, meaning the soldier’s arm in sling and other various injuries.

“It’s just a rescue mission,” Edesha said. “I can carry three Humans with my uninjured arm. Tested and approved.”

“His pockets can carry five more!” somebody shouted.

Laughter broke out in the meeting hall.

“Okay, okay, have it your way,” the captain said, shushing everyone. “Anyone else? We’ll need a team of four people. It’s an _ORION 3056_ , so it’s a pretty large ship to search through.”

Goten’s hand shot up like lightning. “Me!” he yelled. “I want to go!”

Startled, the captain looked at him. “Hmm… I’m glad that you’re so enthusiastic, but you haven’t ever been outside a spaceship, have you? It’s not a risk I want to take.”

Goten waved his hand in the air violently, nearly falling out of his chair. “What risk? There’s no risk! I go and come back with others! I don’t even need any training for this! I just look for the living and bring them to our shuttle! Easy as pie!”

The third-class realized he had been shouting. The crew was staring at him with unconcealed surprise on their faces. He waved his hand even more persistently to prove his point.

“Hm.” The captain turned to the flight officer to see what he thought of having the newbie on his team. “Reyn?”

“I don’t mind.”

Goten suddenly felt he could grab and kiss Reyn right there and now. Grinning, he dropped his hand back to his side.

“So we have our team. Now, this is _Orion’s_ layout,” the captain said, motioning for the backup captain to distribute handouts. “I’m certain you’re all familiar with it. Well, except maybe Goten. 

“As said, their main computer doesn’t function properly, thus you’ll have to open all the doors manually. Rokunda has been granted access and has downloaded the master passwords. Here they are. As you see, they are mostly the same for all the doors.”

“How reckless,” Adriel said.

“Yes, but it’s much easier to handle. Especially in cases like these,” the captain countered. “Anyway, there must also be a master key somewhere, but we don’t know where they keep it or whether it’s still on board. It might have been taken by the pirates for all we know.

“Your task is to rescue the living, just as Goten said. Don’t touch anything else. We’ve contacted Human patrols and, once they are here, they will deal with the ship according to their protocols.

“Any questions? No? Good. Go to the weapon store and get armed. You’re leaving in two minutes.”

Goten and the rest of the team shot to their feet and ran towards the door. In the weapon store, the third-class grabbed a scouter first, fixed it over his right eye, then started putting on armor. Once done, they ran to the runway. Their shuttle blasted off five seconds after they belted themselves to their chairs on the captain’s bridge. Overtaken by an irrational fear of them crashing into something, Goten closed his eyes when they were leaving the hangar. A few seconds later, he opened one eye to see that they had left the hangar and were speeding away from _Starcut_. 

Blankly, Goten stared through the windshield. Everything had happened so fast: the announcement, him volunteering, him putting armor on. He was on a shuttle. He suddenly found it hard to process it all. While the distance between the mother ship and the shuttle was increasing, his thoughts were whirling in a frenzy. 

Gripping at the armrests of his seat restlessly, Goten stared in front of him with unseeing eyes. And he suddenly felt like laughing.

What had he done?

What the fuck had he done?!

Now he was suspended in limbo between life and death, just like the rest of them.

What should he do? What _could_ he do? 

He couldn’t just tell them what he had dreamt. Nobody would believe him, or worse, they’d think he had gone insane. In addition to that, dismissing orders would get him court-martialed. 

The thing was, however… The thing was that he had a rare gift and he had to use it, for better or worse. He hadn’t known what would happen to Toharu, not consciously. If he allowed these people to die now, with certainty, everything would have been in vain: all of what had happened to him up until this moment in his life would be meaningless. He could at least try to save some of them by any means possible.

There wasn’t even a question: he either took matters into his own hands, or all of them were going to die. This deadly danger was now, it was real. Later…later they could hate, imprison, call him an imbecile, have him court-martialed, anything, for all he cared. He would know he had chosen the right thing to do. Even if he didn’t succeed, he would prefer to die, or live with the knowledge that he had tried his best, instead of sitting on his ass resigned to fate.

Fate. Didn’t he deliberately climb into this shuttle to change it, after all? Really, he had known the answer all along.

Goten started unbuckling his belts. Reyn’s eyes were drawn to the blinking lamp indicating that someone didn’t have their seat belt on and he turned around to look at the third-class.

“Where the hell are you going?”

Ignoring the question, Goten walked over to the flight officer. “How fast are we flying?”

The flight officer gave him a look. The steely expression on the youngster’s face made him frown. “It’s full speed. Why?”

Shaken, his eyes glued to the blinking dot on Reyn’s screen, Goten stood still as if rooted into the floor. He had intended to make Reyn go at full speed: if they arrived at _Orion_ faster, then they would have more time on the spaceship before it exploded. However, in the dream, they probably had flown at the same speed as they were flying now. 

In shocked silence, the third-class returned to his seat and belted himself to it again. If the speed stayed the same, and the time of their arrival stayed the same as in his dream, did his presence here change anything at all? Maybe the dream had been a warning for _him_ not to climb into the shuttle? To preserve his own life? Had he done exactly what he had been warned not to do?

_Don’t get killed._

The prince’s words echoed in Goten’s head, loud in their finality. The third-class felt like laughing again. Was this hysteria approaching?

_Watch me now._

TBC


	36. Part 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> A/N: **_Starcut’s crew members_** :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 36

While approaching _Orion_ , they tried contacting it over and over again, but nobody responded. When the passenger ship came into full view, it didn’t seem that it had been damaged in any way. Since there was no one to accept them, Reyn had hoped for at least a tiny hole to squeeze into _Orion_ through but, after circling the ship a few times, found no such thing. In the end, he resorted to blasting his way through to the runway and maneuvering the shuttle inside.

The fire around the hole died out almost instantly since there was no oxygen it could feed on. With rising apprehension, the third-class watched bodies and debris float leisurely around the gap after being sucked out of the runway. He hoped that the passengers had been sensible enough to keep away from the runway after contacting them. While their shuttle was being carefully flown through the opening, Goten had an opportunity to examine two corpses which were in very close proximity to their cockpit. One was clearly of the female persuasion with half of her head missing, while the second body was probably male. The third-class couldn’t tell what had been the cause of his death, but he could see that his right arm was unnaturally bent. He wasn’t overly familiar with Human physiology but, since their skeletal structure was very similar to that of the Saiyans’, he figured that it wasn’t supposed to bend like that. 

While Reyn was still maneuvering the shuttle to a landing place free of debris inside the hangar, the crew were already unbelting themselves from their chairs. 

“How long did those bastards keep them captive?” Edesha wondered. “Most of them were badly mangled. Is there a safe or something like that on board?”

“There probably is,” Reyn said. “Humans usually do that sort of thing.”

Tamahi tsked while Edesha appeared to be very interested in the custom.

Goten counted in his head and reached the conclusion that the passengers might have been kept hostage for a day or two. In all probability, it must have lasted until the pirates had taken everything of value.

“Alright,” Reyn said when the wheels of the shuttle touched the metal ground softly, “first, we go inside and see how to seal off this part of the hangar. The control panel should be next to the door as usual.” He killed the engines and turned around in his chair to face them. “Goten and Tamahi, you will go to the living quarters and look for survivors. Edesha and I will go to the captain’s bridge. Is that clear?”

Everybody nodded except Goten. He was staring at Reyn with a frown on his face.

“What?” Reyn asked.

Suddenly, Goten exhaled sharply. He looked around. Right. His being here had mixed up the order of things: Reyn had paired them up in twos while, originally, he would have gone alone, sending off Edesha and Tamahi together. He wondered who the fourth member would have been. Now even the place the flight officer had intended to search had changed.

The third-class raised his eyes to Reyn’s face. “Can I offer a few changes to the plan?”

With a sharp grin on his face, Reyn swiveled with his chair right and left. Staring at Goten, he leaned back. He was as much disturbed as amused by this slap in the face, however, he had almost expected something like this after agreeing to take Goten on this mission.

“I was of opinion that I was in charge here,” he said calmly, putting his hands onto his lap and steepling his fingers, showing he was not going to lift any of them to make it easier for Goten.

Goten turned sideways so that he could see all of them: Reyn, Edesha, and Tamahi. If this were Kyon, Ario, and Ranvera, he would simply ask them to trust him. And they would. Would trust him blindly. These men, though… There was probably nothing he could do to make them believe him.

Fuck.

“Alright,” Reyn said bitterly, suddenly perversely curious as to how far Goten would go with his permission. “Let’s hear it.”

This was his chance, and, dizzy with exhilaration and anxiety, Goten seized it with his shaky hands in a death grip: “We seal off the hangar, but pump out the air right away after that. You and Tamahi go together to search the living quarters. Edesha and I will go to the captain’s bridge.”

Confused, the team stared at him, not comprehending why he mainly only made changes to the search parties. What was the point?

“Are you afraid of a fire starting in the hangar?” Reyn asked finally, scratching his chin absently.

Goten nodded. He didn’t know for certain – maybe it had been a bomb, or the fire had spread from other parts of the ship.

Reyn watched him carefully, then, with a slap on the right armrest, rose off his chair. He shrugged. “Alright. Tamahi, you’ll go with me to the living quarters, Edesha with Goten to the captain’s bridge. We pump the air out of this part of the hangar.” He turned to look at Goten. “Happy now?” he had said in a mocking tone, but the grateful and relieved smile the youth gave him smacked him like a brick between his eyes. Huffing in disbelief and feeling uncomfortable, Reyn turned to go.

With their ki-shields on, they left the shuttle and started flying forward. The only source of light was their ki, it was absolutely dark otherwise. There was enough light for the section numbers to reflect it, though. They were in Section 2. Goten didn’t know exactly how long the air reserve inside a ki-shield could last as it depended on its size, however, all of them had enough of air for about ten minutes. They also had space suits, but using them meant additional time for dressing and undressing and needing to drag the suits around.

Goten wondered what they would do if they had damaged the controls upon entering the ship, or if the partitions for separating sections didn't want to move. Fearing that their shuttle had floated off in the zero gravity, he turned around to stare behind him. The shadowy contours of it still were there. Must be the magnets in the wheels or something. It seemed that there was indeed a lot he didn’t know about these kinds of things.

Despite his fears, soon all of them were standing at the control panel watching Reyn tinkering with it. After he entered one of the master passwords, it was responding flawlessly, and Reyn quickly blocked off Sections 1 and 2 from the rest of the hangar. He turned on the air pumps. Without waiting for the air to fill the room completely, they opened the door to the next section of the ship. The air whooshed in, and they stepped into a long corridor. Faint emergency lights were flashing red across the hall. It was eerily silent.

“Get moving,” the flight officer said after noticing that Goten had stopped at the panel on this side of the door, looking for a way to pump out the air again. The youth seemed to be positively lost amongst the blinking lights of the control panel. All of the Terran writing looked like gibberish to him. Of course, all of them had scouters, which had been armed with the main Terran language plus at least five random ones, but it was going to take time for Goten to translate it. 

Reyn dropped his ki-shield. “I’ll do that.”

“Thanks,” Goten said, stepping back away from the control panel to give Reyn way. He dropped his shield as well.

“You push this, then this and this,” Reyn demonstrated.

Goten nodded. Watching the flight officer sealing the door again, he hesitated, then decided to get it out. “You know, don’t waste your time talking to the Human child. If you hear an explosion, just grab him and run to the hangar as fast as you can; the captain’s bridge and most of the living quarters will already be on fire.”

The flight officer raised his eyes off the panel and turned to face Goten. “What? What Human child?”

Goten scratched the side of his cheek nervously. “The one you will probably find.” With his head, he motioned at Edesha. “Let’s get moving.”

Edesha followed him with a grin on his face. “You’re the boss.”

Goten rolled his eyes. They were never going to allow him to forget this. If they left this ship alive, that is.

They found their first corpse soon after setting straight for the captain’s bridge. Warily, Goten prodded the Human female with his foot. She stayed dead. They moved forward.

“You know,” Edesha said, “I think that there was a rat or two on board. Otherwise they would have radioed for help. First thing they did was to capture the captain’s bridge and cut the connection off and then they let _Domera_ in.”

“Yeah,” Goten agreed, trying to hurry his step. He wanted to run. Edesha, however, was taking it easy and didn’t seem to be in any rush. “Probably that’s what happened. But _Domera_ might have simply jammed their connection from the outside. I hear some pirate ships do that. And why did they close the runway after them?”

“I think that was done by the passengers themselves once the computers became responsive.”

“Ah. For fear that someone else would sneak in?” Goten spotted one more body in front of them and could understand why they wouldn’t want anyone else entering _Orion_. “Edesha?”

“What?”

“Can you check the engine room?”

The soldier let out a colorful curse. “What the hell’s wrong with you today? The possibility that there would be people is close to z-”

“That’s not what you should be looking for. Look for fire or explosives or both.”

Edesha gave Goten a very careful look. “What’s with that? And what _you_ will be doing meanwhile?”

“I’ll head straight for the captain’s bridge.”

Edesha could tell that Goten was jumpy and nervous and had a pleading air about him, but it seemed that he was telling the absolute truth. Another thing that Edesha could read in the youth’s eyes was that if he didn’t do as told, Goten would simply do what he wanted to do anyway.

“Whatever,” he said finally. “It’s your skin Reyn will be taking off if anything goes wrong.” He hardly managed to finish the sentence when Goten shot forward into the corridor like a rocket. He stared at the youth’s receding back for a few seconds, then shrugged. 

Just like in his dream, the endless corridor seemed to go on for all eternity. And then Goten nearly collided with a young Human male who had just turned into it. He skidded to a halt while the two of them stared at each other. It was half-light in the corridor, but the man seemed to recognize him for what he was.

“I’m from the rescue team you contacted. Head for the hangar and we’ll pick you up.”

Goten waited for the buzz of translated gibberish his scouter had emitted to ebb away in the silent corridor. The man nodded and hurried in the direction Goten had come from. The third-class thought that all of them would be saved a lot of trouble if they could simply broadcast what he had just said through the ship’s loudspeakers. The survivors who could move around would gather and wait for them there. Maybe he would be able to take care of that once he reached the captain’s bridge.

Two more people, a man and a young girl, appeared when he had nearly reached his goal. The girl started screaming at the very sight of him, which made Goten step away in order to protect his sensitive ears from the shrill sound. Saiyans never had horrible voices like that, even when they were infants. The father, or whoever the other Human was, was unnerved by both the third-class’s sudden appearance and the girl’s hysterical screams. He pushed her behind him, facing Goten with a determined look on his face. Goten’s scouter did not detect any trace of arms on him, and the third-class discarded this desperate attempt to protect his kind as non-threatening. 

The Human didn’t attack him at once, and Goten presumed that it was safe to think that he wouldn’t do it at all. He had just startled the man. Besides, for an unarmed Human to attack a Saiyan meant the first’s certain death. They both knew that.

“I’m from the rescue team,” Goten shouted through the girl’s shrieks when he noticed that the man had finally gotten a grip on himself. “Go straight down the corridor to the door to the hangar. We’ll pick you up once we head back for our mother ship.”

The relief on the man’s face was immense. He nodded quickly and, dragging the screaming girl after him, turned to go in the direction Goten had pointed. 

“Calm down, will you? It’s alright. It’s a friend. Stop screaming finally!” the man snapped at the girl when she didn’t stop. “We don’t have time for this!”

The third-class thought that she probably wasn’t his daughter. He thought of asking how many survivors there were, but realized that it wasn’t really important. If he didn’t get his ass to the captain’s bridge in time and see what the situation was, none of that would matter.

Goten soon stood at the door he had been looking for. He leaned over the panel and pulled a folded list of master passwords out of his pocket. After a moment of thought, he summoned his ki. After a few more moments of tinkering with the numbers and letters, he powered up even more. He didn’t know what was behind the door, but didn’t want to be unprepared – he could still perfectly remember the smell of his burning flesh when Reyn had blasted the hangar’s door in the dream.

The door reacted to the third password on his list. It slid open to reveal a wall of smoke. Goten walked in, but couldn’t see a thing. He spiked his ki suddenly, and the burst of power created a blast of air, clearing the room for a few seconds. He nearly stepped back at what he saw. The entire floor was littered with bodies, about twenty of them. All had uniforms on, and it was clear that this was the place where the pirates got rid of most of the crew.

The carpeting under Goten’s feet caught fire and he cursed Humans for their impractical thinking; most of what Saiyans used and wore had at least some kind of fire resistance so as not to flame up once a Saiyan powered up.

That there was nothing he could do, Goten saw at once: at the end of the room, one of the terminals was already alight with the open fire. The terminal adjacent to it was also smoking. Tiny white wisps were also coming out from under the large screen panel. After spiking his ki and clearing the air once again, the third-class saw that the smoke was also coming in through the vents. The wiring had caught fire and was carrying the flames into the lower level.

Goten poked around one of the terminals, but didn’t manage to get it work. And, after a few seconds of flickering, it died altogether. With a groaning whoosh, the emergency lights went out. Goten reached out for the switch on the side of his scouter.

“Reyn,” he called. 

The answer came nearly at once. “Yeah?”

“This is Goten. The captain’s bridge is on fire. It’s spreading into the lower levels.”

“How much time do we have?”

This was a question Goten didn’t know the answer to. “Well, it has just started on this level. It’s only a small-scale fire. But I have a very bad feeling about this. Wait, I’ll contact Edesha. He’s in the engine room, he should know more.”

“What the hell is he doing in the engine room? Goten? Goten? Goten!”

Goten switched over the channels without waiting for permission to disconnect. A minute later, he contacted Reyn again.

“You seriously have the nerve to…” Reyn growled into his scouter.

Goten ignored the anger bursting out of his receiver. “Edesha says it’s bad. He says there are reservoirs with liquid he can’t identify and one of them is about to catch fire. I told him to get the hell out of there.”

“Good. Now wh-”

“The ship is going to blow up, Reyn,” Goten said softly, cutting him off. “We need to get out.”

Reyn was silent. “Can you turn on any of the terminals and use the loudspeakers? To round up the survivors?” he asked in a few seconds.

“No. The power is down. If we don’t hurry, we won’t even be able to pump in the air back into the sections we’ve sealed off. It’s fine for us, but I don’t think the Humans will be able to handle it.”

Reyn cursed. “Alright, head back,” he instructed. “Be at the hangar in seven minutes. Take as many people as you can. We are retreating to a safe distance from _Orion_.”

“Understood.”

Soon, Goten’s scouter crackled again when Reyn dictated the same orders to the other team members. The third-class left the captain’s bridge. Running back along the corridor, he would shout and randomly bang on the cabin doors for passengers to come out. It was completely dark in the corridor now, only Goten’s ki illuminating the space around him.

When Goten reached the hangar, he was followed by about thirty people. He had to push his way through to the hangar door, past twenty or so others who had come with other members of his team. He hadn’t even reached the door when an explosion shook the walls. He cursed as the people suddenly turned into a terrified and screaming mass. The wall of Humans which had suddenly formed was impregnable, and he had to resort to simply shoving people in fives and tens out of his way. 

Reyn was already unlocking the door when Goten got to him. The third-class noticed the same Human boy at Reyn’s side as he had seen in the dream. While the flight officer was immovable, the child was being smothered by his own kind. He looked faint. Goten grabbed the kid and shoved him in front of himself. He planted his palms on the wall next to Reyn, pushing the crowd away with his back, creating a kind of air lock for the boy.

“The air pumps?” he shouted to be heard through the clamor.

“Working so far,” Reyn answered, the door opening in front of him. Were he not a Saiyan, he would have been knocked off his feet right away by the panicking crowd rushing forward. As it was now, he simply turned around, and held out his arm in front of the door, blocking it. He nearly knocked some man’s teeth out with the abrupt movement. There was a howl of pain, which Reyn ignored completely.

“Go open the other door,” he ordered Goten.

“Where are Edesha and Tamahi?” the third-class shouted, lifting the kid over his head with one hand so that he wouldn’t get squashed while he was squeezing through the crowd.

“They will be here soon. They found two wounded.” Reyn lifted his eyes. The child was kicking at Goten’s arms viciously, trying to get away. 

While Goten was pushing past the flight officer, he felt a trickle of wet warmth touch his left shoulder and then run down his back. Confused, he looked up. The kid was peeing on him. Goten lowered the boy and, carrying him under his arm, rushed forward to the control panel. With a loud explosion, the ground suddenly slipped from under his feet and he slammed into the wall with his right side. It didn’t hurt at all since he had his ki-shield on. Leaving a wet imprint of his shoulder on the wall, he pushed himself up. He was more worried about the child, whom he had grabbed and embraced none too gently to prevent him from crashing into the partition face-first. But the boy was screaming hysterically at the top of his lungs, which showed that his physical condition was more or less alright.

Goten started pushing at the buttons on the control panel. He was anxious that time would run out and didn’t wait for the air to completely fill the hangar. His ki-shield was more than enough to protect them both from the whoosh of air coming from the corridor. It nearly lifted Goten off his feet, though, and he could hear Reyn curse too while he tried to keep people from being lifted into the air and tossed over his head. In a few seconds, he removed his arm, letting them gallop into the next section and then the hangar.

The flight officer saw uncertainty on Goten’s face when the panicking herd of Humans stampeded towards him. He wondered how the newbie was going to handle this. Soon, he saw that he probably wasn’t going to handle it at all.

The readings on Goten’s scouter shot up lightly and he stepped back before a ki-blast hit the metallic floor right between him and the oncoming crowd. He gave Reyn a confused look, but immediately understood what the flight officer had done when the Humans came to an instant halt, some of them now even moving backwards. While for Goten this was only an insignificant ki discharge, the Humans took it differently.

“Form a queue!” Reyn bellowed from behind the crowd. “Goten, see to that that everyone is seated in their seats on the lower deck. And if someone tries to squeeze in out of turn, kick them out of the shuttle.”

The third-class gave an overly dramatic salute. “Yes, sir!”

The corners of Reyn’s lips quirked up at the act. He turned around to the sound of footsteps. Farther down the corridor, two figures appeared through the smoke. He rushed over to Edesha and Tamahi to help them carry the wounded. They locked the door behind them and turned on the pumps to suck the air out.

When they reached the shuttle, the oxygen was already sparse and the last of the rescued people’s backs were disappearing through the trapdoor. Once they climbed the few steps leading into the shuttle, Reyn left the doctor and Edesha to deal with the injured on their own. He went to the captain’s bridge. He could hear the clamoring people from the lower deck. At about this time, Goten was probably about to lose his patience. The newbie probably had no idea what a nuisance Human civilians could be. Very likely, he hadn’t even been familiar with the idea of someone so frustratingly helpless.

Belting himself into his chair, Reyn checked the readings and found that the oxygen was almost gone from the two sectors. There was no point in returning and lifting the partition, thus he started the engines. Once they warmed up, he backed the shuttle away as far as possible and fired two shots at the wall separating them from the rest of the hangar. Everything shook and jolted around in the hangar, then it settled down, and Reyn started maneuvering towards the fresh hole in the partition.

Goten and Edesha joined him on the captain’s bridge when they were already flying through the hole in the hull.

“How is it on the lower deck?” Reyn asked. “Why are they screaming?”

Edesha shrugged. “Must be happy that we rescued them. That or they got scared when you fired the missiles.”

The flight officer rolled his eyes. They had finally cleared the hole and were distancing themselves from Orion. He started increasing speed and stole a glance at Goten. The third-class’s hands had turned into claws, his fingers spasmodically digging themselves into the armrests. He was going to crush them.

“Hey, Goten, relax,” he said, fumbling with the transmitter. “It’s alright now.”

Goten didn’t seem to be convinced. The look in his eyes was apprehensive. “I don’t think we found all of them,” he said.

Was this what the newbie was worried about? Reyn shrugged with a sigh. “Yeah, we probably didn’t. You can’t have it all. It rarely works that way, does it?” Something sorrowful flitted over Goten’s face. Reyn watched him for a few seconds, not certain what this was brought on by, then was startled by a beep from the loudspeakers.

“ _Kareli_ , this is _Starcut_. Do you read me?”

The flight officer pressed the receiver button. “Yes, this is Reyn.”

“What’s the situation?”

“ _Orion_ is on fire. We are heading back to _Starcut_. We’ll be back in three hours.”

“Roger that. Any survivors?”

“Yes, about fifty civilians, only Humans. Three with serious injuries.” Reyn fell silent. “Sildara?”

“Mm?”

“Where the hell will we put this many people?”

“Haah. That’s a good question. Captain? Captaaaain,” Sildara sang, his voice now distant, “we have a situation heeere.”

“Okay, you deal with that. I’m out,” Reyn muttered, pressing on the receiver button, ending the connection. He concentrated on the terminal with the intention to enter the coordinates into the autopilot’s memory. He stiffened as his sight went blurry for a moment. He shook his head and blinked a few times to clear his vision. Was he tired? Reyn’s fingers touched the keyboard and then the space around him shrunk abruptly, his vision going dark, spotted with tiny white lights. Startled, he moved his hand away from the keyboard and leaned back. His head was suddenly pounding, his skin aflame.

Goten started in his seat at Reyn’s scream. The flight officer was thrashing wildly in his seat, only his seatbelt keeping him in place. The third-class hardly climbed out of his seat when a gasp from Edesha told him that there was also something wrong with the soldier. Goten’s priority was the pilot and he hardly spared Edesha a look. It took only a few seconds, but by the time Goten was at Reyn’s chair, the flight officer had stopped shaking. Now he was staring at the screen, his eyes wide in shock.

“Reyn?” Goten asked, his hand hovering above Reyn’s head, not certain if he should touch the flight officer, in case he set him off again. “You alright?”

Reyn started at the third-class’s voice. He blinked and turned to Goten. For a few seconds, he simply stared at the third-class. When Goten started thinking that it would be a good idea to give Reyn a good shake to get him out of whatever trance he was in, his lips twitched and he finally spoke: “I think I am. Especially considering that I should be dead.”

Avoiding Reyn’s stunned and openly questioning eyes, Goten stepped back. He broke eye contact and turned to Edesha, who had a dazed look on his face.

“I just saw the strangest thing…” he muttered. “I think I was on fire.”

“Funny that, isn’t it?” Reyn said, forcing himself to concentrate on his terminal despite the fact that the thoughts in his head were still swimming. He felt dizzy, reality didn’t seem so real, and there was still something flickering before his eyes.

“Hey, hey.” Goten grabbed Reyn when he started slumping forward. The third-class suddenly realized that this must have been what happened to the prince back when he had prevented him from getting shot in the head. He had nearly fainted then. Somehow…for some reason they could see what would have happened to them if he hadn’t interfered. Was this something like a forceful breakthrough past the point of their death? He could only guess.

“Reyn? Reyn, c’mon.” Goten slapped the flight officer on his face. “Come out of it. Somebody has to pilot the ship.”

Reyn’s eyes blinked open. Confused, he stared at Goten, then scrunched his nose. “You stink of piss,” he said, pushing the younger male away.

The third-class rolled his eyes. “If you have time to be bothered about that, get down to piloting the damn shuttle.”

Reyn was still light-headed, but somehow managed to enter the coordinates and set the ship on autopilot. Once he did that, he slumped in his seat. In a few seconds, he turned around in his chair to watch how Goten was trying to bring Edesha around.

“Just leave him be. He’s sleeping,” Reyn muttered. He felt like taking a nap as well. There were still three hours until they got to Starcut. Sleepily, he stared at the third-class’s back. “We’ll have a talk about this once we are back,” he said.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Goten said without turning his head.

Reyn watched him humorlessly. “The fuck there isn’t,” he spat. “I’m rather grateful to you for saving my life, but I want to know what the fuck is going on.”

“Don’t just decide on your own. I didn’t d-”

“Yeah, yeah,” Reyn waved him off dismissively with his hand. He turned back to the screen. “Let’s postpone this for later. I’m too tired to put up with your bullshit now.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten was snoozing in his bed. Sleepily, he could feel someone walking around in the room but, since he couldn’t sense any hostile intentions, he was too tired to care. The three-hour trip back to _Starcut_ , the chaos which followed their landing, and the oral and written reports had exhausted him.

The third-class woke up after eight hours of sleep. Yawning, he rubbed at his face. Feeling fresh and rested, he rolled over onto his back, his gaze sliding over the smooth metallic ceiling. Then the feeling that he wasn’t alone overtook him. He quickly raised his head. It took only a second to spot Edesha on the other bed. Puzzled, Goten stared at the sleeping soldier. Edesha was lying on his back, snoring softly, his injured arm resting on top of the covers.

The only explanation the third-class had for the occurrence was that there were not enough cabins to accommodate the sudden increase in _Starcut’s_ population. Over were his days of kingship. His castle didn’t belong only to him anymore. But why Edesha? Wasn’t there a way to do this somehow differently?

Mulling over the fact in his head, Goten rolled out of his bed and grabbed his clothes. Just in case, he sniffed at them to assure himself that his uniform didn’t smell of piss. He had taken a shower yesterday and changed, but he didn’t trust himself not to mix his clothes up. He wondered how the Human boy was and decided to check on him later.

Goten left for the toilets and then the canteen. One look and sniff at the toilets made it clear that his latrine duty had to be performed immediately. He didn’t have time for it, though. The canteen was bustling, Humans milling about. The mood was much better, tentative smiles blossoming here and there. Not everyone was eating, actually, only the minority was. It seemed that the canteen had become a place to gather, a sort of refuge. Feeling out of place, Goten circled the counter and joined the chef with the cook in the kitchens.

“What are you feeding them?” he asked, his eyes already riffling through the pots. He had seen something on their plates, but failed to identify what it was. It was going to be problematic to provide safe and suitable food for Humans for the next five or so days until they were picked up by their kin.

“Some meat, some vegetables. Soup,” the chef said. “The usual stuff we eat. But I boiled and fried everything to the point where it’s hardly recognizable, even the salad… No casualties so far.”

“Well, yes,” Goten agreed, looking through the pots, filling his plate. “As long as it’s germ-free, it should do. They may not like it, but at least they won’t get infected. Listen, don’t we get our normal food?” he complained, eying his plate suspiciously. He nudged the boiled salad with a fork. “I don’t want this squishy thing.”

The cook snorted. “Then don’t eat it. We don’t have enough time to be double-tasking, especially not with this many additional mouths.”

“That’s true,” Goten agreed, closing his mouth around his fork. He pulled it out and chewed tentatively. “Not that bad,” he commented. “You’ll need help, a lot of it. Oh, no, no,” he shook his head at their hopeful faces, “even if I’d gladly agree, I’m supposed to look after those two in the medical room. Ask someone else.”

The chef sighed. “This is a pain in the ass. I had to go through the list of fruit and vegetables to learn which had a chemical composition that’s harmful to Humans.”

“Hmm, yeah, there are some,” Goten agreed, sitting down. He started inhaling his food. “But I don’t think we should have any of those on board. For obvious reasons.”

“True, we don’t have them.”

“So who took Edesha’s cabin?” Goten asked.

“Somebody took it?” the chef wondered. “Well, yeah, makes sense; he lived all alone in his cabin. The captain must have put him up with some other crew member.”

Goten licked at his fork with great appetite. “Yes. With me.”

Both the chef and the cook gave him incredulous looks. Goten could guess what they were thinking. He didn’t mind working with Edesha at all, but sharing a cabin was a completely different matter altogether.

“Err…makes sense,” the cook said. “To conserve space,” he added with some reluctance.

Goten shrugged. It did make sense. To one who didn’t know that he had rejected Edesha and the man was still bitter over the fact. To one who didn’t know… Or maybe the captain didn’t give two shits about these kinds of petty frictions amongst the crew.

“Have you seen Reyn around?” Goten asked.

“I think he’s still sleeping. I think I remember him complaining about a major headache before he went to bed.”

Goten didn’t say anything, but he bet he knew where the headache had come from. He finished his brunch and went to the medical room. He had intended to wash his uniform but, after checking the washing-machine, it appeared that it was already taken, a large bundle of clothing spinning inside. Once inside the medical room, Goten relieved Yereli of his watch. He took his place at Tamahi’s desk. 

The number of patients had increased to five, the three wounded Humans resting on the other side of the medical room, opposite the pirates. Goten found this ironical. He had better watch that they didn’t try to kill each other off. Yereli had informed him that the unconscious Nondren hadn’t come round and that there was a good chance that he never would. The other Nondren looked much better, though. He seemed weak and exhausted, but was already half-sitting in his bed, watching Goten with dark, unfriendly eyes. The third-class rather preferred the unconscious and sleeping patients to him.

In about two hours, Adriel found Goten at his post. He had searched through nearly the entire ship until he had finally remembered about the third-class’s new duties. He felt rather sheepish about it as he had been the one to inform Goten about them.

“Hi,” he greeted the third-class. The door closed behind him and he headed straight to the desk Goten was sitting at. “We need to have a little talk,” he said softly.

“Mmm?” Goten wondered. Recently his popularity had skyrocketed. He cast a look at the patients and saw that the pirate was dozing. He doubted Humans could understand Saiyan. “About what?”

“Whose phone number is this?” Adriel asked, putting the painfully familiar paper slip on the desk.

Goten stared at it, then his eyes rose to the navigator. “I have no idea,” he said.

There was a short pause, then Adriel smiled. “Why do you keep it if you don’t know whose number this is?”

The third-class returned the hearty smile. “It’s not mine.”

“I know it’s yours.”

“But it isn’t.”

Adriel sighed. “Goten, I know it’s yours because I know who picks up the receiver. And you’re the only one on this ship who has ever had any contact with him. Don’t forget that I’ve seen your profile and know who all the reports at Hataro Officer Training School were written by.”

“You’re deeply mistaken about me being the only one here who has any connection with him. But never mind that. Why are you asking me if you know it all?”

“Oh?” But since Goten kept quiet, Adriel shrugged. “Because I’m curious. Curious about two things: first, why you have it. And second, why it was Reyn who asked me to check who the number belongs to.”

Goten stared at the accursed paper slip. He had known it was going to come back to haunt him. “Reyn, was it?”

“Yes. And since you are being so furtive about it… What should I tell Reyn?”

“Tell him it belongs to my father or something. When did he ask you to check it?”

“Yesterday. Right after you had returned from _Orion_. And right after threatening to write a report about me breaking into his terminal. The information he wants is the price for his silence.”

Goten sighed guiltily. “Sounds like him… Part of it is my fault. I accidentally asked whether the captain accepted his report, and then he figured out that…”

“Whatever,” Adriel cut him off. “Why do you have it?”

Goten’s lips pressed into a dash. “Because he gave it to me.”

Adriel searched his face, then Goten flushed such brilliant red that the navigator’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Oh my god,” he gasped. “It’s… Is he the boyfriend whose existence you were so doubtful about?”

Goten groaned at the phrasing, and felt his face heat up even more. He shook his head. “Of course he isn’t.”

Adriel stared at him. He wasn’t fooled. The only thing he wasn’t certain about was how much of it was Goten’s imagination and how much of it was real. “I’m rather afraid to question you more…” he admitted in a soft mutter.

Goten chuckled nervously. “I promise that it’s nothing like that. Well, it’s not that we… Well, I don’t think that... Oh, for gods’ sakes, this is only a telephone number. I asked him to keep an eye on my father and friends and…” He stopped when Adriel appeared to be more and more stunned by the second.

“You _asked him_?”

“Well, I did save his life twice!” Goten shot back with defensive stubbornness. “I kinda felt entitled to that! Besides, it’s not that he minded it much!”

Adriel watched the indignant third-class in shock. “Twice?” It probably wasn’t Goten’s overactive imagination after all. If it were, Goten wouldn’t be so irritated. This was obviously some kind of defense mechanism, denial of sorts. It was the prince they were talking about after all. Goten wouldn’t admit anything even if he were standing in court. Especially if he were standing in court.

They were silent for a few moments, then Adriel shrugged. It wasn’t his place to interfere, especially when it was obvious that Goten hadn’t sorted out his own thoughts concerning the whole issue either.

“Why did Reyn have it?”

“I realized that it was missing quite a while ago. He must have taken it.”

“Why?”

“How should I know? We didn’t exactly hit it off at first, so maybe he thought he’d have something against me. Or maybe he was just curious.”

“It’s probably the former. He isn’t overly nosy, but he can be a bitch to deal with once stroked the wrong way.”

“Yes, I’ve noticed that much.”

“So what will you do?”

“Nothing,” Goten muttered. It wasn’t as if he could tell Reyn to leave him alone and shut up about it. It would never work; the flight officer was good at pressuring people. He was already dreading the inevitable confrontation he and Reyn were going to have concerning all this. 

TBC


	37. Part 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
>  Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
>  A/N: _**Starcut’s crew members**_ :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 37

In addition to his latrine and warder duties, Goten was assigned to the kitchen helpers, just as he had suspected would happen. He had been informed of this straight after he had finished his watch over the patients. Grumbling under his breath, he went to the kitchens. His mood improved when he saw that his fate was shared by a handful of other crew members. Edesha was stirring something in a pot with his good hand, Mandro was chopping a cabbage, Reyn was peeling potatoes, and two Humans – one male and one female – were grating carrots. Must be volunteers. The third-class felt he already liked the two.

“Ah, Goten,” Reyn greeted the third-class. “How about you help me out with these potatoes?”

“So that you can bully me again? No, thanks. I’d rather help someone else.”

“Aw, c’mon, when did I ever bully you?”

“You have a conveniently short memory.”

The flight officer grinned at Goten. He patted the bench next to him. “C’mon, sit down. I promise to behave.”

It didn’t seem to be anything more than a friendly invitation and, after finding a peeler, Goten accepted it. Besides, he knew that Reyn wouldn’t mention anything of what happened yesterday with so many people around. That conversation was going to take place later and probably last long, very long.

“I hear you have a roommate now,” the flight officer said casually.

From the corner of his eyes, Goten saw Edesha shift uncomfortably by the stove. The third-class nodded. “Yeah. I woke up and he was there, in bed.”

“Where?”

Goten glanced at Reyn. The flight officer seemed to be puzzled. No, not really puzzled, rather unpleasantly surprised. The third-class rolled his eyes. He didn’t feel like explaining. He continued to peel potatoes silently, completely missing the meaningful looks Reyn and Edesha exchanged behind his back.

“Don’t skip your latrine duty today,” Goten said. He wasn’t even certain why he said that. He knew Reyn wouldn’t – the man had even told him not to come for a few days. It was obvious that the wait for the whole thing with the stupid dreams and the even stupider prince to blow up in his face was making him snappish.

Reyn gave Goten a searching look, then chuckled at his dismal face. “I didn’t know you were missing me so much. I’ll be certain to visit you this evening.”

The third-class felt the tension retreat somewhat. Instead, he felt ashamed now; the flight officer had noticed that his mood was unstable and was apparently trying to avoid a conflict. This was rare, and he was grateful to Reyn for not latching onto it.

“How’s the kid?” the third-class asked. He had been looking for him, but was then intercepted by the master sergeant, who informed him about his glorious return to the kitchen.

“Are you talking about the one who peed on you?” Reyn wondered.

“Yes, that one.”

The flight officer looked around, but everyone responded by shrugging their shoulders, even the Human couple after the question had been translated. Reyn shrugged as well. “No idea. Hopefully, he at least got his clothes washed.”

Goten doubted that. It didn’t seem that his parents had survived, or maybe the kid had been traveling alone. There was no doubt that his kind would take care of him one way or another, but Goten felt responsible for him. He had saved many others, but the kid and Reyn were the ones he had seen die with his own eyes. It was only natural that he felt a bigger emotional attachment towards them.

“Hey, you don’t stink anymore!” Reyn joyfully informed Goten.

“Don’t make it sound as if smelling of piss is my trademark.”

“My bad. Your trademark is to be pissed off. Most of the time anyway, right?”

“No, it’s you who’s trying to piss me off most of the time.”

“That’s right,” Mandro said. “The only time I saw a pissed off Goten was when he smashed your face into his soup. And you kinda deserved it.”

“I did not.”

“Well, you kinda did,” Edesha endorsed.

“Ha!” Goten said victoriously. “I’m a very peaceful guy. Everybody knows that.”

“You? Peaceful?” Reyn snorted incredulously. “Pfft. It only takes a few words to send you flying into rage.”

Goten stared at him. “Then don’t, for gods’ sakes,” he said, looking aghast.

Mandro burst out laughing. His eyes followed Goten’s and Reyn’s backs when they went to the sink to wash potatoes. “Hey,” he whispered to Edesha, “have you noticed? You just look at Reyn go – pestering Goten non-stop, drawing him out. Reyn has never been this talkative before.” He grinned. “I think he has the hots for the newbie.”

Just a few days ago, Edesha would have laughed at this and called the arms specialist an idiot. Now he was certain that this was exactly what was going on. The look Reyn had given him about ten minutes ago had convinced him completely. It had been a warning look, one which tells a rival that there would be hell to pay if ignored. It had been anything but subtle, and never had Edesha imagined he would see Reyn give it to someone.

“No way…” Mandro muttered, quickly coming to a conclusion when Edesha kept silent. “No freakin’ way…”

Farther away, Goten and Reyn were washing the potatoes, the splash of running water drowning out their voices. “Do you know that _Orion_ exploded?” the flight officer asked Goten casually. 

The third-class tensed, but didn’t raise his eyes off the potatoes in the sink. He wasn’t surprised by the fact, there was nothing to be surprised about – he had known it would explode after all. To pretend to be surprised was pointless too – Reyn wasn’t gullible. 

“Ah, so. What a pity.”

“It happened soon after we docked on _Starcut_.”

_Three hours later, huh?_ Goten thought. “It appears we shouldn’t have hurried so much, then,” he said.

Reyn dropped the potatoes he had been washing back into the sink and leaned on the edge of it with his wet hands. He stared at the side of Goten’s head, wishing he could see the third-class’s eyes. “We are damn lucky to have gotten away from there,” he said. “But I’m certain you know that.”

“Well, of course!” Goten answered with a note of flat excitement in his voice.

Reyn felt the urge to douse Goten with a bucketful of water. “How did you know, Goten?” He held his hand out when the third-class opened his mouth. “Don’t. I want the truth.”

Goten glared at him, glared hard. Unbelievable. Reyn really had the audacity to try and corner him like this while he couldn’t get a word out of the flight officer’s mouth… Who was the one with secrets? And what about the fucking telephone number? When was he going to bring that one up? Damn fucker!

“Screw you!” Goten spat, suddenly agitated beyond words. Startled, Edesha and Mandro turned their heads to look at what was going on at the sink.

Reyn didn’t seem to be very fazed by the sudden outburst. “And how did you know about that kid?” he pressed on.

“What fucking kid?” Goten growled, urged on by Reyn’s lack of concern. “I just advised you not to waste your time with children. And th-”

“Goten, you’re insulting my intelligence.”

The third-class slammed the bucket down onto the floor, the water sloshing over the brim and onto the metallic floor. “Screw you and your intelligence!” 

Goten was yelling at him now, and Edesha with Mandro moved forward in case they needed to separate the two; the fur on Goten’s tail was bristling and there was a big chance that he would resort to violence. Reyn wasn’t quite there yet, but at this rate he was going to be dragged in.

The other Saiyans’ proximity spiked the third-class’s anger to yet a higher level. Somewhere at the back of his head, he was watching himself in astonishment, but there was no denial that Reyn had annoyed the hell out of him. Why exactly, he couldn’t tell, but he suddenly hated the man.

“How exactly are you peaceful, you walking epitome of aggression?!” Reyn spat.

“Oh gods,” Edesha muttered, pushing at the flight officer’s chest, trying to make him back away from Goten. “Don’t let him drag you into this.” He hoped Reyn wouldn’t suddenly set off and decide to make quick work of his good arm. The prospect of not being able to wipe his own ass was dreadful.

“And fucking what am I dragging him into?” Goten growled, effortlessly shoving Mandro aside, out of his way. The arms specialist caught himself on the corner of the table to regain his balance.

“Shit, Reyn,” Edesha said nervously at the sight of Goten advancing. “Just… Just…” He felt the flight officer stiffen, then Reyn suddenly turned around and marched out of the kitchens. He rounded the counter and strode across the canteen towards the exit.

“Hey, you fucking… What the hell?!” Goten shouted after him. “Where the hell are you going? Wait!”

“What the hell for?” Mandro hissed at the third-class, now holding him in place by his clothes. “So that you two can demolish the canteen?”

Goten struggled for a few more seconds, but in order to get away, he either had to tear his uniform or use some serious force to pry Mandro off him. He wasn’t too far gone yet to resort to any of those. Mandro somehow… Mandro wasn’t a threat, none of them were. Reyn was, though. And he had retreated.

Without any clear thought in the head, Goten stopped trying to wriggle out of Mandro’s grasp and raised his hands above his head to show that he didn’t mean any harm. When the arms specialist finally let go of him, Goten still couldn’t trust himself not to bolt after Reyn.

ooOoOoOoo

In the evening, Goten’s mood had improved a lot. This was mostly due to the fact that Adriel had informed him about a celebration party which was going to take place in Goten’s cabin. The third-class hadn’t protested at all. In fact, he welcomed it. He felt he deserved a breather and at least some kind of reward after saving his and other people’s skin on _Orion_. This was as much of a thanks as he was getting. He was fine with that.

It had taken Goten nearly an hour to clean the toilets. With the large-scale increase in clientele, by the time he had worked his way from the beginning to the end of the row, he felt he needed to start cleaning all over again. Reyn hadn’t shown up. Goten had been both irritated and relieved over the fact. In any case, he was finally done and still had about twenty minutes before people started gathering in his cabin.

The third-class opened the door and was taken aback by the sight of Reyn sitting on his floor, leaning against his bed, absently leafing through the only porn magazine he had. The flight officer raised his eyes off an expressive photograph of a young Human female with giant breasts. 

“You’re into this kind of thing?” he wondered, pointing at the photo between the woman’s bare legs.

“Into what thing?” Goten asked, feeling an immediate need to defend his standpoint, no matter how stupid it was. He was going to kill Adriel. What was the point of him changing the code key if that idiot went around giving it away to anyone who wanted it? 

Reyn lifted and turned the magazine for the third-class to see.

“Ah, this. Mmnmn… No, not really. Humans… Well, no. Page thirty is closer to what my taste is.”

Reyn lowered the magazine back onto his lap and turned to the glories of page thirty. He half-expected it to be a photo of a spaceship or a sword, but instead there was a well-built second-class Saiyan male of Goten’s age. Reyn gave the worn photo an appreciative look. The handsome youth was standing in a shower stall with the water shut off, a sheen of droplets covering his skin. His head was reclined, legs spread slightly, his half-closed eyes lowered to watch how his hand was fisting his cock.

“Is this why you tend to find yourself in compromising situations in the showers?” Reyn teased. Now it made more sense to him as to why Goten was so fond of looking for relief there. This particular fantasy of Goten’s was easy to fulfill, though.

The third-class didn’t rise to the bait. “You didn’t come to the toilets,” he accused, approaching the flight officer.

“I wanted to give you some time to cool off.” Reyn glanced at the youth’s photo again. He nodded, grinning. “That’s one hell of an ass.”

Goten rolled his eyes. He sat down on his bed, a few steps away from where Reyn was sitting on the floor. It suddenly came to the third-class that Reyn did thank him for saving his life back then, on the shuttle. 

“I… I’m sorry,” Goten muttered after a moment’s silence between them. “I shouldn’t have lashed out like that. I… I don’t really understand why it came to that.”

The flight officer closed the magazine and chucked it onto the bed for the third-class to take. He thought it was glaringly obvious why, he could bet the entire crew knew why, only Goten was oblivious. It wasn’t normal, of course, this intensity between them, but nothing was normal either about him or Goten. 

“Whatever,” Reyn said with a sigh. “Let’s just forget it. I won’t pester you about it anymore.”

The third-class pursed his lips. “It’s… It’s not really that. It’s just that you won’t believe me anyway.”

Reyn upturned his head to look at Goten. Their eyes met, both of them holding each other’s gaze evenly. “Try me,” he said. “I don’t think you can surprise me any more than I am already.”

Goten rubbed the back of his neck nervously. It suddenly seemed incredibly easy to just get on with it and spill all of it out. “Mm…” he mumbled uncertainly. “I…” His head shot up at the sound of someone’s fist banging against the door. Ah, right. The party. Huh. Forgot completely.

Disappointed, Reyn crossed his arms across his chest and leaned his head on the mattress to stare at the ceiling while Goten went to let the guest in. In a few seconds, he heard Adriel’s voice.

“Oh, Reyn. Here for the party?”

“Sure.”

Adriel blinked in surprise. As if the flight officer joining a party wasn’t amazing enough, an even more astonishing thing was that Reyn had just invited himself to it with a definite “sure”. It did seem that the newest rumor Mandro was readily sharing with everyone had some base to it. If anything, the self-invitation only added to it. He threw a quick look at Goten, but the younger male seemed to be perfectly fine with that. Well, if Goten was fine with it, then it was alright, wasn’t it? He felt, however, a need to warn Reyn about the prince lurking somewhere in Goten’s background. Surely, there could be absolutely nothing between the two, but…just in case.

Adriel hadn’t come empty-handed. He walked towards the desk/table at the wall and started pulling the bottles and various packets he had brought out of the bag. Goten wondered where he kept all of that. A bottle or two was easy to hide, but this was already the third or fourth party. He watched Adriel arrange the bottles behind the terminal so that they wouldn’t be visible if someone decided to do a quick check up on them. It was a good thing Goten had changed the door code.

“Music?” the navigator asked, folding his bag and then squeezing it in between the terminal and the wall for later retrieval.

Goten motioned at the terminal. “It’s still dead.” In fact, he was pretty glad that it wasn’t functioning; they were a noisy bunch without any assistance. The captain tolerated these occasional gatherings, but it wasn’t clear what his reaction to deafening noise and vibrating walls would be. It was best not to find out.

“Have you asked Rokunda to take a look?”

“No. I don’t really need it, and it’s a bother to ask her.”

“I see.” Adriel shrugged. He sat down next to Reyn, elbowing him lightly. “So did you bring any offerings for the party?”

“Sure,” Reyn said, fishing under Goten’s bed, pulling out a plastic bottle and lowering it between Adriel’s slightly spread legs with a thud. “Here you go. And this is for a snack,” he said, lifting himself with his left elbow, groping around on the bed, and then tossing the porn magazine onto the navigator’s lap.

Disinterested, Adriel pushed the magazine aside and, instead, took the bottle for inspection. He started when his hands touched it, then he lowered it back onto the floor with a sigh. “You’re such a kid.”

Curious, Goten reached out for the bottle. He nearly dropped it in unexpectedness; the plastic was hot. He unscrewed the cap and the unmistakable smell reached his nostrils immediately. “Huh. Is this coffee?”

“And it’s still hot!” Reyn exclaimed with a proud chuckle.

There was more banging against the door and the third-class closed the cap, tossing the bottle back to Reyn before going to let more guests in. Sildara came empty-handed since his boyfriend had brought his share as well. Edesha went for the wardrobe to rummage on the left side that Goten had yielded to him. There, on the bottom of it, he grasped the bottlenecks of five beers.

From the depths of his white coat, Tamahi pulled out a bottle of diluted surgical spirits. He fished out seven plastic shot glasses from his coat pockets. He looked around, but it didn’t seem that there was anything he could use for a table, so he started arranging his goods right on the floor next to where Adriel and Reyn were sitting.

“What about Jadenas and the twins?” Goten asked as it seemed that things were coming into swing. “Weren’t they coming?”

“Well, one of us has to stay sober and keep watch,” Reyn said, “in case of an emergency.” 

Adriel snickered. “Do you plan on getting drunk on that coffee?”

The flight officer grinned at him. “You know I’m a lightweight. I get drunk on anything.”

Adriel rolled his eyes. “Ah well, he sure owes you for all those times you kept watch for him while he was getting plastered.”

“Precisely!” Reyn agreed. Tamahi was pouring the shots, and Reyn wondered where he could pour himself some coffee. He saw Goten’s mug on the desk/table next to the terminal and, after pointing at it and nudging the third-class a few times, Reyn soon had it in his possession.

Before long, all of them were armed with something to drink, and Tamahi raised his glass. “Let’s drink to those who survived and let’s remember those who are gone,” he said, saluting them. The room quieted considerably, and they drank to that, musing silently. At first, the words struck Goten as very profound, but then he realized that this was probably what they said after every successful or failed mission. It was just how it went: someone died and someone stayed alive. It was always like this.

“It’s funny how it all depends on luck, huh?” Goten muttered, emptying his shot.

“Hmm… Does it?” Adriel wondered, opening a packet of crisps with a loud pop.

“It sure does,” the third-class insisted while Sildara was pouring him another shot glass. “A minute or two of delay, even a few seconds, forgetting or remembering something, approaching someone, getting noticed by someone, being liked or hated, sleeping in, waking up too early; it all counts in the end.”

“Isn’t this fate?” Tamahi wondered. “Don’t you believe in it?”

Goten reflected while chewing on his salami sandwich. “I think I do. I don’t really want to, but I’m in no position to deny that it exists. It seems that it does. It’s…complicated.”

Adriel clapped him on his back, nearly making him choke on the sandwich. “You take this too seriously.”

_The problem is that I haven’t taken this seriously enough_ , Goten thought morosely. _Toharu would still be alive if I had._

Edesha laughed. “Why is it that a few shots of drink turn people into philosophers?”

“What’s a ‘philosopher’?” Goten inquired.

“You serious?” Sildara chuckled. “How did you ever finish…? Oh right. You haven’t.”

“Thank you very much for reminding me,” Goten said with a pout. “Asshole.”

Adriel hugged him. “Don’t worry, you’re just as lovely without finishing it.” 

“Get your boyfriend off me,” Goten complained to Sildara in a second, “he’s trying to feel me up.”

“Oh gods, you tattler…yowch!” Adriel yelped as Sildara whacked him over the head none too gently. “Just his pockets! His pockets, I swear! I tried to see whether he…”

“Hey!” Goten cried out indignantly after checking his pockets. “Where is my credit card?”

Adriel grinned, spreading his right hand. “Teehee.”

“Don’t you ‘teehee’ me! Give it back!”

“Nuh-uh. It’s about time you paid up for the treats you’ve been getting.”

“I said I will! I just can’t cash it here!”

Adriel gave him a sly smile. “But I can.” He raised the card for everybody to see and waved it in the air suggestively. “Anyone interested? Fifty credits? Forty? And if we get him shitfaced tonight, we could probably also get the password out of him.”

“Oh no, you don’t! Give it back!”

Reyn moved his coffee from the floor and under the bed when Goten lunged at Adriel. Absently, he watched the navigator circling the cabin a few times at great speed with Goten in tow. Then the third-class finally made a giant leap, his hand catching the scruff of Adriel’s collar. He tugged him backwards, and Adriel lost his footing. They fell onto Tamahi, who cursed loudly, shoving them away.

“Don’t go around spilling my drink, you idiots!”

Goten retrieved his credit card victoriously and returned to sit at the bed. While he was carefully pocketing the card, Reyn’s coffee returned from its hiding place. Goten downed a third shot and set on methodically destroying a packet of crisps.

“I’m shorrry,” mumbled Edesha an hour later, rubbing Goten’s forehead with quite some force, nearly making him topple over. “It was me. Meee in the sh-showers.”

Goten pushed his palm away from his forehead. “Yes, I know, I know,” he slurred impatiently. “My forehead’s fine already. Stop it,” he warned when Edesha reached out for his brow again.

Edesha nearly burst into tears. “I fff-fff-fff-fuck… Mmm… No, I mean…I ffff-fff-feel so baaad ‘bout it. I’m shorry. ‘ss just you…you acted like a…like such a cherrybutt back then. … I fff-fff-thought it’d be ffffun to…to tease you…”

“So that’s what it was…” Goten muttered, looking around for something edible. 

“Cherrybutt!” Adriel squealed, catching on immediately. “Hahaha! Cherrybutt!”

“Hey, is there some beer left?” Goten wondered. He felt he couldn’t care less. He was probably used to it already. “Crisps?”

Reyn shook his head. “Nope. Tamahi drank it all.” With his left leg, he poked the doctor in the side. “Hey, if you want to sleep, go to your cabin.” 

Tamahi’s eyes blinked and he raised his head off the floor, then rolled onto his back. After that, he disconnected again.

“Cherrybutt! Hahaha!”

Reyn snorted at Adriel. “What are you? A broken record? Here, have some coffee.”

“It’s cold! Dun’ wanna! Cherrybutt!”

“Just go to sleep, you idiot.”

On the verge of tears, Edesha gave the third-class an apologetic look. There was something pitiful about the drunken Saiyan looking so apologetic. Goten patted him awkwardly on his shoulder.

“’s okay, okay. I’ve been called worse.” He yelped in surprise when Edesha grabbed him into a hug.

“I l-like ya! I rrreally like ya! You’re such…such a good guy!”

“I like you too,” Goten said, trying to free himself. “Now let go.”

“Just do him,” Adriel said to Edesha. “He said he likes you.”

“I’ll do _you_ in,” Goten warned him. “Just open your mouth one more time.” He finally managed to escape Edesha’s embrace. He felt he was drunk, but not overly so. He cast a look at his bed where Sildara was hugging his pillow in his undisturbed sleep. On all fours, he crawled over to pry Sildara’s fingers off a beer bottle. With a deep twinge of sorrow, Goten saw that it was empty. He lowered it to the floor.

“Have some coffee,” Reyn offered.

“Go fuck yourself. Seriously.”

The flight officer pouted. “And here I come with my best inten-gh!”

“I knew it!” Goten exclaimed victoriously, waving the half-empty bottle of coffee in the air. “There’s something in that coffee! Adriel! There’s really something in that coffee! A treasure! I found a treasure! Hey!” He turned around to see that the navigator was out cold, lying on the floor, drooling. “And he was so lively only a second ago!” He swiveled his head to see Edesha climbing into his bed clumsily, about to pass out. Goten turned back to Reyn. “Oh well, that leaves the two of us,” he said, looking around for another mug. “More for me.”

Resigned, Reyn watched Goten ransacking Edesha’s side of the wardrobe. He soon retrieved a metallic mug and poured himself some coffee. 

“You’re good at holding your liquor,” Reyn said.

“Not really. I’m just too slow. I didn’t even notice when they drank it all,” Goten said, sipping the cold coffee. “Bastards. Is this rum?” It was so diluted that he could hardly feel the taste but it was unmistakably there.

Reyn chuckled. “Cognac.”

“The taste is horrible.”

“Well, what do you expect? It’s cold already.”

“I don’t even like coffee.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, you either stop complaining or stop drinking!”

“You wish!”

“Ugh.” Reyn sighed. “Whatever.” His gaze went out to Tamahi, who suddenly jerked in his sleep. He sat up gasping. “What?”

The doctor didn’t answer anything, but started crawling towards the door. Goten reached out to grab him by his ankle. Tamahi seemed to be confused by the sudden weight on his leg. He rowed with his hands across the floor, but didn’t manage to move more than a few centimeters.

“Just let him return to his cabin.”

“He will fall asleep in the corridor.”

“Then let him.”

Goten thought for a moment. He shrugged and let go of the ankle. “Okay.”

On his way to the door, Tamahi caught Adriel’s head with his elbow. The navigator rose like a zombie from its grave, emitting strange noises, swaying and drooling all over. For a minute, he looked so out of it that Goten thought he’d fall over again. Then his eyes, with a blank expression in them, fixed on Goten.

“All elites are assholes,” he said gravely. “Don’t trust any of them!”

“Ha,” Goten said, taken aback. Then he felt that he had many things to share and add to this sentiment. “I totally agree! Those whites!” He quieted suddenly. “Well, no… Not really. Some are fine. Almanda was fine. Totally fine. And then also…”

“Assholes!” Adriel protested harshly. “All assholes! You be careful! Ass-” He fell over with a thud and started snoring.

“Hey,” Goten complained, “I haven’t finished talking yet! Damn you,” he muttered, taking a swig of Reyn’s enhanced coffee. “And while we are still on that topic,” he continued telling the horizontal navigator, “I also hate second-classes. Just…oh gods! Some are even worse than elites! Seriously! I swear each time they feel bad about themselves, they take it out on us! Why should I take that kind of attitude! Where’s the equa-”

“He’s out cold, Goten,” Reyn interrupted his rambling.

“I know that!” the third-class snapped at him indignantly.

Reyn rubbed his forehead, sighing. Goten meanwhile poured himself a second mug of coffee. Both of them turned to the sound of complete misery wafting from Goten’s bed. Sildara had sat up and looked like he was about to vomit.

“Oh crap, crap, crap, crap!” Goten chanted. “Just not on my bed! Toilets! Go to the toilets!”

Without a word, pale as a sheet of paper, the communications specialist rolled out of the bed and wobbled out of the cabin.

“Hey,” Reyn called, kicking Adriel in the left boot. “Get up. Your boyfriend feels sick.”

Adriel opened his eyes. “Mrrr?” He smacked his lips together a few times to wet them. “Sick? Mmrm… Who’s sick?”

“Sildara. Go do something about him. He went to the toilets.”

With a troubled groan, Adriel staggered to his feet and followed his lover.

“I don’t think he can actually do anything about him,” Goten said wistfully after the door had closed behind his back. “Or for him.”

“Well, of course he can’t, but it’s one less dead body in your room.”

“Oh. You’re smart!” Goten giggled, saluting Reyn with his enhanced coffee.

Over the brim of his mug, Reyn watched him drink, then swallow happily. He was about to take a sip again.

“You’re a third-class, aren’t you, Goten?”

The words filtered through the pleasant buzz of tipsiness, and Goten’s mug froze on its way to his mouth. The sober awareness of his surroundings returned to him in a vital rush. He suddenly became aware that, besides the sleeping Edesha, he and Reyn were the only ones in the cabin.

Goten laughed. “What nonsense are you spewing?” But he knew he wasn’t convincing at all. He was too drunk to act persuasively.

Reyn leaned forward. He had a placid expression on his face, kind even. “There’s no use in denying. I’ve suspected for quite some time now.”

“No! What gave you that idea?” With horror, Goten suddenly noticed how unstable his hand was – the mug was shaking so much that it was surprising he hadn’t spilled anything yet. He squeaked lightly when the flight officer’s fingers wrapped around the mug and pulled at it lightly. Goten let go.

“You can stop pretending,” Reyn said, safely lowering it onto the floor. He watched the younger male turning pale. “Hey, don’t worry. I’m a third-class too.” His eyes never left Goten’s as he bent forward. Instinctively, Goten moved away from him until his back was pressed against the side of his bed. Smiling a little at the younger male’s unbalanced retreat, Reyn followed him. 

“What… What are you doing?” Goten squirmed when Reyn kneeled in front of him, the flight officer’s body now looming over his. It was pretty clear what he intended to do though, and Goten put up his forearms in order to keep him away. The older male pushed his left hand away. 

Goten turned his head aside. This, however, didn’t stop the other Saiyan. Goten inhaled sharply when Reyn’s mouth descended on the column of his neck. A hot tongue flicked over his skin, and Goten’s whole body seized up. He suddenly realized why Reyn had wanted everyone else to leave the cabin. Another thing he realized was that Reyn wasn’t frigid, asexual, or anything like that; being a third-class, just like him, Reyn had very limited access to sex partners. Both of them were third-classes and… A third-class… Unbelievable…

Goten shuddered when Reyn’s hand slid under his uniform and stroked his stomach. The flight officer’s mouth tried to claim Goten’s lips again, but Goten’s palm pressed against his chest to keep him away. This was too unexpected and too... 

“Wait. Wait a moment.”

The flight officer caught Goten’s wrists and moved them aside. He didn’t try to kiss Goten again, but nudged the younger male’s head up to graze on his throat. Goten grunted and his eyelids fluttered shut. He could smell how aroused the older male was. The pheromones were also affecting him, making him respond to the petting, making his mind cloud.

“Wait a second,” Goten moaned, shifting along the side of the bed, away from the flight officer. Reyn followed him, his hands still holding Goten by his wrists, his knee now pushing in between the younger man’s thighs. Goten gasped and his back arched when it rubbed against the bulge in his trousers. He tried to free his hands, but the other male didn’t let go.

“Reyn, wait. Reyn, stop it!”

Neither of them was putting force into their movements yet, but it didn’t seem that Reyn took any heed of Goten’s words. Panting lightly, Goten wondered if they were going to come to trading blows. It was difficult to stop an aroused Saiyan once he was overtaken by lust. The problem, or maybe the absence of it, was that Goten wasn’t certain he wanted Reyn to stop. It was mostly a habit, resisting other males’ advances. Reyn was turned on, he was a third-class, he was turned on too, and he was also a third-class, and he quite liked the flight officer. What was the problem?

The flight officer felt Goten stop trying to free his wrists, and he loosened his grip on them. Reyn raised his head to look at Goten’s flushed face. He was aware of how dilated the younger male’s pupils were, how his breathing had become rasher. A little bit more effort into seducing him and Goten would give in. Then the younger male brought his hands forward and fisted them into Reyn’s uniform above his chest. He seemed to be indecisive about whether he wanted to push Reyn away or bring him closer.

“C’mon, Goten. Why are you resisting? I know you want it too.”

Of course, he wanted it. Wanted it badly. “I… I…” Goten wasn’t certain what to say, and Reyn put the younger male’s open mouth to good use by issuing a deep kiss. Goten let out a guttural moan, and the flight officer wasn’t going to let go of the younger male even if the enemy started bombing their spaceship.

Goten broke the kiss when Reyn’s knee rubbed at his crotch with renewed persistence. “Ahh…” he groaned, his hands coming to grip the older man’s shoulders. Reyn nibbled at the side of his neck, and he closed his eyes at how good it felt.

The stubborn youth had given in, and Reyn felt they were ready for the next stage. He gave a few more rubs to Goten over his trousers, then rose to his feet and pulled the younger male up as well. Caressing and kissing the other male, he maneuvered them onto the youth’s bed.

Goten’s hips moved forward of their own accord when Reyn’s palm glided over his side and firmly grabbed his ass. He liked that. He liked it when men grabbed him by his ass. Encouraged by his reaction, the flight officer kneaded the rump in his hand. Reyn’s other hand found Goten’s left globe and took hold of it, both to support and arouse Goten even more. The younger male shuddered and closed his eyes.

_If you as much as touch Goten’s ass…_

The words were soft and fleeting in Goten’s head, but they set off a slow fuse. Reyn was kissing him again and he responded to the kiss. The flight officer was trying to unbutton Goten’s jacket. It was not so easy a task as his left hand was still squeezing the younger male’s ass with vigor.

Goten felt himself being seated and then heard his jacket flop onto the ground somewhere farther away. A clang of metal indicated that his belt had joined his jacket on the floor as well. Reyn’s fingers flickered over his bare nipples, then they dove south to his crotch to unzip his trousers.

_If you as much as touch Goten’s ass…_

The thought annoyed Goten. Why the hell was he remembering that? Who the hell cared? Those were only words, written down and forgotten. They wouldn’t ever meet again. And they shouldn’t. Just forget him. Actually, he _should_ sleep with Reyn to just get over that purple-haired bastard.

Goten grabbed at Reyn’s hand when it slid over his hard cock. He couldn’t help a soft moan slipping past his lips.

“You like that, right?” Reyn said, nuzzling Goten’s neck.

“Yes, but…” Goten tried to push Reyn’s hand away, but it didn’t want to move anywhere except to its prior target. “Wait a minute… I’m…” To tell Reyn that he was trying to reach some conclusion here was pointless. The man wouldn’t understand. Even Goten himself couldn’t understand. He just knew that he wasn’t so sure about this anymore.

The flight officer smacked Goten’s hand away with rising irritation. He started stroking him, making his eyes roll upwards and his back arch lightly. Goten licked his lips. “Reyn, Reyn, wait.” He tried to pull the flight officer’s hand out of his trousers, but that only made the older male act more aggressive in his seduction. He had somehow climbed on top of Goten, pressing him down into the bedding bodily.

Goten tried to push Reyn’s head off his neck. “Oh… Mmm… Reyn… Wait,” he panted out. “Stop, will you?” Goten gritted his teeth. “Wait, for fuck’s sake!” he growled, powering up suddenly. He was about to throw the older man off him when he felt him move.

“Fuck!” Reyn cursed, pulling himself away and climbing out of the bed. “Fuck you, Goten!” He could hardly contain either his arousal or frustration. “Shit!” Panting, he simply stood away from Goten to allow himself to calm down and stop reacting to the younger male. 

Goten sat up and shifted to the edge of the bed. He lowered his legs to the floor.

“What the fuck is your problem? You said you didn’t have a boyfriend!” Reyn accused with a furious hiss.

“I don’t! I don’t!” Goten shook his head, panting. “Well, practically I don’t. Theoretically, I might have two of them.”

Uncomprehending, Reyn stared at him for a few moments. “What kind of shit is that? Are you trying to piss me off?” he growled. “Because it’s been working great so far!”

Rubbing his burning face with his palms, Goten groaned softly, not even knowing where to start.

TBC


	38. Part 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> **_A/N: Starcut’s crew members:_**
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician – (Landan)  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 38

Reyn stood at the side of Goten’s bed, waiting for the younger male to start talking, though it seemed that he didn’t know where to start. Finally, he gave the flight officer a pleading look. His cock was hard and it felt uncomfortable. Embarrassing too.

“Could we talk about this when I am more sober?”

Reyn cursed in disbelief. “You mean when you’re in a better condition to lie?”

Goten couldn’t hold his gaze. That was exactly what he thought. All of this had gotten so far simply because he was drunk and horny. Once he was sober, he would figure something out.

Goten looked guilty but stubborn, and Reyn let out a growl which embodied both his frustration and anger. “Shit!”

“Okay,” Goten said, raising his hands, giving up. “Okay. Let’s reach an agreement,” he suggested.

Reyn snorted at him. “What kind?”

“If I tell you everything, then you tell me everything too.”

“A trade? Okay, it’s fine with me.”

The younger male gave him a surprised look; he had not expected the flight officer to agree so readily. “Really? Alright,” he said when Reyn nodded. “We’ll talk. But not here. When we are alone and…”

“Sounds like a threat.”

“Listen, I’m too drunk to deal with this shit. You either want to hear it or you don’t. So which is it?”

Reyn’s lips twitched. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Of course I want to.”

“Tomorrow, then.”

“Fine.”

When Reyn left, Goten flopped back onto his bed. He lay still for some time, then reached down and brushed over the front of his trousers. His hand easily picked out the obvious outline of his cock. He could wait for it to soften completely, but what was the point of depriving himself of release? Next time Reyn tried something like this again, he’d simply be twice as horny as he was now. 

There wasn’t even a twitch from Edesha, and Goten turned to his side to face the wall. With a wriggle of his hips, Goten pushed his trousers and underwear out of his way. He fisted himself and started stroking while his thoughts swirled lazily. He kept on returning to the thought that he might have made a mistake promising Reyn to tell him everything. Well, he could lie. He didn’t want to and he wasn’t very good at lying, but it was still an option. He was still dazed over the fact that Reyn was a third-class. He had suspected, of course, but it was one thing to suspect and another to know for certain. It made much more sense now, all the things Reyn did.

Goten came with a soft grunt. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he didn’t catch everything. Some of his seed slipped past his fingers and hung on the metallic wall. He groped around the pillow with his left hand but found no tissues, so he wiped the mess with the corner of his sheet. It was about time to change the bed linens anyway.

The third-class started when he realized he had been about to fall asleep. He went to the bathroom, then returned to his cabin. Edesha was still sleeping, frozen in the same exact position he had first fallen asleep in. Unceremoniously, Goten shed his uniform onto the floor and called for the lights to go out.

He woke up to the sound of people walking around him. It was a soft, carpeted sound, but with an anxious hurry in it. He blinked at the blinding lights and sat up. There were rows and rows of filled seats in front of him. He couldn’t see the faces because of the blinding lights, but all of them were turned towards him expectantly. With dread, the third-class saw that he was on a platform, right next to a tribune. After sparing a look at himself, he realized that he was only in his underwear.

Goten’s eyes were drawn to movement by the row of armchairs behind the platform. An important looking elite with a horde of medals on his uniform had stood up and was climbing the short set of stairs, coming towards him. The third-class staggered to his feet. Panicky, his eyes swept over the lavish conference hall. 

Where in the world was he?

The man was relentlessly coming closer, and Goten now was able to hear the soft jingle of his medals. The third-class let out a shaky breath when the elite passed him and stood at the tribune. It seemed this was one of those dreams again. He was invisible to other people. What was it about these dreams? There was something important about them he seemed to be forgetting.

The man at the tribune cleared his throat. “Good afternoon, honorable guests. I’m Veden Grendal. Most of you know me as the head of National Security. Today, we’ve gathered here to…”

Goten yelped and leapt forward, nearly right off the stage, when somebody touched his shoulder. He whirled around, his whole body tight and strung, ready to strike. 

“Godmotherfuckingasshole!” he spat out in a shaky gasp. “It’s you again!”

Gohan shrugged. “One would think you’ve already gotten used to this.”

“Well, I haven’t!” Goten snapped at the imposter. “Stop doing that!”

“Doing what?”

“Scaring me shitless!” Goten growled at him, jumping off the stage. The drone of the microphone was vibrating through his body, but he didn’t pay attention to what the man was saying. There was something about these dreams… They were important, Goten kept telling himself that, but the imposter’s presence was grating on his nerves.

The lights weren’t so bright once off the stage and Goten looked around. He was in a huge conference hall, fully packed with people. Most of them were Saiyans, but there were also many Humans and Leiadors. Another thing that Goten noticed was that nearly all of the present people were wearing uniforms. It was a varicolored sea of uniforms. Saiyans mainly used two colors: blue for air forces and khaki for land. Leiadors, however, used green for land, gray for air forces, and dark blue for their navy. Goten didn’t even know where to start with Humans. The variety of their uniforms made his head spin.

Suddenly, everybody went dead silent and Goten quickly turned around to look at the stage. He could hear feet shuffling behind him, everyone standing up, saluting. Automatically, he pressed his right fist over his heart too. The prince was walking towards the tribune. This was the first time Goten had seen the younger Vegeta of the Vegeta House in the flesh. If this could be called “seeing in the flesh”. 

When the heir to the throne stood up next to Veden Grendal, his head only came to the man’s shoulder. The peculiar hair, though, made him visually taller. Impressed, Goten gazed at the widow's peak on the prince’s brow. Trunks had inherited the widow’s peak, only his was not so prominent. The shape of the eyes, too, even the hard look in them. Goten suddenly found himself giggling. He couldn’t even begin to imagine himself being introduced to this man. Trunks was insane. He really was. 

Suddenly, Goten seized up, his nervous laughter dying.

Somebody was looking at him.

The knowledge was suddenly so clear that it was painful. He looked around frantically. Feet shuffled, the people taking their chairs again. The prince started talking, but he couldn’t hear a word, anxiously looking for…

There he was! There was someone standing at the other end of the platform. Someone whose stance and profile seemed to be very familiar. From this far, he couldn’t tell exactly whether the man was staring straight at him, nonetheless, his head was turned towards him. Nobody else paid him any attention; he didn’t exist for them, all of them were looking at the prince at the tribune. Goten stepped forward. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Gohan grabbed him by his arm.

“Don’t.”

“‘Don’t’ what?”

“Do you really want to meet him?”

Goten wavered for a moment. “I…do?” he said.

The imposter didn’t seem to be convinced but, shrugging, let go of his arm. Goten started walking along the platform, towards the other end of it. Already midway to the man, Goten recognized him. He wasn’t certain what was going on or why he was here. Was he one of the guests? Maybe security personnel? Who was he kidding? A third-class wouldn’t even be allowed to enter this hall. Were they sharing the same dream?

“Hi, Dad,” Goten nodded.

“Hi.”

Goten measured his father from head to toe. He seemed to be surprised to see him here, just like Goten was. Kakarott was wearing a standard Saiyan armor. There was not a trace of his injuries outwardly. 

“It seems like you’ve completely recovered,” Goten said finally.

“Well, my side still pains me when I make a sudden movement, but it’s getting better.” Kakarott gave his son a searching look. “Why did you lie about not being able to see the old man?”

“The old man?” Goten shrugged. “I don’t really know who you’re talking about.”

“About him,” Kakarott said, motioning at the empty space next to him.

Goten looked at the floor, then scanned around with his eyes. He couldn’t see anyone. Wondering if his father could see Gohan’s imposter, he shrugged again. Then he realized that the imposter was nowhere to be found either. Deciding that he didn’t give a damn, Goten reclined his head to watch the stage.

“…that’s why we are going to…” the prince’s voice droned on.

“And you’ve become taller,” Kakarott said. “You look more…mature?”

The comment was pleasing to his ears, and Goten felt himself blush lightly. Willing the color away, he turned to his father. “What is it about these dreams? I feel as if I keep forgetting something…”

“Oh that. It’s probably because it doesn’t work the usual way. It’s a kind of a dream, as you said, and usually our subconsciousness gets rid of them once we wake up, so as not to clutter our mind. Besides, it’s real and not real at the same time. Something that will happen and, at the same time, something that might not. It’s not really stable. That’s why you keep forgetting. You’ll get better with time.”

“Not really stable? As in not really set?”

“No, it is set, but it’s not stable.”

“I don’t really get it, but I know I have to remember something.”

“You have to remember not to forget.”

“Huh. Are you trying to give me a headache?”

Kakarott shrugged. “Just write it down before you forget. I think something will happen soon. It always does. But this time it’s going to be something big. I mean, why would there be the two of us here?”

Goten wondered about this. Or tried to. His thoughts felt fuzzy when he tried to think about the purpose of his presence here. He tried to concentrate on what the prince was saying, but ended up staring at Vegeta’s white-gloved hands on the tribune. So white. As white as the puff on the end of his tail. Instead of the prince’s voice, his head was soon filled with the methodical hum of the crowd.

“What were you laughing about?”

Goten gave his father a confused look. “When?”

“Just now. Before you noticed me.”

“Just now…” Goten repeated, his eyebrows creasing while he was trying to remember. “Ah.” He suddenly felt foolish. He couldn’t tell his father what he had been thinking about when he saw The Prince of All Saiyans climb onto the stage. “Nothing really. Just thought he looked funny. I’d have never thought that he is so short.”

Kakarott gave him a searching look. He knew that Goten was lying. Goten would never giggle mindlessly just because of that. The fact that he was lying after having been asked such a seemingly innocent question was disturbing.

The prince’s voice was suddenly interrupted by the earsplitting howls of sirens. It was an air raid. People jumped to their feet, clamoring. The prince and the other guests behind the platform were immediately surrounded by their bodyguards. 

Kakarott turned to Goten. “They probably intend to blow up the entire station. From the look of it, they will succeed. I will try to come here, to the station. You should come too. I will need help.”

Goten was skeptical – it was not as if he could just leave Starcut and go wherever the hell he wanted. It didn’t work that way. He would end up being hunted by the entire Saiyan fleet. “Where is this?” he asked.

Kakarott looked surprised. “Oh. It’s Bruminan Station, in the Terran Republic, close to Earth itself.”

“Earth?” Goten gave this some thought. “Well, maybe this could be arrang…”

A flash of light suddenly burst through the ceiling, engulfing the entire hall in a blinding sea of white. Screaming in pain, Goten covered his eyes. His brain was already dead, but his ears still registered the sounds of walls and bodies crumbling, turning into dust.

Goten came to his senses when he was soaring through the air, falling through the familiar white and blue. He was too stunned by the abrupt change in his surroundings to react to the occurrence in any way. With a loud splash, he plummeted into the water. Gasping and sputtering, he swam upwards and broke to the surface. He was in the familiar pool at the edge of the world.

The third-class splashed around for a few more seconds, then powered up and rose into the air. He flew upwards until the pool was far behind him. He reached the edge of the woods, where the water was falling from, and landed. He wouldn’t have recognized Gohan if not for his posture and uniform. The imposter, who was sitting on the stump of a fallen tree, turned towards him. There was something wrong with his head – there was no face.

While Goten was walking towards him, cold water was washing his boots. When he reached Gohan, he saw that he did have a face, only that it was transparent; he could see the woods right through it.

“What’s wrong with your face?” Goten asked.

“Is there something wrong with it?” The imposter’s voice sounded different than usual, somehow rough and sandy.

“Who are you, really?”

The imposter watched him silently with his transparent eyes. “I’m Gohan,” he said finally, “or whoever else you want me to be.”

Musing over this, Goten sat down on the fallen tree, next to the imposter. “Are you my conscience? Maybe guilt?”

The imposter laughed. “That’s not what you think.”

“No, it isn’t,” Goten agreed. “I don’t really know what to think. No, not that either. It’s probably that I don’t want to think.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten woke up gradually to the sound of someone’s voice. He rolled over with a deep, reverberating sigh. He felt sleepy and sluggish.

“Goten?”

“Ghm?” Goten hummed, lifting the cover over his head, blocking the noise, almost asleep again.

“Goten?”

The third-class murmured something, impatiently pushing the invasive hand aside, away from his face.

“Just let him sleep,” Tamahi told Reyn. “His brainwaves have stabilized completely; it seems he’s just sleepy.”

Reyn moved his hand away from Goten’s forehead. “He’s slept for two days. Isn’t that already enough?”

“I think it’s different.”

“Are you certain it’s not alcohol poisoning?”

Reyn turned to Nohail. Unexpectedly, the head engineer appeared to be very interested in Goten’s case. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be so eye-catching, but there was a busted pipe on the lower deck which was in dire need of mending, and Nohail also came to see the patient every three or so hours. Reyn probably wouldn’t have given the fact much thought if not for the strange conversation Goten and Nohail had after the swordplay about their mutual friend. There was something fishy going on. Whatever it was, he hoped that Nohail’s sudden strange behavior wasn’t the expression of his romantic feelings for Goten.

“Yes, I’m certain that this isn’t alcohol poisoning,” Reyn said. When he had left Goten in his cabin, he wasn’t all that drunk. Pleasantly buzzed, at most. Even if he had later drunk the coffee which had been left in the plastic bottle, he wouldn’t have gotten any worse. If anything, there was a great chance of him sobering up while drinking it – it was too diluted. It was how Reyn liked it since he couldn’t drink – once drunk, he became aggressive to the point where he would beat someone up. Everyone on Starcut knew that. About five years ago he had punched Adriel out cold for having said something unpleasant about his hair.

Nohail became aware of Reyn’s gaze. It wasn’t pleasant, the gaze. It was curious, with dark undertones beneath the surface. The head engineer wondered if it was indeed so as he had heard Mandro say. Was he supposed to report things like these as well?

When Nohail returned to his cabin, he turned on his terminal. Starcut wasn’t very far away from Enran Station, so he wanted to use this chance and send the prince a message. The next opportunity was three days away, when they would be passing Otahra Station.

He entered his passwords and started composing a report. He regularly wrote every five days or so. There was always something to report about Goten. During his roughly five week stay on Starcut, the extraordinary youth managed to get into an unbelievable amount of trouble and conquer everyone on board; there was no one who was indifferent to him. This time, again, Nohail had a great many things to report: everything about Goten’s trip to Orion and back, the additional passengers on board, Goten’s new roommate, the party, and his falling asleep for two days. There was also the fact that Goten knew about their connection. The prince had told him not to give himself away, but things were how they were. Besides, he doubted that Goten knew just how thoroughly he had been asked to report all the details concerning him.

The head engineer had just finished writing the part about Edesha being moved to Goten’s cabin when the door opened to let in Mirun. The maintenance technician was drenched to the bone, his boots gurgling wetly when he walked inside. He gave a grave look to his roommate, noticing him saving the file and closing the program.

“Lately you’ve been spending massive amounts of time typing away on that thing. Have you found yourself a female?”

“Yes, two of them,” Nohail said sarcastically, watching him shedding his boots and wet clothing onto the floor. He averted his eyes from his roommate’s naked backside. “How’s the situation on the lower deck?”

“Those damn Humans! How in the world did they even manage to bust that pipe?!”

“Argh. Don’t start again. It could’ve happened to anyone.”

Mirun snorted. He grabbed a dry uniform from his wardrobe and started dressing. Once he pulled his underwear and trousers up, he flopped down onto his bed. “We fixed it. It would’ve been faster if they hadn’t tried to help, though. Landan nearly squashed one with a pipe.”

“Huh?”

“Well, we had brought a new pipe with us and one of them offered to hold it for us while we were removing the old one. So Landan gladly agreed and tossed the pipe for him. There’s a dent now in the wall, and I don’t know if it’s from the pipe or the guy’s head.”

“Aw shit.”

“So yeah, we took the idiot to Tamahi. Tamahi went nuts saying that he didn’t have anywhere to put up that guy. So anyway, he ranted a lot about being more careful and safety in general, then stitched the guy’s head up and sent us away.”

“Well, at least he’s still alive. Don’t let them help you with anything. They are damn fragile. The last thing we need is to be accused of manslaughter. I hear there’s a great demand for help in the kitchens. Send all of them there.”

“No problem.”

Mirun didn’t show any intention of leaving the cabin; he lay on his back, bare-chested, staring at the ceiling, looking bored. It was clear that Nohail would have to find another opportunity to finish his report.

The head engineer followed his roommate’s example and, after kicking his boots off, lay down on his bed. His thoughts flew to the first time he had met the prince. The boy had barely been fourteen at the time, absolutely green to space traveling. Their master sergeant at the time was Wadara Argo, an energetic elite female with a tendency to exaggerate everything. Not that it was a bad thing – after the “attack” on Morawa Colony, most of the contemporary crew on Armageddon had been promoted and had never expressed any complaints. Even the prince. It was obvious that he, like many others, had been reluctant to accept his promotion but, in the end, he had decided that there was no need to be coy and that this opportunity to advance in the ranks might never appear again. It had, of course, but that was another story.

Nohail had been the only one on Armageddon who knew a thing or two about swordplay. Naturally, he and the prince sought each other out for spars. The tiny boy had lacked physical strength, but compensated for it with his skill and dexterity. He hadn’t been the prince’s teacher, far from it – he had learned a thing or two from the boy as well. They simply shared a hobby and enjoyed each other’s company.

Once the prince had been promoted, he left Armageddon to join the troops on Ruan. The swords had been the prince’s parting gift, a thanks for all the fun time they had while sparring. That was the last time he had seen the kid. Effortlessly, he had followed his advancement through the ranks on TV or the radio as it was common knowledge – he was a Saiyan Prince after all. He had grown, was a man now, but Nohail could not forget the awkward kid the prince had been in the past. 

The call more than a month ago had surprised Nohail greatly. He hadn’t believed the prince remembered him. Well, he did, and even if the call had been mostly business, it was pleasant. He was curious as to why the prince would be interested in some nameless second-class, but it was not as if he could ask. Goten had revealed that he had been his shaii at school, but that didn’t explain anything at all. If anything, it seemed that the prince was taking personal interest in Goten. What the hell for? If one overlooked his stunning skill at swordsmanship and the dazzling performance during the fight with Reyn, the kid seemed as average as it got.

Nohail turned his head to look at his roommate. Mirun had fallen asleep. Silently, the head engineer got up from his bed and returned to his terminal to finish composing his report.

ooOoOoOoo

“Fuckshitohgodsthatfuck!”

Startled out of his wits, Tamahi jumped away as Goten suddenly shot out of his sickbed and crashed onto the floor as his legs refused to hold his weight.

“Oh, damn. I’m so sorry,” the doctor said, watching Goten cradle the tip of his tail with his face screwed in pain and tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. He must have stepped on it. Tamahi had figured this would happen sooner or later as Goten’s tail had an uncanny tendency to just slip out of the bed and dangle away.

Kneeling on the metallic floor in only his underwear and gritting his teeth in pain, Goten soothed his abused tail. He raised his face to give the doctor a teary look, as if asking what he had done to deserve such cruel punishment.

Unconsciously, feeling his pain, Tamahi patted him on the head. “Aww, don’t look at me like that.” 

Both of them looked to the door when it opened and Adriel stepped in. The navigator froze on the spot, his eyes fixed on the doctor’s back. Confused, Tamahi stared at the funny expression on his face, then realized how the two of them must appear from Adriel’s perspective. “Ha,” he said chuckling. He removed his hand from Goten’s head and stepped away from the kneeling youth. “He just fell. See,” he said, pointing at his crotch, “my pants are all buttoned up.”

“Heh,” Adriel grunted. “It seems I was just in the nick of time to rescue him. But maybe you don’t want to be rescued…?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Goten grumbled, not understanding why Adriel was giving him that lecherous grin. He tried to stand up. The only thing he knew now was that if he didn’t get to the bathroom in a minute, he would piss himself. His feet felt wobbly and unreliable, and he reached his hand out for Adriel.

“What was that scream just now?” Adriel asked, helping Goten to get upright. He looked around, observing the patients. The Nondren gave him an unfriendly look, and Adriel answered him with one of his own. He wished the bastard would get better faster so they could finally ki-cuff him. The Humans just lay or sat in their beds docilely, watching the scene.

“It was probably me,” Goten muttered, leaning against Adriel. He wasn’t certain what had happened, just knew that he had awakened to a horrendous pain in his appendage.

“I stepped on his tail,” Tamahi explained.

“Uh-oh. You have my sympathy,” Adriel said to Goten, patting him on his back. “But don’t leave it lying around. Bad things will happen to it.”

“Already have,” Goten muttered.

“See?”

“I want to go to the bathroom,” the third-class declared suddenly, his fingers digging into Adriel’s arm, making him wince. “The faster, the better.”

“It’s a good thing, then, that it’s just behind that wall.”

When they returned from the toilets, Goten gave Tamahi a look filled with complaint, then crawled into the bed and hid under the covers.

“What’s with him?” Tamahi wondered. He was readying some bandages and antiseptics with the intention of checking on his patients and changing their wrappings.

“Some elderly Human female scolded him for walking around naked.”

“Huh?” Tamahi turned his head to Goten. “But you had your underwear on. Besides, why do you even care what some measly Human female thinks?”

Goten’s pouting face appeared from under the covers. “Right. I don’t. I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?”

Tamahi rolled his eyes, then looked at his watch. “There is still two hours until lunch.”

Goten frowned at the prospect of waiting. Well, in a minute or two he should get the feeling in his legs back completely and then he would be able to go to ransack through the pots in the kitchens on his own.

“I’ll get you something,” Adriel offered good-naturedly. “Anything in particular you’d like?”

“No. Just lots of fat.”

“Okay.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

“Why am I here? Again?” Goten asked when Adriel left.

“Just as the previous time, Edesha couldn’t wake you up, so we brought you here.”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“For three days.” Tamahi gave him a searching look. “I can’t figure out what these sleeping spells of yours are. You aren’t anemic, you aren’t frail. Actually, you’re in a great physical form. It’s psychological, but it’s not as if you can make yourself fall asleep for a few days and not react to anything. One time was pretty strange, but a second time just doesn’t make any sense. And your brainwaves, they are all over the place. I’ve looked them up in the common database and there’s no pattern like yours. The only record which sort of resembles yours is that of a patient who had gone into coma after accidentally getting entangled in high-tension electric wires.”

“Well, at least I don’t get headaches anymore,” Goten said cheerfully after having listened to the doctor’s monologue.

“Good for you.”

The third-class tried to remember what he had been doing before he had woken up here. He could recall a party. Then there was also…

“A pen,” Goten said when his thoughts had suddenly jumped over to the party and the few remnants of the dream that were still left in his memory. “I need a pen and paper. Quickly!” However, when the doctor gave him a pen a notebook, he stared at it, not certain what he had wanted to write down. He had definitely seen something important in that dream. He had met his father. Something had exploded. But what the hell had it been about? 

“Umm…” he hummed while unconsciously crisscrossing the bottom of the page, trying to force his memory to work. 

“What are you doing?”

Goten raised his head to see Adriel walking towards him with a tray in his hands. There were two bowls – one bigger and one smaller – and a mug on it. His mouth watering, Goten pushed the notebook aside without a second thought. His face flushed brilliant red when he noticed Reyn behind Adriel’s back. He wished that, instead of the dream, he would have forgotten that incident between them. The heat on his face only intensified when Reyn’s eyebrows rose at him questioningly.

“So I heard you finally woke up from your beauty sleep.”

“As you see,” Goten muttered. “So do I look any more handsome?”

Reyn shrugged. “Not really. But it’s a good thing you haven’t become uglier either.”

“Are you feverish or something?” Adriel asked, lowering the tray in front of Goten.

“Mmhrmm…” Goten hummed, training his eyes on the noodle soup in front of him. He picked up the spoon. He didn’t really need to pretend to be more interested in his food as he really was. It came suddenly to him that this was probably how Reyn understood flirting. That would mean that most of what the flight officer had said or done to him, which he had considered to be the expression of the man’s dislike for him, was quite the opposite. Reyn was probably that type, the type which picked on people he liked to get their attention.

“Soo…” Suddenly, Adriel grinned brightly while watching Goten shoveling the soup into his mouth. “So, Cherrybutt,” he said joyously, “why is it that you…Oh, gods!” he squeaked as the notebook hit him squarely between the eyes. 

“Hey, your coordination hasn’t deteriorated either,” Reyn informed Goten with a joyously sarcastic note. As the other third-class’s mouth was busy chewing, he awarded Reyn for his comment with the finger.

“What’s with this excessive violence?” Adriel complained, rubbing his forehead.

Goten swallowed the noodles. “Call me that again and I’ll nail your skull into a wall.”

Adriel scowled. He was pretty certain that Goten would actually keep his word. There went his planned amusement for the week. Pity. “You didn’t complain before.”

“I was drunk, Adriel. Druuuunk,” he accentuated while slurping on his soup.

Then Goten’s attention was drawn to Reyn, who had picked up the notebook from the floor and was curiously gazing at the two circled words Goten had written down on it: “father” and “explosion”. 

“Hey, give that back.”

Reyn tossed the notebook onto the covers. There was nothing else to read in it anyway, only those two words.

“Hn. Is this an attempt to rhyme? Trying to be a poet?”

“Don’t curse,” Goten said, pointing at him with the spoon. Then he suddenly realized that if he really intended to let Reyn in on his weird dreams, he might as well tell him about his latest experience, or at least the bits he remembered about it. Did he really want to, though? He needed more time to think about this. The fact was, however, that besides this, they also had another thing to discuss – the so-called ‘theoretical boyfriends’. Goten couldn’t believe he had called them that. Reyn probably thought that he was an idiot. He probably was, too. Argh!

“Are you sure you aren’t feverish?” Adriel asked when Goten’s face flushed red again.

“I think he’s just thinking about something lewd,” Reyn offered his piece of mind.

Goten kept his eyes on the spoon, afraid to even look at the flight officer. He didn’t even need to – he could hear the smirk in his voice. That self-confident bastard!

Adriel grinned. “Huh? Really? Want to share your thoughts?”

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

The navigator chuckled. “Hey, he didn’t deny it.”

“Listen,” Tamahi said, returning from the patient he had changed the bandages for, “if the three of you want to flirt with each other, go and do that in your cabins. This is a medical facility, and these people need rest. Goten, eat your meal and get the hell out of here.”

“That’s harsh,” Goten said, pouting. He had expected to extend his stay here so as to postpone his and Reyn’s conversation for as long as possible. Now he had to think of some other excuse.

Adriel grinned. “That’s reality for you.”

Goten rolled his eyes.

ooOoOoOoo

When Goten returned to his cabin, it was empty. During the few days of his absence, it had turned into a pigsty. It hadn’t been very clean when he had seen it last, after the party, but now it was unrecognizable. Edesha’s jacket lay over the desk/table. Underneath it, he could see the soldier’s filthy mug. All the packets and wrappers from the party were still there, some protruding from under Goten’s bed, others piled on top of it. Heaps of dirty socks lay strewn all over the floor here and there, making the third-class wonder just how many socks the soldier had and how often he changed them. The air reeked of sweat. The stench was proportional to the proximity of Edesha’s bed – the closer it was, the stronger was the smell. Edesha had also borrowed Goten’s one and only porn magazine and now it lay in the middle of the soldier’s bed, the place the man probably considered the holiest in the cabin. Fountains of crumpled tissues on the sheets of the unmade bed and around it proved that Edesha had been having a terrific time in Goten’s absence. There was something sticky on the floor as well – looked like spilled coffee. Goten hoped it was. Two large hairballs, stirred by the draft, started rolling lazily when Goten overcame his initial shock and stepped further into his ruined kingdom.

The third-class wondered if Edesha had done this to piss him off. He wouldn’t be too surprised. However, he doubted that. He brushed the trash off his bed and, after taking his boots and jacket off, lay down; he still felt a little feeble. Cleaning would have to wait.

He hoped Reyn would be sensible – he usually was – and wouldn’t come to pester him today. On the other hand, the flight officer might just want and use his momentary weakness to get the better of him. Well, whatever, Goten decided before falling asleep.

The third-class woke up a little before seven, just in time for dinner. He felt much better, his mind much clearer. Sitting up, he cast a look around the cabin. It was indeed a horrendous sight to behold, but Edesha’s jacket was gone from the desk/table, indicating the soldier had visited the cabin while Goten had been asleep. 

Goten rolled out of the bed and pulled his boots on. He was hungry, famished in fact. If not for that, he probably would have skipped dinner so that he wouldn’t run into Reyn. He knew his appearance at the canteen would be taken as a cue that he felt better and was ready to talk.

The third-class walked over to the wardrobe, where, after some time ransacking, he retrieved the recipe book. He opened it to the page with Kyon’s and the prince’s memos and gazed at them longingly. A sudden feeling that he was like a bashful, love-stricken maiden overcame him and he closed the cover with a snap. Well, alright, he missed the two, but now he could also admit that he missed one more than the other. 

Ah, shit. Why the hell did this happen?

Should he show the page to Reyn as proof, in case he doubted his story about two theoretical boyfriends? Nah, never. Not after that stupid purple-haired bastard left his name there.

“Trunks, huh?” Goten said softly. He wondered if he could ever call the prince that. Even now, thousands of light-years away from the man, his mouth could hardly fold around the name. To him, the prince would always be his shaii and his prince. And there was no way around it.

The third-class was leafing through the book absently, his fingers clumsily touching the pages here and there while he mused. His hands stopped moving. Confused, he stared at the excruciatingly familiar paper slip resting on top of “Trout with Carrot and Celery Garnish”. He took the phone number and held it in front of his eyes. 

Was it cursed or something?

Well, at least now Reyn knew that his talk about the two theoretical boyfriends had been real… But seriously…the audacity of that bastard… Had Adriel not shown him the number and told him that Reyn asked him to check it out, he would have simply thought that he himself had absently put it in the book and had forgotten all about it. Now, though… Goten thought about the flight officer going through his belongings and scowled at the paper slip. The nerve of that bastard!

Goten decided to leave the paper slip where he had found it. He wasn’t certain what the older man had made of the peculiar name when he had seen it, or whether he had made anything of it at all, but he wasn’t going to mention any of this to Reyn. If the flight officer had returned the number, then it probably meant that he wasn’t intending to question him about it. Adriel had probably told him some bullshit about it belonging to his father or friend and the flight officer had found no further interest in it. It was best to keep it that way.

TBC


	39. Part 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> A/N: **Starcut’s crew members** :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician – (Landan)  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten
> 
> **A/N 2** : Thank you to my lovely beta **quatreofdoom** for this remark: “Goten collects potential boyfriends like some people collect stamps. I guess he likes to keep his options open.”

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 39

When Goten arrived at the canteen, he had to wait for someone else to finish eating and empty their plates as there wasn’t enough kitchenware on board; Starcut hadn’t been designed to accommodate so many people. The lower deck was packed. Goten had taken a look while he had unsuccessfully been trying to locate the boy and had seen the situation there: scattered amongst the wiring and pipes, the Humans were “camping” on the floor in twos or threes since there weren’t enough bedrolls and pillows. To make their stay more comfortable, they had been given covers and even a few spare duvets, but it was only a drop in the sea. It wasn’t cold on the lower section, though, as the heat from the engine room spread throughout it. The duvets and covers were mostly used as mattresses.

A number of Humans had taken some of their belongings from _Orion_. This was usually their luggage, which contained clothing and toiletries. Now they used their folded clothing as pillows, or gave it away to other people to be used as towels or washing cloths, or just so they had clean clothing to wear while they washed their laundry.

It had reached Goten’s ears as well that the captain had offered to let them stay in the cabins together with the crew, but nobody took him up on the offer. The treaty between the Saiyan and the Human races had been signed almost twenty years ago. Overall, they had been aware of each other’s existence for about thirty years, however, except for their outward similarities in appearance, they had no close relation. The Saiyans didn’t particularly like Humans who had to resort to various technologies to be at par with the strongest races in the universe, and, in turn, the Humans were wary of the Saiyans who could crush an unarmed man’s skull with their bare hands.

And yet the races had started to intermingle. It was not only the exchange of peculiarities of their cultures, but there were also places, like space stations or common colonies, where Saiyans and Humans intermingled freely and babies were born. One of the first ones, or maybe the very first, had been the prince, with his abnormal hair and unusual eye-color. Many others followed. Now the Saiyan society was thinking about passing a law to stop any further crossbreeding; reproduction taking place between half-Saiyans and Humans appeared to be genetically weak and all the infants were either born deformed or took after their Human parent. Weakening Saiyan blood was not a risk the Saiyan race wanted to take. It was also becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of all the half-breeds and to tell them apart from the third or second-classes. This was a matter of grave concern to those who unconditionally wanted to preserve the tiered Saiyan society.

Humans, meanwhile, had made a common declaration that it was their human right to breed with whoever they wanted and that it was not to be controlled by their government. The Saiyan population had been puzzled and even outraged by the declaration since they had observed strict rules concerning breeding since time immemorial. There was nothing to be done, though.

Goten had finally received his share of food and looked around for a place to sit down, but there were no empty seats. In the end, he followed the example of a few others and leaned against the wall to eat his food like that. With so many additional mouths, their food-supplies were probably about to start running low.

“What’s been happening while I was out?” Goten asked Hazel, who was slurping his soup next to him.

The arms specialist swallowed loudly. “I think we might be losing this war.”

Goten stared at him open-mouthed while Hazel continued to slurp calmly after dropping the bomb. “Huh? Has there been an official announcement?”

“Are you an idiot? They won’t tell us anything even if Vegeta-sei is destroyed. We’ll just receive orders to go on our last suicidal mission.”

“And it will be a glorious death,” Goten said sarcastically. “Even though, personally, I’d rather surrender and then try to escape.”

“That’s why the lizards don’t take us as prisoners. They got fed up with us trying to escape.”

Goten thought back to his father’s break out. “True,” he said. “But why do you think that?”

“Humans are saying so. They have much more intelligence than we do since they are free to exchange it. We recently passed Enran Station and some of them checked the news portals. It doesn’t look nice and their officials are trying to smother the news, but it’s been leaking. We lost a part of Komera Section, Londan, Afera, three of our generals are down.”

Goten stared at him. “Oh shit.”

Hazel slurped at his soup noisily. “That’s mildly put.”

“Their casualties?”

“A fleet and a general.”

The third-class nearly dropped his plate. “Only?!”

Goten shrunk back at the stares he had brought to himself by shouting. He smiled apologetically, then turned back to face Hazel. This was only the beginning, of course, but such a bad start… And there was something about that explosion and his father…

“Where’s Reyn?”

“Your boyfriend, you mean? He’s out on a mission, checking a carrier.”

“Uh. He isn’t my boyfriend.”

Hazel shrugged. “A fuck-buddy, then.”

“Not that either.”

The arms specialist gave him a curious look. “The word is out that you two are fucking each other.”

Goten rolled his eyes in utter annoyance. “It’s probably not that far away from the truth either,” he muttered irritably, “but so far the only thing we’ve done is fuck around with each other.”

Hazel scratched his head absently. “Well, whatever floats your boat.”

“What boat?”

“It’s a Terran saying. Like ‘ _whatever pleases you_ ’.”

“Screw Humans. I’ve never even seen a lake in my life, not to mention a boat!”

“You’re seriously racist.”

“I am not. I just hate them.”

“Whatever. In any case, if Reyn doesn’t give it to you like you want it, you can always join us. Brother would be overjoyed.”

Irritated, Goten pointed his spoon at him. “Screw you.”

“You’re welcome to,” Hazel said, offering him a suggestive grin.

Goten rolled his eyes. “What a cliché.”

“So what? It still works.”

Goten watched him push himself off the wall and go to leave his empty plate on the counter. “Ha!” he muttered to himself. “We’ll just see about that!” Then he wondered how badly Jadenas would be pissed off if he actually accepted the invitation from the twins. No, no, it was best not to find out. The captain would kill him if he started disrupting _Starcut’s_ community. He had enough problems as it was.

Since there was nothing urgent he wanted to do, Goten went to the medical room to watch over the patients. Tamahi was thrilled to see him and left in a hurry to have his dinner. The third-class took his usual place at the doctor’s desk, and his eyes settled on the patients in front of him. The “Human end” of the room looked rather cheerful and was in high spirits, the cause of which was a complete mystery to Goten. Meanwhile the “Nondren corner” was morose, which Goten could perfectly understand: one of them was still in a coma and the other was glaring at him with his murky greenish eyes. 

Goten tapped the side of his scouter to increase the range of the receiver so that he could hear what the Humans were babbling about. It wasn’t his business, he wasn’t interested, neither did he have any right to listen in, but anything was better than just sitting there for five or so hours with absolutely nothing to do.

It appeared that the Humans were excited about the landing on Meia Colony which was going to take place in a week. From there, they would be picked up by their kin. The landing hadn’t been scheduled, but the colony was not far away from _Starcut’s_ intended course. They would probably drop off the Humans, the two Nondrens, replenish their food and supplies, and then go on as usual.

The third-class turned off his scouter when the Humans started talking about the relatives they couldn’t wait to see. He wondered if there was anyone who would pick up the kid. Well, that wasn’t really his problem and he could do nothing about it. 

There was also that feeling of guilt Goten could feel wafting from the Humans while they continued talking; so many died and there they were going on about their families. The third-class grunted softly. He could relate to that. He still didn’t know how he felt about his brother’s or Toharu’s death either. There was guilt, but what was the point? He couldn’t change anything. He’d had his chance with Toharu, but he had missed it. Post factum.

And yet they lingered, the guilt and pain.

ooOoOoOoo

Reyn entered the medical room just in time to see Goten give the finger to one of the Human patients. His surprise wore off quickly when he saw cards in the third-class’s hands. Goten had wheeled the doctor’s chair close to the Humans, and the four of them were playing cards. Even the one who looked like death itself and couldn’t even breathe properly.

“Come here, you will hold them for him.”

Reyn stared at the young Human male in a half-sitting, half-lying position on the bed closest to Goten. “Hold what?” Reyn wondered, thinking that maybe his scouter had malfunctioned.

“Cards! Cards!” the male said impatiently.

The flight officer glanced at the Human who was connected to practically all the wires in the medical room. Yet he had that ecstatic look in his eyes of a madman about to win the jackpot.

“Are you trying to kill him or something?” Reyn switched off the translator and looked at the third-class. “What the hell are you doing, Goten?”

“I think it’s pretty obvious what we are doing.”

Reyn snorted. “So this is how you keep watch. Nice. I should just report you.”

Goten rolled his eyes. He waved his left hand in the air expressively. “Report this, report that… Don’t you ever get tired of writing?” Wordlessly, he motioned at the Nondren. 

Reyn turned to him, then lowered his head to see what Goten was pointing at. Reyn’s eyebrows rose for the second time. The captive’s face was radiating malice, was practically glowing with it. Two towels were tied around his wrists, securing him to the bed. It was ridiculous, of course, these restraints – they weren’t even very tight – but they would give plenty of time for Goten to react if he noticed the Nondren trying something.

The flight officer chuckled at the venomous look in the prisoner’s eyes. It was a pity Hazel hadn’t finished him off. Edesha’s guy was still in a coma and probably wasn’t going to wake up. Edesha had always been more thorough in everything he did.

“He’s a patient,” Reyn noted.

“You’ve got your priorities mixed up,” Goten pointed out. 

“How so?”

“First, he’s a murderer. Being a patient comes second.”

“I like your logic,” Reyn said, stepping over the wires hooked to the wheezing guy. He had been wondering when this side of Goten would surface again. The smart ass could act all proper and be dutiful most of the time, but he had an inclination towards mischief and disobedience. It was comparatively small-scale, but it was unmistakably there, lurking all the time, bursting through unexpectedly. 

Reyn grabbed the cards from the wheezing guy’s feeble fingers and sat down on his bed, making the mattress shift under his weight, which in turn made the half-dead man jerk and wince. He switched the translator on. “So what are you playing?”

“The Fool.”

Reyn nodded. “I know this one.” He looked at the pile of cards on the young man’s bed and saw that the trump suit was spades. He already had over ten cards in his hand. Who was this pathetic loser he was going to play for? With a displeased grunt, Reyn started rearranging the cards. “Do we go clockwise? Whose turn is it?”

“Mine,” Goten said. “Reyn, this is Daniel,” he introduced the young man who had asked Reyn to help hold the cards. “This one’s Andrew,” he said, pointing at the middle-aged, already balding man with a broken arm. “The half-dead dude is Tom. Everyone, this is Reyn.” 

“H-hi,” Tom wheezed out.

Reyn gave him a look. Was the guy about to pass out? “Hi.” The flight officer raised his head to look at the other three. “What’s the wager?”

“The loser buys three bottles of beer.”

“Not to mention that Tom would die if he drank a bottle,” Reyn said, “where the hell do you intend to get them?”

“Adriel?” Goten suggested.

Reyn snorted. “You wish. Well, whatever.” He watched Goten lower a six of clubs in front of Daniel. Daniel managed to hold his position with an eight of clubs, but it appeared that Goten had an eight of diamonds and hearts, and Daniel’s defense crumbled. Another, more careful look at the back of the players’ cards made it clear who had the least cards in the game and thus was the leader. Already from the previous games, Reyn had noticed that Goten was a pretty good player; he was a good strategist.

“The s-seven of h-hearts…” Tom rasped out a command when Reyn’s turn came.

“Shut it, you zombie,” Reyn said, now forced to pick the seven of hearts instead of the nine of clubs he had intended; everyone now knew that he had the card anyway. “Who is holding the cards, eh? Are you _trying_ to make me _lose_ the damn game? I’ll freakin’ kill you.”

Tom gargled something out, but it didn’t seem he had any strength to protest against the usurpation of his cards and the game in general.

It was Andrew who lost. Mixing the cards, he wondered whether Reyn would beat him up if he didn’t manage to get beer somewhere; the Saiyan gave off a rather intense aura. He had been really into the game and had ignored Tom completely, to the point where Tom had fallen asleep.

“What will the wager be this time?” Daniel asked.

“What about a penalty?” Reyn suggested. “The first to get rid of the cards will think of a punishment for the loser.”

“Hooo…” Goten drawled, amused. He grinned at Reyn. “You must have something in mind already...”

The flight officer gave him a look, then reached for the side of his scouter to switch the translator off. “Yeah, like finally making you talk, or, let’s say…undress. Either of those would be satisfactory.”

Goten chuckled. “My, my, so predictable.”

Reyn winked at him. “I’m a simpleminded guy, Goten.”

“The hell you are.”

The flight officer laughed softly and switched the translator back on. Andrew started dealing the cards.

“…ve b-back… c-c…”

Their attention went to Tom, who had broken out of his slumber and, in a desperate attempt, was reaching out for the cards in Reyn’s hands. The flight officer gave him the hearty smile of a shark and moved his hand out of Tom’s reach.

“Be quiet, you zombie, and leave this to a professional.”

ooOoOoOoo

Edesha turned around and, confused, stared at Reyn, who had just entered the cabin he and Goten shared. The flight officer was carrying a bucket filled with frothy water and was wearing gloves.

“Hi,” he said, lowering the bucket down with a clang. He looked around. “Damn, he wasn’t kidding.”

“Hello…” Edesha drawled. “What’s this about?” he asked when Reyn kicked at a tuft of hair and dust on the floor.

“A penalty game.”

“Huh?”

“I lost in cards. That bastard told me to clean his cabin.”

Edesha burst out laughing. Grinning, he watched the flight officer whip a plastic bag out of his pocket and start gathering the garbage. 

“Is there any hope you’ll join in and help? You live here too, you know.”

“Oh, no. You gotta do it alone, otherwise what kind of penalty would this be?”

Reyn grunted. “True.” He picked up a bundle of dirty socks. “Whose are these?”

“Mine. Hey!” Edesha gasped in disbelief when the flight officer threw them into the bag with the rest of the garbage. “Give them back!”

“Everything that’s on the floor is garbage,” Reyn declared.

“Damn you,” Edesha grunted, rolling out of the bed. He started gathering his socks and other goods he didn’t want to be thrown away.

“Oh, right,” Reyn remembered, “the washing machine is out of order. Nohail has taken a look at it, but says that some part has fused and we don’t have a replacement.”

“He’ll probably get it once we land on Meia Colony.”

Reyn dropped the wet rag onto the floor with a loud splash. “That’s a week until then,” he pointed out.

Edesha sighed. It was clear that Reyn expected him to wash his clothes now, this minute. This was a pain in the ass. Mentally, he cursed both Goten and Reyn.

“So didja do him?”

Reyn raised his head from the dried stain of something which looked like spilled coffee to look at Edesha. He wondered if he should just tell the older man to mind his own business. But, in a way, it was Edesha’s business too.

“So ya didn’t,” Edesha summed up the flight officer’s hesitation. “Heh. It’s kinda funny how everyone wants a piece of him.”

Reyn concentrated back on the dried stain. “It’s because he’s a flirt,” he said. “He also responds to flirting, to a certain degree; try kissing him and he won’t mind, but anything more is another matter. You know, he seems to be collecting potential boyfriends like some people collect stamps.”

Edesha stared at him thoughtfully. “Hmm… Stamps… Why stamps?”

“It’s a peculiar taste. It seems Goten has also got one.”

“You mean he likes to keep his options open?”

Reyn wondered about that. “I’m not certain that's exactly what he does. It seems to me he has never had a boyfriend.” To him, it was mostly clear why Goten behaved as he did, since he had been in the exact same situation since he had been turned into a second-class. Goten, just like himself, was simply avoiding getting involved with different classes. It was perfectly understandable. From what he had heard, though, Goten wasn’t thorough in rejecting people. There was something unclear about it. He probably _did_ like to keep his options open after all.

Edesha watched the flight officer scrub the metallic floor methodically, giving a harder rub here and there. “It will be difficult to tie him down,” he said. “If that’s what you want, of course.”

“Hmm…” Reyn hummed. “Actually, I think he can be pretty dedicated. He is, in fact. Only that it sounded like he wasn’t all that certain himself why he was so committed to him…or them… It sounded rather stupid, what he said. Stupid and complicated.”

Edesha chuckled. “Sounds like Goten. So he has someone already?”

“No, I don’t think he does. He didn’t explain it to me. I think it might just be wishful thinking on his part. Or something he has promised but now is regretting.”

“I get none of that crap. Just screw him. He seems to be pretty keen on you.”

“Heh. If that were so easy, I’d have done it already. So would you.”

Edesha grinned. “True.”

Reyn looked at the dark, dirty water in the bucket. “And how the hell did you manage to turn the cabin into a pigsty in only a few days? It’s no wonder nobody ever wanted to share a cabin with you.”

The soldier winked at him. “Yeah. It’s a good thing, though, having a cabin all to myself.”

“Can it be that you’re doing this intentionally?”

“Nah.”

“You’d better clean up a bit after yourself or Goten will be driven to the point of suicide. Or murder. Yours.”

“Yeah, he’s a neat freak.”

“Not really. It’s rather you who’s a scruff.”

“You’re taking sides already.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

ooOoOoOoo

It was nearly eleven in the evening when Goten finished his watch. Then it took him one more hour to clean the toilets. At first he wondered why Reyn wasn’t there, then realized that the sentence for the flight officer’s punishment had ended. A month, huh? Actually, a month and nearly a week had passed since he came to _Starcut_. His previous life on the base seemed so far away now.

When he returned to his cabin, he found Reyn snoozing on his bed. The man turned his head and looked at him sleepily, yawned, then turned to his side to face Goten. Reyn had to cover his eyes to shield them from the bright glare of the lamps. He seemed to be too comfortable to get up. Goten looked over at Edesha’s bed, but the soldier was dead to the world. The cabin was spotless, Goten noticed. It was sparkling, in fact.

“You did a good job,” he complimented.

“Mmrmm,” Reyn agreed. He was trying very hard not to fall asleep, but the day had been long – going on a mission, then vigorously playing cards, and finally cleaning Goten’s cabin. He blinked at the sight of Goten unbuttoning his jacket. “Wtruduing?” he mumbled.

“Going to sleep.”

“…need…talk…”

“Don’t be stupid and go to sleep. Let’s postpone it till tomorrow – I have the morning off.”

Groggily, Reyn watched him taking off his jacket. “Aren’t…afraid…attack you?”

“The only thing you will be attacking is your bed.”

It came to Reyn that Goten didn’t even think about joining him in the bed. The flight officer sighed and rolled over on his back. Let him try and get him out of the bed then, because he neither had strength nor the will to move anywhere. He realized he had fallen asleep again when Goten shook him by his shoulder.

“Mm?”

“What’s the code? What’s the key code to your cabin, Reyn?” Goten repeated when it was obvious that the flight officer didn’t understand what he was asking about.

It took a few seconds for the code to resurface from Reyn’s blurry memories. “Six, three, zero, five,” he mumbled finally. Was Goten going to carry him there? Hah. Stuuuupid.

When Goten entered the cabin that Reyn and Monteira shared, the lights were off, light snores indicating that the gunnery sergeant was deeply asleep. To avoid waking him up, the third-class didn’t call for the lights. Instead, he powered up a little to light his way. He walked towards the free bed which was obviously the flight officer’s. There was a mattress next to it and, puzzled, Goten stopped. _Starcut_ was filled with Humans, still, he could distinguish that unique scent the boy gave off. The kid was sleeping, hugging his pillow, the duvet covering all of him except his head and a tiny patch of his left shoulder. It was no wonder he hadn’t found him on the lower deck.

Wondering what the Human child was doing here, Goten pulled his boots and socks off, climbed carefully over the mattress and into the bed. Reyn’s scent filled his senses at once. The third-class took off his jacket and dropped it onto the nearby chair. He pulled his belt out of the loops and hung it over the same chair, the trousers followed. He wondered where he could find a safe place to put his scouter; now, with so many Humans around, _Starcut’s_ crew parted with them only when they went to sleep. He resorted to putting it in the corner between his pillow and the wall. He hoped he wouldn’t be rolling around in his sleep too much or he would crush it.

Goten extinguished his ki and settled under the covers. He found Reyn’s scent comforting, its intimacy felt soothing. He fell asleep quickly.

At night, he woke up to someone’s shrieks. Disoriented, he flashed his ki, prepared to fight off whatever it was. The smell of fear, terror struck him hard, urging him to power up even more. His breathing erratic, he scanned the cabin with wide eyes. The sheets under him started smoking.

“Oh, gooods,” Monteira groaned from the other end of the room. “Agaaain. Shit. Reyn, shut him up!”

The glow of the third-class’s powerful ki diminished when he realized that it was only the Human child having a nightmare. He was whimpering and squirming on the mattress. Goten could see wetness reflect the light off his cheeks. Not certain, he bent over his bed and shook his shoulder. The kid gasped, his eyes flying open. He whimpered again, then hid his head under the duvet. The sounds of crying followed.

Goten returned under his own covers. He listened until the cries and sniffling were replaced by hiccups and then, finally, silence settled. He began drifting back into sleep, then started as something shifted behind him. He whirled around, but it was only the kid climbing into his bed. Puzzled, Goten stayed still while the Human child snuck under the cover and burrowed his head into his chest. He was out almost instantly, his breathing evening out. The kid’s face was sticky with tears and snot. Frowning a little, but not having enough heart to push him away, Goten settled back into sleep as well.

The third-class woke up six hours later. Slowly, he roused from the dreamland, pushing the covers aside, trying to dissipate the heat. Why was it so hot? Rubbing his eyes, he sat up. The light was on, the gunnery sergeant moving about. Goten’s breath caught in his throat at the unfamiliar sight, then he relaxed as he remembered that he was in Reyn and Monteira’s cabin. He yawned. Something stank.

The kid was still glued to him, which explained why he felt so hot. There was a wet spot on the pillow where the child’s mouth was pressed. Goten took a closer look at him. He had an oval face with quite prominent cheekbones and thin lips. The kid’s fair hair was weird in itself, but Goten had gotten used to the variety of hair-colors Humans seemed to have. The child was thin, much too thin in Goten’s opinion, but maybe he was supposed to be like that. His skin was also much fairer than he was used to seeing. There was hardly any muscle on him either.

“Did you trade cabins?”

Goten looked at Monteira. “No. It’s just for tonight. He was too tired to move.”

Monteira grunted something unintelligible. He finished buttoning his jacket and left the room. Goten lay back down and yawned loudly, thinking whether he should get up or stay in bed. He noticed that, by moving about, he had woken up the kid who was now staring at him, wide-eyed. Goten jerked away from him when the kid shrieked and pushed at him violently. This made the child fall off the bed. He landed on the floor with a loud thud and a painful yelp.

Goten stared at him in surprise. “What the…?” Then he snorted. He had known that Humans’ senses were inferior to those of Saiyans’ but this was ridiculous. Or maybe the bed was so soaked in Reyn’s scent that the kid hadn’t been able to distinguish between them. Whatever was the cause, the kid had believed he was Reyn.

The third-class groped around the pillow for his scouter. Relieved, he saw that it was intact and fixed it over his left eye. The kid looked helpless, lost. It was somehow pitiful, the difference – Goten hadn’t ever seen a Saiyan child look like that. There was always strength and resolve left as long as one was alive. On the other hand, Goten could understand the helplessness the kid felt – he was weak and alone.

“What’s your name?” Goten asked.

Crouching, the child gave him a scared look. “Derek. Derek Mercury.”

“I’m Goten, Derek. Are there any relatives who can look after you?” Already while asking, he knew the answer. There weren’t any – the kid wouldn’t be here otherwise. He wondered why Reyn hadn’t told him anything about this.

“My mom’s on Earth.”

“Oh, that’s good. What about your father?”

The kid’s lips started trembling, and Goten figured he must have been killed on _Orion_. It was no wonder the kid had been hysterical when Reyn found him.

“I see. Has anyone contacted your mom? Does she know what happened and where you are?”

“Reyn promised to…to make sure she knows where to find me.”

Goten nodded. If Reyn had promised, he would do that. “That’s good.” Derek was clumsily moving back onto his mattress and Goten had an opportunity to inspect him closer. Thin. He was too thin indeed. “Dress. We’ll go have breakfast,” Goten said, not aware that he had made it sound like an order. Reyn was probably still sleeping. They would also have to wait a little for breakfast, but it was better than staying in the cabin with the scared kid. Besides, something really stank here. Horrible.

“What the hell is that stench?” Goten wondered, frowning. “Can you smell it?” He climbed out of the bed and reached out for his uniform on the metallic chair.

Derek nodded. He looked around. “Stinks like… Oh.”

Interested, Goten followed the kid’s gaze. He stared at his boots in disbelief. The ends were covered in brown runny stuff, the puddle spreading on the floor. “That fucking cat!” Goten exploded in a second. “Shit!” he cursed, inspecting his boots. Grimacing in disgust, he leaned away. He didn’t even want to touch them, not to mention that he knew he was going to have to wash them and clean the floor. “That freakin’ ball of hair!” Goten growled, flinging his jacket on. “I’ll put him into the washing machine for a spin!”

Goten reached out for his trousers. His hand faltered when Derek winced and shied away from him. He realized that, even if his anger hadn’t been directed at him, he had scared the kid with his outburst; his nerves were frayed.

“It’s okay. It’s the stupid cat I’m angry with.”

Derek gave him a mistrustful look and started dressing hurriedly. It took Goten some time to find a plastic bag for his dripping boots. Barefoot, cursing Mr. Elite, he went to the showers to wash them. The kid obediently stayed at his side the whole time.

The boots were damp and the faint smell still lingered when Goten put them on. It was a good thing Mr. Elite was nowhere to be seen since Goten would have cleaned the floor with him and then dunked him into a bucket of ice-cold water, sharp claws or not.

The third-class stared at the food on his plate. He had lost most of his appetite due to the shitty ordeal. Instead of eating, he was taking another opportunity to have a look at Derek, who didn’t seem to be bothered about the smell and was good-naturedly eating his breakfast.

Goten had never seen a Human child before. He had noticed that everyone else on _Starcut_ didn’t pay him or any other child any additional attention, and the third-class figured that all of them had at some point seen Human children. Goten wasn’t very curious by nature and probably wouldn’t have shown much interest in the child, but there was also a fact that he felt responsible for the kid.

Nobody else seemed to care, but Goten noticed that the child never stopped to talk to anyone either. Obviously, after having witnessed the ruthless attack on his kin, the death of his father, and destruction of his spaceship, he was wary of other people. 

Then the third-class became aware of Derek’s sudden interest in his surroundings. Goten raised his head to look around and soon spotted Reyn walking towards them with a tray in his hands. It seemed that Reyn was the exception. Goten wondered about that.

“Morning,” Goten greeted.

“Hi. Derek,” the flight officer said, nodding. He lowered his tray onto the table and started arranging his cutlet and salad in front of him. The mug of steaming coffee followed.

The kid gave the flight officer a genuine smile. The next thing Goten knew, he was being engulfed into unending prattle while Derek shared his nightmare with Reyn and showered the flight officer with questions about where Reyn had been and what he had been doing. Goten was listening in stunned stupor. 

Once the flow of words ceased, Goten turned the translator off. “What’s with the kid? Imagine my surprise when he climbed into the bed with me. Why didn’t you tell me anything?”

Chewing, Reyn gave him an exasperated look and turned his translator off as well. “Well, you went into your regular winter sleep, so I couldn’t tell you. It was the captain’s idea. The kid’s been following me around, bugging the hell out of me, so he thought it was a good idea to just put him up in my cabin.”

The flight officer didn’t look happy in the least, and Goten realized that it was a bit different from what he had imagined. Reyn was annoyed by the child’s constant presence, but tolerated him as he was aware that the noisy enthusiasm was masking terror and loneliness. He was among the few that the child could trust and whose companionship was vital in order to restore his metal defenses.

Saiyans weren’t a very compassionate species, and thus Goten was rather impressed by how Reyn was handling the kid. That didn’t mean that Reyn didn’t complain, though.

“Can you imagine?” he groaned around the cutlet. “He’s been following me around all this time! I can’t even go to the toilets without him tagging along!”

Goten scratched his head. 

“He’s been wetting his bed too! And crying all the time, not letting me sleep! I’m sometimes at the point where I want to strangle him!”

“And what is the captain saying?” Goten wanted to know.

Reyn growled and stabbed his cutlet angrily. “He said it’s only a week anyway until we drop all of them off.”

Goten shrugged. “Well, he’s right.”

“Well, sure he is. But do you know how he tires me out with his constant blabbering and questioning?”

Goten wondered how long Reyn was planning to go on about this. This was becoming ridiculous. “It’s how all children learn,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, but Saiyan ones at least don’t get in a grown-ups way!”

“I think you’ve simply forgotten. I was pretty unbearable as a kid.”

Reyn grinned at him. “You’re pretty unbearable even now.”

Goten rolled his eyes. He sighed. “Anyway, don’t let the kid hear these things. He’d be heartbroken.”

“The hell if I care! He’s got his heroes confused anyway.”

Goten stared at Reyn. “Ah,” he said after a few seconds. “Can it be that you’re uncomfortable by his misplaced hero worship?”

Reyn rubbed his forehead tiredly. “Well, it’s you he should be worshipping and running after. Listen, why don’t you take him in for the time being?”

Goten blinked at him. “He would never agree. Besides, the fact that I’m the youngest member on _Starcut_ doesn’t mean I get along with children. Stop complaining finally. You sound like a wimp.”

Reyn pouted at him. “I don’t like kids.”

“Well, neither do I.”

“Oh. At least something we have in common.”

Goten snickered. “As if it’s something to be happy about.”

“Well, it’s still better than nothing.” The flight officer sipped his coffee. “So do you have some free time now? I’ll try to shake him off,” he said when Goten nodded. “Let’s meet in your cabin in an hour.”

“Fine.”

They finished breakfast and drifted apart, the kid bouncing after Reyn. Goten felt that Derek was glad to be rid of him, and he thought that it was going to be quite difficult for the flight officer to make the kid stay somewhere. 

Edesha gave Goten a look when he asked whether the soldier could leave the cabin for an hour or so, but he didn’t protest. It was obvious what he was thinking, but the third-class decided not to elaborate – any excuses would make him appear either stupid or suspicious or both.

In an hour and a bit, the door opened on its own, and Goten was again reminded of his intention to have a word with Adriel concerning that. Reyn, of course, wasn’t bothered at all. Expecting this to last for a while, Goten sat down on the edge of his bed.

“You know, I am grateful that you decided to let me sleep here yesterday, but I couldn’t help noticing the charred sheets on my bed,” Reyn complained as soon as he stepped in. “What the hell have you been doing? Building a fire to warm up?” 

Goten gave him a sheepish smile. “Oh, that. Well, Derek woke up screaming in the middle of the night… I powered up.”

The flight officer looked around for a place to sit down, then chose the chair next to Goten’s bed. “I should probably be glad that you didn’t fry him on the spot,” he said.

Goten didn’t answer anything. In silence, they stared at each other, then Reyn threw his hands apart. “Well, what are you waiting for? Start talking.”

“Err… What about?” Goten asked, as he hadn’t expected that his confession would take on the form of a monologue. Reyn was too forward. And why was it him who had to start? Why wasn’t it the other way around?

The flight officer gave him a look which made Goten think that Reyn was toying with the idea of launching something at him. Like a ki-ball or the chair he was sitting on. “Okay,” he said. “I will ask questions. You just shake your head for “yes” or “no”. Think you can handle that for now?”

Goten frowned at him but, after a little bit of thought, nodded. This was also a good way to check how much the flight officer knew.

Presuming what he was thinking, Reyn offered him a sharp grin. “Did you know that Orion was going to explode?”

And he had believed that this way was going to be easier. The hell it was! Goten cursed mentally. Reyn was going to eat him alive. He should have never ever agreed to, never mind suggested, something like this. “Yes,” he muttered, shifting uncomfortably on his bed, suddenly wishing he were comatose and lying peacefully in the medical room.

“Do you have any relation to the pirates?”

“No.”

“Did someone on _Orion_ warn you about it?”

“No.”

“How?” Reyn asked, deciding that was enough for a warm-up. “How did you know?”

“Umm…” Goten drawled, furiously scratching at the back of his head. There was no way Reyn was going to believe him. “Well, I saw it explode. Mmm… In a dream, I mean. Well, it’s not really a dream. I think they are some sort of premonitions. Well…yeah. That’s how it is.” Reyn was giving him a stunned look. Goten offered him a sheepish smile. “Well, yeah, that’s why I said you wouldn’t believe me. I was on that ship before. In the dream, I mean. And I saw you and the kid die. In the dream, that is. There was a fire in the hangar. I am not certain why it started there, but it seems that pumping the air out of the sections had taken care of that. I wasn’t certain it would help. I mean, I had no idea what had caused the fire. I just saw you open the door to the hangar and there was fire everywhere and then you and the kid died. It just whooshed in. The fire, I mean. In the dream and…”

“Goten, you’re babbling.” 

Uncomfortable, Goten scratched his cheek. “Err…yeah. So that’s how it was.”

Reyn was watching him with an indescribable expression on his face. “Do you have these…premonitions frequently?”

“Umm… They aren’t exactly premonitions. Not all of the time. There were a few instances when it was something from the past. Err…”

Reyn’s face was turning more and more incredulous. “Just how often do you have them?”

“Mmm… Well, you know how I sometimes fall asleep for a longer period of time? So…yeah… Mostly it’s then. Well, not really. It’s… It’s not as if there’s a regular pattern.”

Goten was desperately stuttering over his words and Reyn suddenly had a feeling that everything he was saying was true. He had never seen the younger male look so awkward and self-conscious. “Oh, gods,” Reyn muttered in disbelief. “That’s why you were so bent on going on that mission…” He slapped himself on his forehead. “Shit. Are you an idiot? You could’ve died there!”

Goten laughed sheepishly. “I don’t think I realized that. Everything happened so fast that it came to me only after I had boarded the shuttle. I mean, I had known the name of the ship beforehand, had known what was going to happen, but when _Orion_ finally appeared, everything was so sudden that…” he trailed off, red-faced.

“You really are an idiot.”

Embarrassed, Goten played with the buttons on his uniform. But the words had been said softly, gently even. He raised his head to look at Reyn. The flight officer chuckled.

“Well, thanks to your idiocy, we are still alive.”

Goten smiled at the teasing, but his face clouded. “You see, I owed it to you, or the kid, or to whoever allows me to see these dreams. I saw my friend die like this. And I didn’t do a thing to prevent it from happening.” The younger male’s awkwardness had turned into something darker, less tangible. His eyes were sad now, bottomless. “Never again. Never again do I want to feel that way. I’m better off dead than that.”

Reyn watched him silently. He badly wanted to ask what had happened and why Goten hadn’t done anything if he had known, but it was obvious that the wound was still raw, still bleeding, and he didn’t dare ask. It seemed to him that what Goten had was a curse rather than a blessing.

“Have you always had these…dreams?”

“No, it all started on the base. I didn’t really think anything of them at first. Then it suddenly happened and it was exactly how I had seen it. It was… Well…it just was. Umm…” 

Goten was giving Reyn a look filled with uncertainty and mistrust. Reyn shook his head. “No, I believe you. Really. You don’t need to be so wary. What I experienced back on that shuttle...”

They stayed silent for a while, Goten fidgeting with his fingers, Reyn mulling over what he had heard.

“This is the first time you’ve told someone about this, isn’t it?” the flight officer said finally. He seemed to be pleased about the fact, and Goten blushed lightly; it was so obvious that the flight officer liked him. Seeing his reaction, Reyn chuckled. “Well, I suppose we can move on to the next question on the agenda. So how many boyfriends do you have, Goten?”

TBC


	40. Part 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> **_A/N: Starcut’s crew members:_**
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician – (Landan)  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 40

Goten was surprised that Reyn had believed him about having those strange dreams so readily. It somehow felt too good to be true, somehow fake. Lack of trust made him wary of the older male.

“So what about those boyfriends?” Reyn repeated.

Goten continued watching him silently. Wasn’t it Reyn’s turn now to share one of his secrets? 

It took Reyn a few moments to figure out what Goten was expecting of him. It was a sudden departure from what the flight officer had anticipated. It seemed only natural to Reyn to proceed in the manner they had started, but, despite feeling awkward, Goten was resisting. This irritated the flight officer since he felt that Goten was still intending to be secretive and defend whatever relationships he had. 

“Alright, so what do you want to know?” Reyn asked, trying not to scowl.

“I’m certain that you know much more about the whole thing than you’ve let on when we talked about it for the first time.” Goten paused to see how Reyn would react. The flight officer agreed with a somber nod. “I was told I belong to some kind of a project,” Goten continued. “I’m positive you know what kind of project it is. Can you explain it to me?”

Reyn reclined in his chair. From the conversation they'd had soon after Goten had embarked the ship, it had been obvious that he knew much more than Goten. It was not as if he knew everything – he hadn’t been keeping up with the latest information – but in comparison to him, Goten was absolutely oblivious. He had chosen to keep quiet back then. He hadn’t trusted Goten. Besides, it was not as if the knowledge could change anything.

“Do you know the story about the Legendary?”

“You mean the legend? Well, yes, of c-”

“No, it’s more than a legend.”

“Um. Is it?” Goten drawled doubtfully. Everyone, from snotty cubs to doddery codgers, knew the story about the Legendary Saiyan who was said to have appeared over a thousand years ago. He was said to have had golden hair and unrivaled power. The legend also wickedly claimed that he had been so powerful that even Vegeta House hadn’t been able to oppose him. The Legendary had wiped the planet clean of the Saiyans’ enemies. Later, he had challenged and defeated the strongest alpha males and united the nation. After that, he had disappeared. How or where, the legend didn’t say; it only prophesied that he was going to appear again.

“There really was a man like that,” Reyn said. “I’m not certain it was the same man, but the so called “Legendary” also appeared less than a hundred years ago, just when we’d made first contact with the Ice-jins.” Goten was giving him a skeptical look. Reyn shrugged. “From what I know, they suddenly showed up armed from head to toe and their policy was clear – we either submit at once or they will make us. It was a grave situation since, even if we were similarly technologically advanced, only our elite warriors could rival their physical power and, even then, some of them were impossible to defeat.”

“I’ve never heard of this.”

The flight officer nodded. “Yes, it was made to look as if they offered us a treaty at once. It wasn’t like that. The offer came only after the Legendary, aided by a few elites, had killed their general and destroyed half of their fleet.”

“Huh.” Goten wondered about this, then came to a conclusion that this could be true since the lizards could be much more useful as a powerful ally than a powerful enemy. And so nobody had informed the masses so as not to provoke a riot or hinder the valuable deal. “What happened later?”

Reyn shrugged. “Nothing, really. He disappeared without a trace again.”

“I see. I’m certain this is more than a history lesson. What does he have to do with the project?”

“I don’t know all the fine details, but after his disappearance, various experiments started, the aim of which were to recreate that magnificent power.”

“You mean that they wanted to clone the Legendary?”

Reyn gave him a measured nod. “Well, that was one of the ways, but it never worked. Well, not exactly, but the thing is that, at the time, it was thought that all experiments failed, including all genetic engineering. I don’t think they ever found out what made the Legendary ‘legendary’, so to speak.”

“Who’s ‘they’?”

“National Security. It’s their project and their money.”

Slowly, the information began siphoning out in Goten’s head and he started suspecting which direction this was taking. “How did they even find any material to experiment on?” he asked.

Reyn shrugged. “I didn’t really think about that but, keeping in mind that he fought with some of the most powerful Ice-jins, wasn’t there bound to be some samples of blood or other body tissues left behind? It must have been easy to extract the necessary DNA from them.”

“I suppose. So how does it all come together?”

“They also needed bodies to experiment on and, because third-classes are the easiest meat around, they started picking them up from children homes. They experimented and waited but, as I said, there were no results. It took fifty years for the enthusiasm to fade out and they finally closed the project. I think it might also have something to do with the lack of original material. I mean, all they had were probably a few droplets of blood and patches of skin; this couldn’t last forever.

“They had released the grown-up patients who were able to function on their own and returned the healthy kids back to children homes. The thing was, some years later, a few individuals started showing the symptoms that the researchers had been so passionately hoping for. The project was opened again, but since there were many fatal accidents involving the patients carrying the gene, the only thing they could do now was observe.”

At this point, Goten had already caught on. However, his brain was squeaking with effort, trying to absorb what seemed to be a madman’s ravings. Yet it all was so familiar. He swallowed loudly. “You mean spontaneous combustion, right? Ki management failures?”

“Yes, mostly. This was one of the reasons why National Security stopped any deliberate experiments – some people, told to manipulate their newly acquired power, tended to explode right in front of their eyes, and they were losing precious samples of successful gene manipulation. Personally, I think the problem is that they weren’t very successful in the first place or/and mutations have taken place.”

Reyn laughed softly at the look on Goten’s face. “Well, yes, it’s not so pleasant to hear, is it? Well, that’s probably how it is.

“The “abnormality” is linear and hereditary but not all children of the same father inherit it. I don’t think they ever experimented on females. If they had, I have no information on that. It’s practically impossible to tell whether the child is born with the gene or not since the gene only comes into effect during adolescence. If there is no sign of any change then, it means it will stay dormant forever.”

Goten wondered why it was Reyn telling him all this but not his father. Had it been so difficult? Well, at least now he knew why he had received the invitation and was turned into a second-class soon after having entered Hataro Officer Training School.

“Why did they turn me into a second-class but not my father?”

“Oh, that. My father is listed as a third-class too. There had been long debates about whether it made more sense to simply turn us into second-classes, so as to make our life less complicated and to arouse less suspicion, or if it was more important to preserve the unshakable tiered society at any cost.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “I suspect that our dads were already too old for the change since they had made many acquaintances all over the universe as third-classes. It would have aroused many more questions than it was worth.”

“Exactly.”

“So how many?”

“Well, there were more of us earlier, but now it comes down to only four. Me, you, my father, and your father. Actually, I always thought that there were five of us, since I met your brother about six years ago, but since he’s dead, that makes the four of us.”

Goten gave him a suspicious look. “You met him? Why?”

“Well, it wasn’t really like that. I mean, I have never talked to him personally or anything like that. It’s just that my father pointed him out at some parade and told me that he was one of us.”

“How did he know? Has he seen his photo? Why is it that you seem to be way too knowledgeable?”

Reyn scratched his cheek thoughtfully. “Actually, I don’t know how much your father knows. Since the project is listed as “failed” and is now observation-only, there’s no actual need to inform the subjects. Nonetheless, we are the only ones who have at least some link to the so-called Legendary. There are some enthusiastic researchers who believe that, one day, one of us, or our offspring, can really become one. My father is very passionate about this project too. He wants to bring the Legendary back, almost fanatically at that, thus he has been granted access to most of the documentation.”

Goten pondered on this. His father knew something, he was sure of that. It wasn’t clear how much he knew but the phone conversation back then when he had still been on the base… There was something in his father’s voice which made him think he knew. “I see,” Goten drawled. “And where’s the actual culprit of this mess himself?”

“Nobody knows. As I said, he’s just disappeared. Maybe he’s no longer alive.”

Somehow, Goten doubted that. Could it be that the two Legendaries had been two different people? If that was true, then the second one should still be alive. A hundred years time wasn’t that long for a Saiyan. 

“Hmm…” Goten drawled after a long pause. “And what do you think about this project?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

“Well, I have the impression that you don’t really get along with your father.”

Reyn scratched his cheek absentmindedly, then shifted in his seat. “Mm… It’s not really that. It’s just that I don’t particularly care about this stupid project. All I want is to be left in peace and do what I’m good at – piloting. I don’t give a damn about his research, tests, blood samples and all that crap. All of it was tested and retested years ago and it’s about time he gave up.”

“Ah. A conflict of interest?”

“A conflict of his interests. I don’t care what he does as long as he leaves me alone. These past years, he has been nagging at me to find a female and present him with a couple of offspring they can carry out their research on. It’s annoying.”

“Aren’t you exaggerating a little? They would be his grandsons after all.”

“Probably a little bit,” Reyn agreed. “But he is crazed about everything concerning the project. He’s been pestering me non-stop, to the point I just want to do the opposite of what he says.”

Goten chuckled. This sounded like a casual rebellion teenagers went into. “Why doesn’t he actually have some more children of his own? Mmm… Not that I think it would be a good thing to experiment on your brothers or anything.”

“As if I would ever allow something like that! But luckily he can’t. He was wounded on the battlefield fifteen years ago. I’m his one and only son. Well, I suppose this is one of the reasons why he’s so obsessed with the thought of making me breed as soon as possible.”

The corners of Goten’s lips quirked up. “I see. But there’s this one thing that’s been bothering me for a while. Does it ever become stable, the power?”

Reyn shook his head. “No, not really. With age, the accidents decrease, but it’s just because people learn their limit.”

“Could it be that the Legendary simply blew himself up and that’s why nobody can find him?”

Reyn burst out laughing. Grinning, he nodded. “Well, yes, it could be. Which would mean that there has never been any stability in the first place. The thing is, however, that no one has ever had the golden hair the Legendary is so famous for. Never ever. He’s the only one to have it.”

“Well that makes him a very easy person to find, doesn’t it?”

“It should be, but, obviously, since nobody has ever found him, it isn’t so.”

“Actually, there’s one more thing I want to ask.”

Reyn chuckled. “Only?”

“For now. How is it that if they want offspring so much, they aren’t forcing us to have them? I mean, we are pretty much left to our own. Well, okay, they have been controlling my life since my very first step in Hataro Officer Training School, and maybe from much earlier, but you get what I mean.”

Reyn grinned at him. “Yeah, I do. But, you see, some forty years ago, there was this guy called Temran who hadn’t been happy with the researchers’ policy. I think he blasted two main National Security buildings along with the staff in them.”

“Oh! I read about that! They said it was terrorists.”

“Well, they hunted him down in the end, but there were so many casualties that even a member of Vegeta House was forced to interfere and help capture him. It was decided not to push it. The thing was that other subjects seemed to be keen on following Temran’s example. It’s not so easy to force a mature male carrying the gene to submit. Our power rivals or sometimes exceeds that of the members from Vegeta House.”

Goten nodded slowly, his memory going back to his and the prince’s spars. So that’s what it was. It was also clear to him now why his father had been allowed to kidnap a female and nobody persecuted him. They had probably even encouraged him. And he and Gohan were some of those desirable babies National Security wanted so much. What a laugh.

Reyn grew a little bit worried when Goten started giggling mindlessly. Had the information been too much? But it wasn’t as if it was vital – it didn’t change anything.

“Do they see us as rivals?”

“Who?” Then Reyn laughed out in unexpectedness as he realized what Goten was asking. “Vegeta House? Are you serious? Of course they don’t. We are only guinea pigs to them.”

“So they are aware of our existence?”

Reyn thought for a moment. “Umm… It was His Majesty who interfered back then when Temran went bonkers, but that was a long time ago. I certainly can’t guarantee that his son knows. The youngest prince wasn’t even born back then. But why do you care?”

“No particular reason, I just want to be ready if they suddenly decide we are an obstruction in their way. It’s just that the members of Vegeta House are usually arrogant, aren’t they?”

The flight officer watched the younger male thoughtfully. He hadn’t known that Goten was so wary of Vegeta House and harbored distaste towards its members. Personally, he didn’t have any opinion on them. They represented the power of the Saiyan race. Somebody had to take the responsibility of keeping everything in order after all. And, since he wouldn’t ever want to be the one to bear that kind of enormous burden of responsibility, he was fine with them.

“Has something happened to make you so mistrustful of them?” he wondered.

“No, not really.”

Reyn waited for Goten to continue, but that was it. The youth kept quiet, seemingly mulling over the newly acquired information. It was best to let Goten digest everything and then let him come with questions. Reyn knew that he would look like an idiot, but he had a question which had been torturing him for nearly a month, and just wanted it to finally be answered.

“Goten, I fulfilled my end of the bargain.”

Goten sighed. Rubbing at his left eye, he stood up and went towards the wardrobe where he retrieved the well-known recipe book. “I don’t have a boyfriend as such, but…” Opening its cover, he returned to sit down on the bed. He lowered the book on Reyn’s lap. “Here. But I’m certain you have already seen this.” Amused, he watched Reyn’s face paint deep red. Goten had intended to keep quiet about it, but his secret love life felt so trivial in comparison to what he had heard.

The flight officer stared at the two paragraphs, then, once the shame passed enough to allow him to read, his eyes flitted over the words. Goten thought he had seen the lines but, actually, he had never laid his eyes on them. He had simply inserted the paper slip with the phone number between the pages and never thought of reading something like a recipe book.

“What’s this?”

“Kyon was my roommate on the base. We lost touch just after I told him I am a third-class. The second one is an officer from the base. He…” Goten faltered. “He…well, he said that…” The third-class couldn’t believe how stupid he felt now. “…That he would find me.”

Reyn raised his head. “And that’s it? These pathetic lines? What are you? A preschooler?”

Goten cleared his throat uncomfortably. With every passing second, his discomfort was growing in geometric progression. Really, was he an idiot? Even while he was saying that the prince would find him, he didn’t believe it. He never did, but now he felt foolish for even allowing himself to harmlessly dream of that. 

The younger male’s reaction to his words made Reyn realize that he shouldn’t have said what he had. Goten was still at that age when things were romanticized. He had forgotten how young Goten was. He was aware that he had belittled Goten’s memories and upset him. On the other hand, he didn’t want Goten to be caught up in some idolized past. Everybody knew that, to preserve their beauty, it was best to keep memories in the past. This was exactly what he didn’t want Goten to do – he’d better drag those memories out of their hole, trample them to death, and make Goten forget the past.

“I’m sorry,” Reyn said when the younger male kept quiet. “It’s just that…” he trailed off when Goten continued to stare at his knees stubbornly without making a sound.

“I know. I know perfectly what it sounds like,” the younger male said finally, his voice defiant. He reached for the book. “But whatever you think about this, it doesn’t give you any right to laugh at their or my feelings.”

Silently, the flight officer let him take the cookbook. Goten was being defensive now, not angry, but upset, and Reyn wasn’t certain how he should react. All he knew was that he didn’t want to get into a conflict with Goten. He felt a little stupid, the whole situation was somehow stupid. “It’s not that I’m laughing at you or them,” he explained. “It’s just that… Well, to tell you the truth, I’ve expected something more…tangible, more serious.”

The flight officer thought that now Goten looked like he was pouting. He had closed the cover and was staring now at the varicolored cover depicting a roast chicken encircled with apples. Reyn thought that he would like to try that. The problem was that he didn’t know what to say now. The atmosphere was not right for what he had intended to suggest to Goten.

“You do realize that – with how things are going – you may never meet them again?” Reyn asked cautiously.

Goten’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Well, of course, I do. And what do you propose?”

Reyn shook his head; it was pointless to talk to Goten now, just as he had thought. The youth was daring him, staring at him with those dark eyes of his.

The flight officer stood up. “Cool off a bit. Think over everything. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

Wordlessly, Goten watched Reyn go. For a while, he sat on his bed, gazing at the recipe book on his lap, then pushed it aside, letting it slip onto the bed. Really, was he stupid to provoke Reyn like that?

ooOoOoOoo

Goten was whirling around in the usual chair he had borrowed from the doctor. Most of the patients were sleeping, except the pirate and Andrew. Andrew was typing something on his laptop with his right hand, his left arm hanging uselessly in a swathe under his neck.

After a few more spins, the third-class felt he was starting to get sick and it was about time to stop torturing the chair. Had he really hoped to be a pilot? Goten snickered softly. 

He had rolled the newly acquired information over in his head a few times. There were quite a few questions now he wanted to ask Reyn, but – since there was nothing he could change – mostly he was concerned about the limit he was able to power up to. The news that his inability to control his ki was permanent had been quite a shock to him. He wished he could just go to the training room and test it out. However, it was best not to – there was a great chance that he would end up just the same as back then on the base, and this time three days in a regeneration tank would not cut it.

He was also regretting about having told Reyn about his odd dreams – he had not expected that Reyn or his father would be so closely related to National Security. This was troublesome. If the flight officer started talking… Well, it was a good thing that no one, maybe except his father, would believe him. Still, he should have just kept quiet.

Reyn hadn’t recognized the name in the cookbook. Well, he probably had, but chose not to comment on it. It was very likely that he thought that it had either been a joke or somebody, lacking common sense apparently, had named their child after the prince. That was just as well.

The door let out a soft ping before opening and Goten’s attention went to it. Nohail stepped into the room. He greeted the third-class with a nod, then his eyes slid over the patients. His interest lingered on the pirate, then he concentrated on Andrew’s laptop. After that, he averted his eyes to the still unconscious pirate.

Amused, Goten wondered how long the head engineer was going to keep this on. “See anything you’d like to report to the shaii?” he asked finally.

Nohail’s lips twitched. “Not really. I was just wondering how you were doing.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “Suuure.”

The head engineer gave him a guilty look. “To tell you the truth, I am very curious about the whole thing.”

“I bet you’re. C’mon,” Goten gestured for him to come closer. “I have a few questions of my own.”

Nohail cast a look around the medical room. “Such as…?” he drawled, unsure.

“Don’t worry about them,” Goten said, “even if they do understand, I don’t think there will be anything valuable in our exchange.”

Nohail approached Goten and, waiting, leaned against the desk.

“There’s one question which has been bothering me for quite some time,” the third-class started. “Was it you who spread around my profile?”

The head engineer suddenly appeared to be very interested. “Your profile? Can I read it?”

Not even trying to suppress his groan, Goten slapped himself on his forehead. “Oh, shit.”

Nohail laughed softly. “Well, no, it wasn’t me. But I would like to get my hands on it. I mean, I’m very curious as to what connection you two have.”

The third-class rubbed his face with his hands, then dropped them onto the armrests. He sighed. “Well, I saved his life, so he probably feels like he owes me. That’s all there’s to it.”

The head engineer gave him an astonished look. “You? Saved his life? When was it?”

Goten scratched his head. “I’d rather not talk about it. It was on the base. It was just a coincidence; I was in the right place at the right time.”

“I see,” Nohail said, suspecting that Goten was much too modest. He had to agree that this indeed could make the prince follow Goten’s progress, for, even when he was just a kid, he didn’t like to feel indebted. 

“There’s another question I wanted to ask you – what did he actually ask you to do?”

Nohail wavered for several moments, then decided that there was no point in dragging this on. From the reply he had received to his last report, it didn’t seem that the prince minded Goten finding him out that much. He was told to proceed as if nothing had happened.

“Well, I send reports every five or so days. Otherwise I just… What?” he asked, surprised by the shocked look on the younger male’s face.

“Reports? You’re writing reports to him about me?!” Goten exclaimed incredulously. “Every week?”

“Err…yes? But… I thought you knew? Didn’t you just ask me what I would include in my repo-?”

“Reports?!” Goten choked out. “I was kidding, for fuck’s sake!”

“Oh. I thought you were being sarcastic.”

“That bastard!” Goten growled. “That freakin’ bastard! Give me his email! I’ll sooo write a report for him that he won’t know where to hide! That sneaky asshole!”

“Uhhh…” Nohail grunted, astonished by the threats and vehemence the younger male was displaying towards a member of the Royal Family. He moved away from Goten, who had jumped from his chair and now was advancing on him. “I don’t think I’m entitled to distribute it around.”

Goten stopped as an idea occurred to him. He had a thing which was even better than an email address! The phone number. He would call him. He would call the stupid bastard! How dared he! Damn, if only he could go and do that now!

Suspicious, Nohail watched Goten drop back into the chair and whirl around a few times. He was grinning unpleasantly while his face reflected pure frustration. The guy was up to something.

“So, what have you written about to him so far?” Goten asked, suddenly brining his chair to a dead stop.

The head engineer decided to keep his distance and stayed at the other end of the desk, a little more than an arm’s reach from Goten. “Well…” he drawled, “…about everything, really. From your fight with Reyn, when you first set foot on Starcut, to you falling asleep for a few days recently.” 

“Does he write back?”

“Yes, he confirms that he has received them.”

“One would think that – with the current situation – he has better things to do than to read some reports on…” the third-class trailed off. Could the prince be forwarding those reports to National Security? He wouldn’t be very surprised. That damn bastard! However, National Security probably also had better things to do. But there should’ve been a reason why he and Reyn were put on the same ship. Maybe it was Reyn who reported to his father and then the information went further?

Goten felt he was developing a headache. He was getting paranoid about conspiracies around him. It was probably just what he first thought it was – the prince didn’t want to relinquish control over him. He had to admit that while it was infuriating, it also felt pleasant, the possessiveness. He wondered whether the prince knew what the project entailed. By this time, he should have already found out. If he had been interested enough to make further inquiries. And he sure as hell looked interested last time they saw each other.

ooOoOoOoo

When his shift ended, Goten spent an additional hour in the kitchen helping to prepare dinner, ate, and then finally returned to his cabin. He threw his dead terminal an accusing look. His fervent wish to call the prince had mostly dissipated since he had spent quite some time thinking about what he would tell the man. Actually, he had come to a conclusion that it wasn’t a good idea – to call just to have a row with the prince was kind of…

Scratching the back of his head, Goten went to his bunk and flopped onto it. Edesha was absent – he, Mirun, and Jadenas were checking a Leiador carrier which was passing by, delivering goods to Earth. 

Well, maybe a row would be just fine – at least he would hear the prince’s voice. He could hardly remember what it sounded like.

Goten started taking his boots off. There was a hole in his sock, his big toe protruding brazenly. Goten arranged his boots next to his bed then, overtaken by an unexpected impulse, launched one of them at the terminal. Vengefully, the boot rebounded off the screen and flew straight for a half-full mug of tea, making Goten curse. Grasping a handful of tissues, he sprang forward to try and reduce the disaster. He wiped the desk quickly, herding the brownish puddle towards the floor. It didn’t look like the tea got into the keyboard. There was no way to check whether it worked, though. In any case, it was best not to touch it until it got dry anyway.

Should he ask Rokunda to take a look at the computer after all?

Snickering at himself, Goten padded back to his bed. Wasn’t he just like a lovesick puppy? Where the hell was his common sense? It was best not to contact the prince, just allow for whatever attachment there was to dissipate naturally.

How far would he follow him?

That was a natural question, and Goten found himself wishing that the prince wouldn’t give up so fast. Chasing a third-class would be the stupidest thing ever, of course, but his male-pride didn’t want himself to be so easily forgettable. He wasn’t going to be forgetting the prince any time soon after all. So that would be a little unfair.

Goten wriggled his toes. He stood up again and went to the wardrobe to find a new pair of socks. He should ask around if anyone had a needle and some yarn. Usually he wouldn’t bother, but there was no guarantee that he would get new socks. Maybe socks, just like food, clothing, toilet paper and all other mundane things, would become more precious than diamonds or credits. He hoped that this war wouldn’t escalate to that degree.

Frowning, the third-class retrieved the socks and put them on. He wished something good would happen. He felt a little unbalanced, his thoughts and feelings disjointed, confused, the ground swaying under his feet lightly. He wanted stability, but these days it was something no one could afford.

Goten put his boots back on; staying in the cabin was depressing him. His latrine duty was best performed late in the evening when most of the ship occupants went to sleep and stopped using the showers and the toilets so frequently. There was still time and Goten decided to make use of it by having some good exercise in the training room. He was going to lose skill if he trained so rarely. 

While he was walking there, it came to him that now he was probably one of the busiest members of the crew. How in the world did this happen? And to think that once Reyn and Adriel had said that Starcut didn’t need an unqualified crew member. Ha! 

A red blinking light next to the training room door indicated that the gravity inside had been increased. Goten gave the panel a reproachful look. Now he had to wait till the person or people in the training room would decrease the gravity to be able to open the door. It happened sooner than he had expected, though, two minutes later. The red light died out and Goten went inside. It was Reyn and Monteira. The gunnery sergeant nodded at him while Reyn gave him a searching look. He was obviously thinking that Goten had come looking for him.

“Want a spar?” Goten offered.

Reyn nodded. “Well, sure. Do we power up?”

Goten hesitated with the answer. They had never sparred using their ki before. If partners were not careful and a ki-shield was breached, it often resulted in serious or deadly injuries. Besides, there wasn’t really much point in it, since neither he nor Reyn could use their power to its full extent without the risk of blowing themselves or/and the ship up. Goten wasn’t even certain if the walls lined with ki-absorbing material would be able to soak up all of their power. They wouldn’t be shooting ki-balls, but there was certainly a difference in spars while using one’s ki – it increased the speed, the power of blows, the stamina, everything, in fact. One could slam their opponent right through the metallic walls. If one was powerful enough.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Monteira said, seeing Goten’s reluctance. “The armor we have is old and has certainly seen better times. I don’t think any of you want to end up with blisters.”

Reyn gave the other third-class a questioning look. Goten wondered what had caused him to suggest ki-sparring in the first place. 

“Well… Alright,” Goten agreed, “but let it be just about two thousand. And let’s get that armor. Just in case.”

Monteira clicked his tongue disapprovingly, but didn’t repeat his disagreements. 

The flight officer laughed. “You certainly sound like someone who has already had an accident or two.”

“Yeah,” Goten nodded, returning to the door, “I blew myself up once. I nearly died.”

“Oh. One of those accidents?” 

Goten nodded and Reyn decided not to question him anymore. Nonetheless, he was of the opinion that sparring while keeping their ki under two thousand was ridiculous. Even Edesha could do better than that. Probably. If someone fed him a bag of coffee and kept him on steroids for a month or two, but that would probably just make him drop dead. Edesha, just like anyone else, had speed and reaction times far behind Goten’s. He would have to put up with Goten’s fears for now.

“What is your power level?” Goten asked when they were in the weapon store.

Reyn turned around to make sure Monteira hadn’t followed them inside. “If I’m careful, I can raise it to a bit over two hundred thousand,” he said once he was sure there were only the two of them in the room.

“Oh, gods.”

The armor he had picked up earlier slipped past Goten’s suddenly numb fingers. With a dull thud, it landed half onto the floor half on his boots. He turned his head to stare at Reyn, who was visibly surprised by his reaction.

“What? Isn’t yours about the same?” the flight officer asked, bending over to take the armor Goten had dropped. He held it out for the younger male.

“You can’t be serious…” Goten stuttered. “Two hundred thousand?”

“You mean you don’t know?”

Lightheaded, Goten took the proffered armor, then leaned against a rack of ki-guns. “Know what?”

“What your power level is.”

“I… I think it was…a hundred thousand something last time it was measured.”

Now Reyn was giving him a look which was asking him why the hell he was acting so surprised, then. Goten scratched the back of his head.

“You see, I thought they were fucking around with me. The sergeant and the p- and the shaii.” Absently, he turned the armor over in his hands a few times. His fingers traced the texture without feeling it. “And…could it be that at the time when I blew myself up… Could it be that it reached three hundred thousand?”

Reyn hesitated. “Err… I doubt it. But… Why do you think so?”

“I was told that it was the last number all the scouters had been showing before they went haywire.” 

“Huh. Well, I don’t really know. I think the highest ever to be recorded was two hundred fifty. And I think you’re rather too young for that yet. Maybe in five or so years.”

“Oh.”

“Yes. So us powering up to only two thousand is kinda ridiculous, don’t you think so?”

Goten ruffled through his hair. “You either take it or leave it. I’m not going to power up any higher.”

Reyn rolled his eyes. “Fine.” Goten could be unbelievably stubborn and, even if that usually led to them arguing, that was one of the things he liked about the younger male. You could only push Goten around as much as he allowed himself to be pushed around.

“Seriously,” Goten warned, “if you try anything funny…”

“I won’t, I won’t.”

“I spent three days in a regeneration tank and…”

“I said I won’t, Goten. Give it a rest finally. Put that armor on and let’s go.”

TBC


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> A/N: _**Starcut’s crew members**_ :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician – (Landan)  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 41

Keeping his eyes on Goten and Reyn in the middle of the training room, Monteira leaned against the wall. The youngest crew member was still fumbling around with his armor, trying to buckle his left shoulder strap. There was something wrong with the clasp. Finally, the flight officer lost his patience and fastened it for Goten with a jarring click.

“You’ve probably broken it,” Goten said, staring at his left shoulder, wondering how he was going to take the armor off. He soon gave up as his eyes started watering from looking at the clasp from such a close range.

“All the better,” Reyn said. “We’ll either fix it or throw it away.” He powered up, a circle of dust whooshing away from him.

Goten was still uncertain about this, but he powered up as well. He had sparred using his ki plenty of times, but the accident on the base had somehow made him reluctant to use it. Goten frowned. This had better not be some kind of mental trauma or he would be getting his ass kicked by anyone whose power level exceeded two thousand. Well, at least that excluded third-classes.

Waiting for the other to attack first, they circled each other. Reyn went off first, suddenly appearing in front of Goten. The younger male jumped away from him, his roundhouse at the ready, catching Reyn in the chest. The flight officer flew backwards before he could crash to the floor. Goten went after him. However, Reyn had had enough time to regain his balance and defended himself from the younger male’s fists easily. He blocked and caught Goten’s left wrist. Before he could truss his arm up, Goten’s right leg flew at Reyn’s ear. Not letting go of Goten’s arm, the flight officer spun away to avoid it. He tugged and dragged Goten, turning him around, pushing him into the wall face-first, but the younger male’s elbow flew back into Reyn’s chest. He staggered away and Goten used the opportunity. He turned sideways, his leg shooting backwards, hitting the flight officer’s chin, making his head roll back, something in his neck clicking dangerously. Goten’s leg froze in midair.

Holy shit. 

Both of them stared at each other, their eyes wide. Since both of them had their ki-shields on and kept the same power level, blows shouldn’t hurt. And they didn’t. They could stun each other, make their heads spin, but there was a very low risk of something breaking. The worst that could happen was them earning a few light bruises. Theoretically. Realistically… Realistically, Goten had nearly taken the other man’s head off.

Reyn turned his head this way and that. It didn’t seem that there was something wrong. Goten lowered his leg to the ground and motioned for Reyn to come at him. The flight officer’s right fist flew at Goten’s face with speed. The younger male kicked out, diverted it aside with his right foot, the force of his kick making Reyn spin. He felt Goten’s right foot connect with his back, sending him all the way towards the opposite ki-proof wall. The flight officer managed to land on it with his feet, then pushed himself off it. Flinging himself backwards, he dropped to the floor so that he was now facing Goten. The younger male immediately tried to kick his head off again. Reyn fell into a crouch, straightened and punched Goten while he was still turning back to face him. His fist only grazed Goten’s left cheek as he had quickly transferred his weight to his right foot, leaning away. Reyn grunted when the other third-class used the opportunity and kicked him in the stomach with his left leg. Goten was very quick with his legs and it was even more impressive when he used his ki. 

Reyn’s back hit the floor, but he was already rolling aside when Goten’s foot slammed into the ground where his head was two milliseconds ago. He rolled over again and again until there was enough time for him to try to get to his feet. Still, he didn’t have enough time to react when Goten’s knee caught him in the shoulder. His back hit the wall and he whirled aside, Goten’s foot whooshing just a few centimeters past him. Reyn pushed himself off the wall with his palms, circling Goten, and now suddenly appearing behind him. He punched out, but the younger male was already leaning back and aside, his knee colliding with the flight officer’s stomach. He grabbed Reyn by his head and would have rammed his knee into the flight officer’s face, but he protected it with his forearms.

Goten was tossed back when Reyn suddenly punched him in the stomach. He blocked and diverted the next punch with his right hand, already turning, his right sidekick catching Reyn in his ribs. The flight officer stumbled, lost precious time, and the same right leg whooshed upwards and then back down again, hitting the side of his face. Reyn fell, trying to roll out of the younger male’s way, but the other male kicked him mercilessly all the way across the training room.

“F-fuck!” Reyn gasped as his back hit the wall, air rushing out of his lungs. Goten was right in front of him in a moment, and he blindly kicked at him. The youth grabbed his leg, lifted him and banged him against the wall. He intended to repeat that again but Reyn’s other foot caught him in the face, making him let go and throwing him backwards.

Goten ducked and Reyn’s foot whooshed above his head. He kicked at the other man’s left leg and Reyn nearly landed on his back, managing to catch himself and roll over at the last second. He avoided Goten by simply jumping away. He punched the younger male in the face, making him stagger, then kicked at his stomach. The youth stopped his fall half-way across the hall. He flew back at him. Reyn blocked Goten’s high kick, moved forward, and elbowed him in the chest.

Fighting for breath, Goten blocked the next attack by grabbing Reyn by his fist and punching him in the face with the other hand. His leg shot out to sweep Reyn’s feet from under him and he crashed to the floor onto his back. Goten didn’t let go of him, following, his knee suddenly pressing against the older male’s windpipe. 

“I surrender,” Reyn gasped out after a pause. The pressure on his neck disappeared immediately, Goten moving away from him, holding his hand out.

“Well, that was short but impressive,” Monteira said, on the verge of clapping, but restraining himself. He watched his roommate taking the proffered hand and getting to his feet. “Actually, I don’t think there’s much difference from when you don’t use your ki. Only that this is more difficult to follow.”

Goten and Reyn had to agree with that. They could fly, but the training room was too small for that unless one liked constantly bumping into the walls and ceiling. All they could use flying for was to stop themselves from being flung into the walls by their opponent. It also hurt less.

The flight officer turned to look at Goten, who was now trying to unbuckle his armor. Was this it? He had expected at least one more round. Goten didn’t seem to be tired either. His breathing rate had increased but he didn’t even appear to be flushed. 

“One more time?” Reyn suggested.

Goten shook his head. “I still have to clean the toilets. Later. Damn it!” he growled in frustration when the buckle on his left shoulder didn’t even budge. “You really broke it!”

“Let me take a look.” Reyn inspected the clasp, tugging at it forcefully a few times. It really was stuck. That didn’t really bother him. Now he was much more bothered by Goten’s proximity. He could hear Goten’s breathing right above his left ear, could feel its warmth. Fumbling a little, he unbuckled the other shoulder and the clasps at Goten’s waist. “Raise your arms,” he instructed, feeling somewhat awkward. Goten did as he was told, and Reyn pulled the armor off over his head. “Here, wasn’t so difficult.” He stepped away and held the armor out for the younger male to take. He faltered at the look on Goten’s face. The youth was watching him carefully, his eyes reflecting aroused interest.

When Goten reached out for the armor, Reyn didn’t let go of it. Instead, his other hand rose to brush over the side of Goten’s neck. The careful touch was unexpected to the younger male, startling him, but he didn’t move away and the hand slid further behind, cupping his nape, slowly drawing him closer. Goten didn’t resist.

The youth closed his eyes when Reyn’s mouth covered his. The kisses were tentative at first, but seeing how Goten had closed his eyes and was readily responding, Reyn deepened them. Goten found that the flight officer tasted a little bit like coffee and the cutlets they’d had for dinner.

A soft ping indicated that Monteira had tactfully left the training room. 

His hand still massaging the younger man’s nape, Reyn moved his face away from Goten’s. Goten opened his eyes to stare at him. He tugged at the armor in Reyn’s hand, but the flight officer didn’t let go. Instead, he leaned in again. This time, Goten shifted away, his palms pressing against the older man’s shoulders to keep him away.

“You know,” Goten said, turning his head aside, avoiding Reyn’s questioning gaze, “you laughed, but that man… I think it’s mutual. He’s still keeping an eye on me.”

Reyn watched him silently. He didn’t know which theoretical boyfriend of his Goten meant and he wasn’t particularly interested. He doubted Goten was very interested either. This was just settling a score. “I did apologize for that,” Reyn grunted out.

Goten’s finger’s dug into Reyn’s shoulders. “You didn’t really mean it.”

The flight officer gave him a scornful look. “No, I didn’t,” he said, his patience snapping. “Both of your hypothetical boyfriends are a bloody nuisance to me; I was just being well-mannered with my own potential boyfriend when I apologized. In fact, I don’t give a damn about them or your attachment to them. Let me tell you why that is. It’s that, besides being a nuisance to me, both of them are a bloody nuisance to you as well. You don’t take them seriously, so why should I? You say it’s mutual. Well, that very fact seems to trouble you more than I’ve ever seen you troubled. You are insecure. And I seriously won’t do anything to help you feel more secure about any of them. They can go to hell for all I care, and you have my promise that I’ll do my best to thwart those relationships.”

Goten stared at him for a few seconds, processing the tirade. Reyn wondered whether Goten was going to punch him or just walk away. He had probably screwed up, royally.

Oh, fuck it. He had told the truth anyway.

“You’re an asshole,” Goten summed up finally, a grin stretching over his lips.

“No bigger than you are, honey,” Reyn said, the last word dripping with sarcasm.

“Yeah…” Goten agreed. “And I think you win because you’re, at least, an honest asshole. I kinda like that. And don’t call me ‘honey’ ever again or I’ll break your arms.”

“I wouldn’t even dream of it.”

Goten could feel the warmth spreading over his back from where Reyn’s left hand was touching him. Reyn’s presence was strong and, despite the fact that it made Goten somewhat uneasy to know that the flight officer knew and understood him probably even better than he understood himself, it also made him feel good and assured, and it made him think that he wanted to stay like this for much longer.

Reyn grunted in unexpectedness when Goten suddenly let go of the armor and punched him lightly on the shoulder. Then his arm dropped back to his side.

“I…” Goten muttered, lowering his face to hide his embarrassment. “You know, I think I like Kyon because of who he is, but mostly it’s because of how he feels about me. It’s kind of…complicated…selfish, too. It would probably work out between us, and maybe for quite some time. But I think there’s a limit to how much and how long I can be affectionate in a relationship like that. I would probably start looking for an excuse to break up pretty soon since I’d just feel guilty.

“Now the other guy… You’re right. I’m troubled. He’s nothing but trouble. An even bigger problem is that I can’t seem to stop thinking about him. I wish I could just bang my head against a wall and forget him. But it doesn’t work that way.”

“That’s not something I want to hear,” Reyn said. Despite the fact that he was both surprised and appreciative of Goten’s unexpected openness with him, he realized that there was a limit as to how detailed he wanted the younger male’s confessions to be.

“Well, it’s not something I want either,” Goten grunted. “He’s an elite, Reyn. And it’s… Well, all of it is just stupid.”

Reyn blinked at him. “Oh, man,” he groaned in a few seconds. “Goten, you twit.”

Goten’s response was stubborn silence, and Reyn had an urge to smack him upside the head. “I guess he doesn’t know that you’re a third-class, does he?”

Awkwardly, still not meeting Reyn’s eyes, Goten rubbed his chin. “Well, the problem is that he does know. He’s known all along. I don’t think I’d care much for him if he didn’t know.”

Reyn laughed out in unexpectedness and disbelief. “Is he an idiot? Why is he pursuing you? Doesn’t he know how troublesome and complicated he can make your life?”

Goten shrugged.

“That’s one selfish bastard,” Reyn summed up.

“That he is,” Goten agreed. “So, on one hand I have a selfish bastard and on the other hand I have an honest one.”

“And there’s an idiot in the middle,” Reyn said with a sigh, pointing at Goten’s chest with his index finger. Staring at Goten’s red face, he lowered his hand. “So can we now, please, fuck finally?”

Goten burst out laughing. “Didn’t you hear anything I just said?” he asked, grinning.

“Well, sure I did. I think it was something about how you were supposed to clean the toilet and us sparring tomorrow.”

“Liar. I never promised to spar with you.”

Reyn gave him a serious look. “Goten, I don’t care much for the drama and tangled relationships you seem to be so fond of.” Reyn dropped the armor to the floor, his hands seizing Goten’s waist, drawing him close. He was unaware that the younger male was abruptly overtaken by the dilemma of whether to lift his hands to Reyn’s shoulders to gain some personal space, or just leave them hanging at his sides. “I’m here. Now,” Reyn continued. “You can think again when you meet them. _If_ you meet them. And, who knows, maybe by the time you meet them, you won’t even remember them.”

Goten offered him a lopsided grin. “You’re quite full of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Anything to get you into the sack.”

Goten chuckled.

“Everything’s fair in love and war. It’s an old Terran saying,” Reyn explained when it seemed that Goten was pondering on that. The flight officer shook his head. “Goten, there are no such things as ‘I saw him first’ or ‘I met him first’. It doesn’t work that way. I’m certain that both those theoretical boyfriends of yours knew that. And while the only thing they seem to be capable of is chewing each other out in your cookbook, I want to take a much more direct approach. It’s their problem that they aren’t here now.”

“This doesn’t really sound fair.”

“Life’s a bitch, Goten. You take what you can, and I’ll take my chances.”

“If I let you.”

“If you let me,” Reyn agreed, his fingers squeezing the younger man’s waist more firmly.

“Mmm… I’m very tempted to let you.”

“So I’ve noticed.” 

Goten’s face reddened lightly. Well, yes, that was easy to figure out. He felt like he was losing out to Reyn a little. The flight officer was radiating self-confidence, he always was. And you couldn’t hate him because it was never arrogance, far from that. It was just that Reyn was straightforward to the point and set in his goal. The only thing you could blame him for was his uncouth bluntness. However, that was the very thing that had attracted Goten to him. That and…

The younger male stared at Reyn, who was watching him expectantly, his hands still firmly set on his waist. He was waiting for some sort of sign that Goten had finally come to a decision. When Reyn’s mouth covered his again, it was clear that once it had been made, it hadn’t gone unregistered.

No words had been exchanged, but Reyn had felt the change in Goten’s resolution almost physically. One moment the youth was unapproachable, and the next second it seemed as if all defenses went down. 

The kiss was greedy, forceful. Reyn’s right hand slid up Goten’s back, rumpling his shirt. It lingered on his nape, then dove into his still quite short hair to grip it firmly. Goten gasped softly, his own hands rising to grasp at Reyn’s shoulders for support.

Never ceasing to kiss Goten, the flight officer pulled at the younger male’s shirt impatiently, and Goten unwound his tail to give him access. Reyn’s fingers slipped underneath to caress his sides and stomach. He could feel Goten shivering under his touch and wasn’t certain whether it was desire or cold fingers. He doubted the latter since they had just sparred and the heat from the exercise was still there, now building up into something different. 

The younger male’s body seized and he inhaled sharply when his other hand moved down to grab his ass. The next moment, though, Goten leaned into Reyn. Indeed, it seemed that he really loved his ass being fondled. He was probably moving too fast, but, at this point, Reyn didn’t care. He wasn’t going to skip this opportunity only to have Goten change his mind midway. It was probably better to go too fast, where Goten was dazed and breathless, than to give him enough time to think it over again; Goten had proven himself to be inconsistent in his decisions.

Goten felt his back press against the wall. Only then did he realize that Reyn had maneuvered them from the middle of the training hall to the spot close to the exit door. He broke the kiss and, out of breath, stared at Reyn. Thanks to Ranvera, he knew he wasn’t a great kisser, but Reyn didn’t seem to mind the fact. 

The flight officer ran his hands down over Goten’s sides and the younger male closed his eyes. It felt good. Then Reyn started kissing him again. He was only half aware of his belt being unbuckled. He was already erect and this undoubtedly showed through his trousers. There was also that hand on his ass, massaging and kneading, making him squirm. The sound of a zipper being unzipped reached his ears, then he grunted when he was grasped and pulled out of his trousers and underwear. He bucked instinctively, pushing himself slightly off the wall, his fingers digging into Reyn’s shoulders.

The flight officer’s other hand let go of his butt, and the man started fumbling with his own belt and trousers. Goten felt that there was something he should be doing too, but, with Reyn stroking him and occasionally grazing at and sucking on his neck, he wasn’t capable of much thought. He was only aware of the other male’s hand on his cock, the proximity of his body, and the short puffs of hot air against his damp neck.

Soon Reyn was stroking both of their erections in his hand. Breath was rushing in and out in short gasps past Goten’s lips and he licked his lips to wet them. He was still holding onto Reyn’s shoulders, his eyes shut. His hips were following the rhythm the flight officer had set. 

“Uhn.”

Surprised, Reyn looked down past Goten’s head which had suddenly pressed against his shoulder. True enough, Goten had come without any warning, decorating his uniform in a wet spray. He could feel Goten panting for breath while he was softening in his hand. The smell of come reached his nostrils.

“Are you always this fast?”

The younger male refused to raise his head but, from his red ears, Reyn could tell that Goten had flushed brilliant crimson. Except for their increased breathing, it was silent for a few seconds.

“Is that a problem?”

The voice was rough, inquiring, uncertain, but there was also steel underneath. There was an unsaid, but a very definite, “and” at the beginning of that question and an even more unambiguous warning at the end of it.

“No, not really,” Reyn said. “Unless you decide to keep doing that to my uniforms.”

Goten looked down at Reyn’s stomach where he was graced by the sight of the other man’s still erect cock with a glistening head and his own softening one, both in the flight officer’s palm. His eyes then rose upwards to his chest where he spotted the problem.

“Ah, shit.”

Goten was aware of Reyn’s interested eyes on him.

“Don’t sweat it.” The flight officer could tell that it had never occurred to Goten to warn him that he was about to come. The reason might have been that he hadn’t even known he had been about to come. He found this more interesting than the wet spots on his uniform.

Reyn’s mouth pressed against Goten’s lips and, a little unsteady, he answered the kiss. He grunted and tried to shy away when the flight officer’s palm stroked them again. He backed into the wall. He was still too sensitive. Goten’s fingers twitched on Reyn’s shoulders when he gave one more stroke, then one of the younger male’s hands snuck down to cover Reyn’s in attempt to stop him from repeating his actions. The flight officer let go of them at once, leaving only Goten’s hand between them, and then Goten understood what had been expected of him. For the hundredth time today, he flushed red at his inexperience.

As if sensing his thoughts, Reyn pressed another kiss to his lips with a good-natured chuckle. Goten’s grip on him tightened as he was both encouraged and challenged by the soft laughter. He started stroking, slowly at first, then picking up the pace.

The older male tugged at his waist and, guessing at what he wanted, Goten moved a step away from the wall. The hands, however, slid down, together with Goten’s trousers and underwear. Reyn’s palms squeezed the bare globes with approval.

It was rewarding to feel Reyn lean into him, to hear his breath quickening, his hips fervently following his fist. Reyn’s hands on his ass were gripping him firmly, not letting go. Helpless grunts slipping from his lips, punctuating the older man’s pleasure, making Goten hard again. He felt powerful, in control, while he stroked the two of them.

At some point, Reyn let go of his ass and began unbuttoning his shirt, then slid it off his shoulders. Had he been supposed to take it off for Reyn? But the flight officer hadn’t touched his. Well, in any case, Goten preferred a bare-chested Reyn anyway. He understood what the shirt was for when Reyn covered their erections with it and came with a soft grunt. Goten felt silly for a few seconds, then also spurted into the shirt.

Tiredly, Goten leaned against the wall. He had come twice, but he didn’t feel the satisfaction he thought he should. He couldn’t help thinking that Reyn must be disappointed in him. There was something humiliating in that, even though he understood that his being inexperienced was only natural.

With his shirt, Reyn gave Goten’s soft member a few swipes to clean it, then took care of himself. He wasn’t certain what was with the look on the younger male’s face. The frustration Goten was radiating only increased while they were belting their trousers.

Reyn gave him a curious look, meeting Goten’s stubborn eyes. Reyn couldn’t help cuffing him over the back of his head. Goten stared at him in surprise, then blushed again. It seemed that Reyn knew what was in his head. 

Goten avoided his eyes and went to pick up his armor off the floor. He was even more embarrassed to find out that his feet were shaky. He tottered over and picked up the armor. He turned around in time to see the flight officer wrapping up his shirt into a bundle.

“I hear the washing-machine isn’t working.”

The comment made Reyn’s eyebrows rise. He nearly asked whether Goten was offering to wash his shirt for him, then decided that it wasn’t the case and let the comment slide. Goten could be really interesting sometimes.

“Want me to help you out with your latrine duty?”

“Mm. Sure. Thanks.”

The hesitation was only momentary, but it was there, and the flight officer wondered whether he should have given the younger male more space instead. He didn’t really want to though.

ooOoOoOoo

In the morning, Goten was a little uncertain, but breakfast went past smoother than he had expected. Reyn appeared in the canteen with Derek and, since the room was bustling and there weren’t enough seats, the two of them sat down farther away.

They hadn’t talked after what happened in the training room. There probably wasn’t much to talk about either: Reyn had been pursuing him, and he had conceded. Yesterday, while he had been cleaning the toilets and had Reyn washed his shirt, he realized that he indeed felt comfortable with Reyn at his side. They had hardly spoken, but he found the silence to be easy on his ears.

He had liked the hand job too, Reyn’s and his own. Actually, he was looking forward to some more. Only that he wasn’t certain how and where he should suggest it to Reyn. For now, though, he had to go and watch over the patients in the medical room.

The Nondren gave Goten a morose look when he entered the room. The third-class thought that probably he expected to be tied up again. That would have come true, but it was only Andrew who wanted to play cards today, thus the games were called off, leaving the other patients to their rest and Goten to his boredom.

It was a pretty exciting boredom, though, since Goten kept on mentally replaying his and Reyn’s encounter in the training room. He tried to calm himself down since it aroused him, nonetheless, his thoughts continued to travel to his fantasy land where, first, Reyn gave him a hand job and then sucked him off. Further contemplation on if he would be allowed to do the flight officer was interrupted by the Nondren asking for water.

Five hours later, when Goten’s watch was about to end and he couldn’t wait to find Reyn, Adriel dropped by. There was a sly look on his face, and Goten knew that no matter what they talked about, in the end, there was only one reason why he had come to visit him.

“Want to a party?” the navigator offered.

Goten’s face brightened. “Sure. When?”

“Tonight at ten. My cabin.”

Goten nodded. “I’ll be there.”

“What about Reyn?”

“What about him?”

“Will he come?”

“How should I know? Ask him.”

Adriel was squirming about, full of excitement and energy, as if he had devoured an entire bowl of sugar. “You know what I’m asking about,” he said reproachfully.

Goten gave him an uncomprehending look. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, stop bullshitting me. So are you two…?” He didn’t finish his oral description, instead expressing the thought in a gesture of two fingers joined together.

“What? Knitting?” Goten wondered.

“Stop it, you bastard. Are you his man now?”

“Is this what he’s saying?”

“No, that’s what Monteira is saying. Reyn told me to get lost.”

“And this is why you came to me.”

Adriel gave him an excited grin. “Yup!”

“Don’t tell me you threw this party in our honor?”

“Well, yeah, sorta. But there won’t be much point in it if you don’t bring Reyn; he wasn’t really keen on going.”

“Now neither am I.”

“Oh, c’mon!”

Goten rolled his eyes. He could understand Adriel’s curiosity, but instead of finding it funny, he was rather annoyed by it. Then he became aware of a suddenly dark look on the navigator’s face.

“Have you told him who his rival is?”

Goten leaned away in unexpectedness. “Rival?” he repeated, even though he knew perfectly well who Adriel meant. “I wouldn’t put it that way,” he said after a pause.

“How would you put it then?”

There was something amused and mocking in Adriel’s voice, and Goten didn’t like that. Nonetheless, the navigator was probably right. Even though, to Goten’s mind, it seemed absurd. His heart, however, agreed with Adriel’s words. Or maybe it was just something Goten irrationally wished for. The third-class wasn’t certain about that.

“I think you’re taking this too seriously,” Goten said finally.

Adriel shrugged. “Probably. It will work out in the end. One way or another,” he added. “But will it work out the way you want it to?”

“Oh, gods, Adriel,” Goten complained. “We can be dead tomorrow. Probably _nothing_ will work out the way I want it! I’ll be most content if I survive this war.”

“True,” the navigator agreed. “So will you come to the party?”

“Yes, I will. Now leave me alone.”

Adriel was on his way out when the door pinged softly and Reyn stepped in. His eyebrows rose at the lewd grin the navigator gave him.

“Off with you,” Reyn said, moving away from the door. Wordlessly, with a grin on his face, Adriel bounced past him and through the door. “The party?” Reyn asked Goten once the navigator left.

“The party,” Goten confirmed solemnly. 

“Where’s Tamahi? Shouldn’t he be here already?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“There’s a mountain of unwashed dishes in the kitchen. They won’t wash themselves.”

Goten groaned mentally. “You can’t expect to seduce anyone with that pick up line,” he complained.

Reyn chuckled. “Not anyone, no. But it will work on you, won’t it?”

“But that’s only because I’m easy.”

The flight officer sniggered at that. He was about to say something, but then Tamahi entered the room. Reyn motioned for Goten to follow him.

“I think I’m the one who works most on this ship,” Goten half-boasted and half-complained to Reyn on their way to the kitchen. 

The older man rolled his eyes at the ceiling. “I’ll ask Edesha to switch cabins with me for tonight,” he said. “I’m certain he will agree.”

Goten grinned. “Now you’re talking!”

“You really are easy, aren’t you?”

“Oh, yeah!”

ooOoOoOoo

“Uhn,” Goten gasped at the well-placed lick Reyn gave to his cock. He had his eyes closed while Reyn held him by his hips to prevent him from moving. Goten was half-sitting on one of the kitchen tables, supporting himself with his hands. His trousers had pooled down on the floor. He still had his shirt on, but it was unbuttoned so as not to get in the way.

Goten was still rather stunned at how fast it all had progressed to a blowjob. One moment, they were washing dishes and talking to their crewmates, and then Reyn was unzipping his trousers. Again, Goten cast a frantic look around the kitchen and over the counter to the canteen. It was all empty, indeed, just as it had been a few minutes ago, but… And to think that he had thought he would need to talk Reyn into it… 

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Goten grunted out, his body tense. “Someone might come in.”

Reyn raised his face to look at the younger male’s half-lidded eyes. Goten seemed uncomfortable, a little skittish, but his dark eyes shone with eagerness nonetheless. “So what?”

“What do you mean ‘so what’? Well, sure, it’s not you who has his trousers down, b-”

“I locked the door,” Reyn said, his attention returning to Goten’s half-hard length.

Relaxing a little, Goten tugged at the older man’s hair reproachfully. Reyn liked teasing him, he knew that. “Wouldn’t it be much more comfort-ah!-able to do this in my cabinnnnh?”

“Yes, it would’ve been,” Reyn grumbled, “but then you decided to go to that damn party. Why the hell are you going there?”

“And why the hell nnn-not?”

“Maybe because it’s a mockery to us?”

“A pa-ah!-rty is a party. I like parties.”

Reyn muttered something under his breath. “Well, the thing is, I have to get up at three for an inspection. I can’t wait for you that long.”

“Why not co-ohhh-me together?”

“And what the hell would it change? Or are you an exhibitionist at heart?”

Goten’s thoughts went back to the memory of the cook publicly riding Nohail’s cock in one of those parties. He thought about it, then imagined himself in their place. He wouldn’t do that in a sober state, but…

“Oh, damn, you really are!” Reyn grunted, the evidence hard and twitching right before his eyes. 

Goten blushed. “Mmm… Does it matter?”

The flight officer gave him a look. “Well, it doesn’t really bother me, but I prefer privacy. It’s just a matter of preference.”

“So you’d rather not?”

“I’d rather not,” Reyn confirmed. “Especially if those are people I know.”

“Okay. If th-”

“Stop talking. You’re distracting me. And yourself, too.”

Goten quieted. In fact, talking made him less nervous. He closed his eyes again, lowering his head a little. He exhaled shakily when the flight officer finally took him into his mouth. His hand went to Reyn’s head automatically and then slid into his hair. He couldn’t believe how much pleasure these simple licks and nips had brought him. He soon found out that it brought even more pleasure to _watch_ Reyn blowing him. He worried a little that Reyn would ask the same of him. He certainly would, and, despite the fact that he had watched heaps of porn, Goten’s mouth had never ever come close to a cock.

It was hot and wet and Goten wanted to push even deeper into Reyn’s mouth. He wasn’t allowed to though. The flight officer restrained him easily, his hands pressing against Goten’s hips firmly. 

Reyn set a comfortable rhythm, but soon it wasn’t enough. Since Goten wasn’t allowed to move, he urged the flight officer by tugging at his hair. It didn’t work. Actually, Reyn did the opposite, moving away, the erection slipping out of his mouth. Goten grunted in disapproval, pulling at his hair more firmly, trying to make him return to what he had been doing. Reyn chuckled, his tongue sneaking out to lick at the head, then dip into the slit. Goten moaned softly. Spurred on by the sound, Reyn played more with the slit, then let the head slide back past his lips. It took a few more seconds, then Goten was pulling at his hair.

“I’m g-going to c-come,” he gasped out.

The flight officer was just in time to move away. The younger male shot like a bullet, his hand hardly catching the load. It was exciting to watch him come, but it was only too short. His quick bliss fading, Goten blinked his eyes and, sighing softly, let go of himself. 

He was half-expecting for Reyn to comment on how fast he was again, but Reyn didn’t. Instead, he was giving Goten the questioning look he had been so worried about.

“Mm…” Goten muttered, looking at Reyn’s tented crotch. “I’m probably not very good at this.”

The older male’s searching eyes slid over Goten’s face. “Well, anything goes. Except teeth,” he warned.

Goten looked around for something to wipe his hands on. There were only towels and it was better to wash his hands instead of wiping them there. He stepped out of his trousers and went over to one of the sinks. It came to him, while he was washing his hands, that he must look funny with bare legs and boots on his feet. His flapping shirt was hardly covering his ass. He turned around and found Reyn watching him, curiously. 

“Um.” Awkwardly, Goten turned the tap off. He dried his hands on the towel which hung nearest to the sink. Buttoning his shirt, he walked back to Reyn.

The flight officer stood there, waiting for him. There was something about his pose that suggested to Goten that he had absolute freedom to do to Reyn anything he was willing to try. The thought aroused Goten. His hands rose to Reyn’s waist to push him a few steps backwards. The flight officer felt his hips prop against the same table Goten had just climbed off of. The fire in the other man’s eyes made Reyn think that Goten was more dominant than he had at first believed.

The problem was, though, that once Goten had Reyn pressed to the table and in his control, he didn’t really know what he wanted to do. He wanted to kiss Reyn, but the thought was unpleasant too – the man had just had his cock in his mouth. He wanted to get into the other man’s trousers, but he wasn’t certain what he would do after.

Well, in any case, the first step was to unzip those trousers. It wasn’t so easy to free a man with a heavy erection. He fumbled a little with the zipper and felt Reyn grow even more. It was a good thing that, just as Reyn had said, anything went.

This time Goten had a better opportunity to take a good look at the older male’s penis. Reyn’s was thicker but somewhat shorter than his. Almost all of the head was visible; most of foreskin had already pulled away. The curls around the base were much thicker than Goten’s, whose pubic hair was sparse since he was very young and his body was still developing. It was going to take a few years for his to grow into a bush. Goten was also aware of the fact that Reyn was physically stronger than him. The difference wasn’t apparent at once, but they had fought enough times for both of them to know that.

Goten wrapped his fingers around the jutting length. The feeling was already familiar. He stroked carefully, cupping the sack with his other hand. Reyn spread his legs wider and leaned back, getting more comfortable on the table. If Goten continued stroking like that, he would need more lubrication. 

Soon, clear droplets appeared on the tip, and Goten smeared them around. He quickly worked up enough interest and courage to try what Reyn had done to him. He leaned down to give the head a tentative lick. The other man’s musk was strong. He felt Reyn’s hand dive into his hair, stroking his scalp, encouraging him.

Both of them jolted when someone started knocking on the door. Goten was glad they hadn’t progressed further or he might have bitten Reyn. Waiting, they stared at each other. Goten licked his lips nervously.

“Ignore it,” the flight officer said huskily, his interest only on his unsatisfied lust.

Goten lowered his eyes. He brushed over the length with his lips, then opened his mouth to lick it. He leaned back when the pounding repeated.

“What the hell do you want?” Reyn growled out loudly.

A string of urgent gibberish wafted from behind the door. 

“Humans,” Reyn spat distastefully.

Goten groped farther down the table, looking for the scouter he had taken off when Reyn had first started showing his attention. He put it on and set it for long distance interpreting and turned on the loudspeaker. 

“What do you want?” he asked.

“Derek is hysterical,” the voice called out. “Is Dueri in here?”

“Oh, fucking hell,” Reyn cursed. “Tell them I’ll come in a minute.”

Goten gave his erection a skeptical look. “You sure I can manage that?”

“I believe in you.”

“Don’t.”

TBC


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> A/N: **_Starcut’s crew members_** :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain - (Kandar)  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician – (Landan)  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 42

Goten was singing an old war song. His jarring voice was making Edesha’s ears bleed. Any other time, the warrior would have told him to shut up, but now, while the two were staggering down the seemingly endless hall to their cabin, he joined in. Their loud voices filled the corridor, flowing into every nook and cranny tempting the residents of _Starcut_ to leave their warm bunks and punch them both out.

It was half past one in the morning and the two of them were returning from Adriel’s party. The arms they had around each other’s shoulders were for balance, rather than an expression of their undying friendship. The roommates kept howling in song until they reached their cabin. Then both of their minds became preoccupied with the need to remember the key code. Goten gave up first and started fumbling through his pockets. He retrieved the card and drew it over the slot, opening the door.

Edesha was almost a whole head taller than Goten and it was him who nearly dragged the third-class into their cabin. The younger male stumbled, fell, and both of them rolled over the floor. 

“Eowchfuck!” Edesha growled when his healing arm scraped against the floor.

Goten cursed when his head banged against the computer tower under the desk. He blinked his eyes at the metallic box. There was a tiny black switch on its side. Goten reached out and flipped it. Nothing happened.

“You okay?” Edesha asked, trying to crawl backwards from under the table. “Fuck!” he howled when he tried to stand up too early and knocked his head against the desktop. He dropped back onto Goten, his chin hitting the younger male’s chest.

Goten patted his head soothingly. Edesha grumbled in response. He lifted himself up with his good hand. The warmth wafting from the body underneath him made him falter. It took a few seconds for the third-class to notice the soldier’s heated gaze. He made no attempt to move away, and Edesha shifted sideways, then his hand slid south to cup him through his trousers. The younger male’s body tensed while Edesha’s fingers stroked him through the fabric. 

Goten wasn’t resisting, and Edesha leaned in to press their mouths together. Their tongues met in a sloppy, drunk dance. When the younger male turned his head aside, breaking the kiss, Edesha’s mouth went to his neck and then deeper under the collar to graze his collarbone.

Goten turned to his side, trying to free himself from Edesha’s massaging hand, and the soldier’s teeth clashed against his collarbone painfully. The third-class gasped, his face contorting in pain.

“S-sorry,” Edesha said. There was a short but bright red line on Goten’s right collarbone. Two tiny droplets of blood had appeared.

“Get off,” the third-class answered.

Edesha’s eyes met the younger male’s. “You sure?” he asked seductively.

The heated, half-drunk expression on Goten’s face wasn’t convincing. Edesha was certain that the younger male wouldn’t mind some fun, but he was insistently pushing at his chest, trying to free himself. Edesha held him down bodily. He wanted Goten, and the need to have him hadn’t lessened a bit since he had first tried to court him.

“I don’t think Reyn will like this,” Goten warned him. In reality, he had no idea how Reyn would react to him sleeping around and, at the moment, testing the waters didn’t interest him at all. He was reluctant to use force, however, and hoped to talk Edesha into letting him go.

The mentioning of the other man’s name sobered Edesha up. It piqued his possessiveness, but it also made him reluctant and uncertain – Reyn was his friend, and a much more powerful man to boot. It didn’t pay to cross him. It would certainly be satisfying to have Goten, though. 

Goten grunted when Edesha rolled off him. Wordlessly, the soldier clambered backwards from under the table, went to his bed, kicked his boots off, and lay down. The third-class went to his own bed, undressed, and was out in a minute.

ooOoOoOoo

It was breakfast time when Goten woke up with a splitting headache and a dry mouth. Edesha’s bed was already empty; he was probably eating. The thought of food made the third-class gag and he decided to skip his breakfast. He found a bottle of water he kept in his cupboard, drank nearly all of it, then lay back down again.

He slumbered until it was time to go and watch over the patients in the medical room. There he spent his time playing cards and nursing his hangover. He had expected Reyn to pay him a visit, but the man hadn’t come. He was probably still sleeping after doing his nightly check up. The Human kid had been a nuisance too – it appeared that he had gone to sleep and then woke up from a nightmare to see that it was dark and that the cabin was empty. He’d had a panic attack. He had been so panicky that he forgot how he had been taught to open the door and call for the lights. He flounced about in the darkness, trashing the cabin and earning a handful of sizable bruises, until a passerby heard his shouts and found one of the crew to let him out. Seeing other people calmed him down a bit, but he was still crying and shaking when he and Reyn appeared.

Yawning, Goten shuffled the cards; he had lost this round. He still owed Reyn a blowjob. It was a debt he was looking forward to repaying. These past few days he had been thinking about sex and its variations nonstop. He felt he was being too obsessive about it, but he also believed that it was only natural since he was fresh to everything Reyn showed to him. He had also started seeing the other men in the crew as sexual targets. Except that, obviously, they couldn’t be his sexual targets since everyone, apart from Reyn, was second-class. He was a little bit confused by all of this.

Goten started dealing. Tom had fallen asleep again, and the third-class decided to leave him be. Now it was him, Andrew, and Daniel playing. Tom’s health was getting better. The doctor said that there was no danger to his life anymore. Most of the wires had been removed from him, and his bed as well. The unconscious Nondren’s brains were slowly deteriorating. His pal, however, was recovering quickly, and yesterday he had been awarded with ki-cuffs. Goten felt more at ease now as he wasn’t required to watch over him so strictly anymore.

Daniel’s broken leg was healing successfully and he was bubbly and in high spirits, as usual. He mostly talked about that wonderful girlfriend of his he had on Earth and how he was missing her. He talked about how he was going to marry her and have a bunch of beautiful kids. Goten was getting annoyed by the incessant blabbering. But it was only because he was quite pessimistic about all of this happening in the near future. He also suspected that the idea of marriage and settling down had struck Daniel only after he had miraculously survived the ordeal with the pirates. It was more likely that, since he had been away for almost five months and probably hadn’t expressed any intention of tying the knot with her before, Daniel’s woman had already found someone else, someone she considered more reliable. Goten said nothing of his doubts to Daniel, though. Those were only his thoughts, after all. It could happen that, in spite of everything, she would gladly accept his proposal.

Andrew had been released from the medical bay two days ago, actually told to get out as soon as his arm started getting better, but had returned yesterday in the morning with a higher than normal temperature. He also said he rather liked the company.

“You suck today,” Andrew told Goten after they had played for about an hour.

“Yes, I suck today,” Goten agreed. “With a bit of luck,” he added, reaching out for the near-empty bottle he had brought with him to the medical room. Andrew gave him a confused look, and Goten gave him a hearty smile in return. It didn’t seem that the translator managed to objectively interpret what he’d said. That was just as well. Goten drained the bottle till the last drop. He was starting to feel hungry and hoped that soon either Tamahi or Yereli would come and he would be able to go to the canteen for lunch.

Goten lost again. He now owed Andrew ten and Daniel five credits. He was going to go bankrupt at this rate. He was indebted to practically everyone on _Starcut_ since he couldn’t cash his credit card. He was saved from any further losses by Tamahi, who took over watching the patients.

The third-class came to the canteen late, when almost everyone else had already eaten. He had his meal and was then employed as a dishwasher. He wished they would finally acquire a mechanical one. Once, he had asked the head cook about it, and it appeared that they’d had a few in the past. One, when the ship had been maneuvering, fell over and tore all the pipes out of the wall, flooding the kitchen and other compartments. The new dishwasher choked when it was overfilled with washing powder. The maintenance technicians had cleaned it out, but then they didn’t secure it to the floor properly and it fell over just like the previous one. The crew thought it looked strange to fill in requests for dishwashers so often, and so they didn’t.

Five Humans were helping to wash the dishes and clean fish for dinner. They offered their help frequently and the head cook never refused. Goten had also heard that there were women who washed clothes for the wounded. The captain, obviously, encouraged that.

The usual Human couple was helping clean the fish. Goten had talked to them a few times and knew that they had recently married and had been returning from their honeymoon. They were happy to have both survived the ordeal and it showed: instead of moaning and mourning, they made themselves useful where they could. Goten believed that it was partly guilt for how happy they were to still have each other. In any case, he liked them.

It took one hour for all of them to ready everything for dinner. Reyn didn’t appear in the kitchen and, bored, Goten went to the training room. He found Edesha there, doing one-handed push-ups. They met each other’s eyes awkwardly. The backup captain was also there, going through a complicated range of exercises. 

Edesha stopped his push-ups and sat up. He opened his mouth, but his brain couldn’t agree on what he wanted to say, thus he closed it again. He watched Goten warming up.

“Want to spar?” the backup captain asked Goten.

Goten gave him an interested look. Goten’s usual sparring partner was Reyn, as nobody else ever volunteered and he didn’t ask them. He’d had one spar with Jadenas, but it had been a waste of time. Goten suspected that the quick outcome of his fight with Jadenas was one of the reasons nobody approached him. He and Reyn were on a different level. He had noticed, though, that Reyn did spar with his crewmates. Whether it was to amuse himself or them, Goten didn’t know.

Goten hadn’t interacted much with the backup captain. Actually, they had hardly spoken. The third-class suddenly realized that he didn’t even know the man’s name.

“Umm…” Goten said doubtfully. “Okay, sir.”

“No ki.”

“Alright, sir,” Goten agreed, taking his fighting stance.

Edesha chuckled when three seconds later the backup captain whooshed past him and hit the wall. Kandar was good at fighting, but this was going to go as it always went while sparring against Goten or Reyn. The older man had already known that before suggesting it to Goten. He must have wanted to see the difference for himself. 

“Are you okay, sir?”

“Oh, gods,” the older man shook his head in disbelief while getting to his feet, “this pup’s piss really asked me if I’m okay…”

Edesha rolled his eyes. “Yeah, he does that. Frustrating to no end.”

“Well, I can shout for you to die faster. Would you prefer that, sir?”

“You’re one cheeky bastard, aren’t you?”

Goten gave the backup captain a morose look. What the hell did people want from him? He was doing his best to be cautious. Goten watched the older man advancing. Whatever. If he wanted to be beaten up, then he was going to be beaten up. 

“That’s more like it,” Kandar said when the look on Goten’s face hardened. “Respect your opponents, you shitpiss.”

“Insults don’t really work on me, sir.”

“Really? A pity, that.”

“Liar.”

Goten turned his head to see Reyn leaning against the wall, his forearms crossed. The flight officer grinned at him. When did he enter?

Goten rolled his eyes. Surely Reyn understood that he couldn’t fight the backup captain seriously. There was just no point – the man was too slow, like all second-classes. 

He and the backup captain faced each other again. Goten blocked the man’s blow and, stepping to the left, punched the man in the side. The backup captain grabbed at his side and dropped to one knee with a loud curse. The next thing Goten knew, he was suddenly being swept off his feet. He caught himself on his hands and instantly rolled away from the other man so as to avoid a headlock. Whisking aside, he stood up, but the backup captain wasn’t going after him. He was just rubbing at his side, watching him.

“I told you not to get too cocky,” Reyn said, amused.

“I am not,” Goten protested. But he probably had been. Goten frowned at the thought. He heard Reyn laugh at his reaction.

The backup captain was first to come at him again. The third-class defended himself easily from the flurry of his attacks. He mostly avoided them by leaning away or shifting aside. It lasted for about fifteen seconds before he grabbed the older man’s hand, tugged him onward, and rammed his knee in the man’s stomach. The backup captain gasped and choked, bending forward. But before Goten could retreat, Kandar suddenly leaned away, and gaining momentum, rammed his head into the third-class’s stomach. Goten had sensed what he intended to do and tried to move backwards while lowering his arm to protect his midsection. It did the trick, but the older male’s weight forced him to the ground. 

They rolled over a few times, grappling, then Goten lost his hold on his opponent and yelped in pain as his right hand was trussed up behind his back. He had never been very good at wrestling and it was obvious that the other man was much more skilled than him. And then Goten figured out what was unusual about the backup captain – the man was incredibly good at tolerating pain. However, the knowledge had come too late.

“One more round?”

Goten shook his head in refusal. “Maybe another time.”

The backup captain offered, but it was obvious that Goten didn’t care much for a rematch. He had lost and that was it. Indeed, just as Edesha had said, their youngest crewman wasn’t very competitive. It was good, for Reyn knew that there was a great possibility that otherwise they would have already killed each other. Now, they could coexist, and, what more, it was a pleasant coexistence.

The flight officer suddenly became aware that it was still strangely silent in the hall, neither Goten nor Kandar talking. Then he took note of Goten’s red face.

“You liked that, huh?” the backup captain smirked, laughing. He twisted Goten’s forearm more firmly, grinding him harder against the floor.

“I didn’t,” Goten grunted, his face reflecting mortification. “Sir?” he added unsteadily when the backup captain showed no intention of letting him go. The third-class was aware of everyone’s eyes on him and, to his horror, it as much excited him as terrified him. He had been thinking about sex so much lately that he was unconditionally reacting to the older male’s proximity. He would probably get hard if someone punched him also.

“It seems you’re lying to me,” the backup captain chuckled. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Reyn was about to step in, so he let go of Goten’s arm and moved away. The flight officer gave him a dark look but said nothing.

Goten sat up. He was embarrassed but there was also anger in his eyes. The other man was only teasing him, and the third-class understood that, but it irked him anyway. The whole situation was irritating.

When Edesha and the backup captain left, Reyn turned his attention back to Goten. “Stop sulking, you idiot. Next time you just plant him face-first into the wall and that will take care of it.”

The younger male gave him a grim look. “I just tried. Didn’t work.”

Reyn sighed. “Do you want to have a spar with me to get that sour taste of defeat out of your mouth?” he suggested.

Goten’s treacherous mind immediately threw up a few panoramas where Reyn was giving him a blowjob. It was not what Reyn was offering, though. Still, it didn’t stop him from imagining Reyn keeping him in a headlock or pinning him down to the ground while their bodies were rubbing against each other insistently. Goten’s softening cock gave a few defiant twitches, making the third-class curse inwardly. Goten looked back at Reyn and, from the wide grin on the flight officer’s face, it was obvious he knew what kind of thoughts were whirling in the younger male’s mind.

“I’d rather you joined me in the showers instead,” Goten suggested quite shamelessly, surprising himself. It was only too obvious that he was dying for it.

Reyn didn’t think twice before accepting the invitation. “Sure.” His eyes traveled to Goten’s tented crotch. “I should go on missions more often, it seems.”

“Don’t be an asshole.”

The older male chuckled. “Can’t you just humor me?”

“I think you are pretty capable of that on your own.”

Reyn left it at that, watching Goten getting up off the floor. The younger male was embarrassed.

“Stop staring.”

“I think you like it when I do.”

“I don’t,” Goten denied, but without much conviction.

“Do you want me to walk in front of you?” Reyn asked, indicating to Goten’s crotch with his eyes.

“Yeah, that would be a big help.” 

The best way out was simply to jerk off now, in the training room. However, Reyn showed no intention of helping him out; he was obviously more interested in the prospective action in the showers. And Goten was simply too shy to initiate anything on his own. 

With Reyn walking in front of him, Goten went to his cabin, where he took a towel and a change of clothes. He had expected his arousal to subside by the time he found all he needed, but the anticipation kept him at half-mast. Despite that, he refused to allow Reyn to escort him further since now he could use clothes to cover his state and avoid upsetting elderly Human women on board. It was a mystery to Goten and most of the other crewmembers why they found naked or half-naked Saiyan bodies so offensive. As far as he had seen, there were no big differences between Human and Saiyan bodies except the tails. Was that it? The tail?

Goten’s tail made a few lazy twirls behind him while he pondered on that. Or were they afraid to be devoured? The third-class sniggered. It was true that all of them were deprived of females, but Saiyans didn’t particularly care for Human women. They would surely do willing ones, but pursuing or/and raping one hardly ever happened.

Then he wondered whether consensual copulation with a Human female could ever be rewarding. He wasn’t knowledgeable, but a Saiyan male would always have to hold back, wouldn’t he? Otherwise, the female might end up badly bruised or with a few broken ribs. His thoughts went to the prince and his mother, then to the prince’s father, probably one of the strongest men in the universe. How the hell did they do it?

And why the hell was he thinking about it?

There was also the fact to consider that Saiyan females never went for Human males. He had neither seen nor heard such a thing. It was not only their choice. Goten was pretty certain that any Human male who dared touch a Saiyan female would be silently disposed of. There was a shortage of Saiyan women, but it was more than that. It was male ego. In fact, Goten was sure that if a Human male flirted with a Saiyan female in front of him, he would probably try to usurp the female, even if he wasn’t interested in her. He wouldn’t go so far as to beat him up, but he would try to make the Human leave.

Human males, though, didn’t particularly care about their women. If a Saiyan liked one, with her consent, he could freely take her. Or if their female liked a Saiyan male, she was free to pursue him. And there were a few females on _Starcut_ who seemed to be enjoying the company of Saiyan males. Goten was certain that they didn’t mind him or the other crewmen walking around half-dressed; they would probably even prefer them to walk around naked. From time to time, he would catch them gazing at him and his friends longingly. Indeed, Goten was of opinion that, in comparison to their usually scrawny males, tall and sinewy Saiyan bodies boasted a much better view.

When Goten reached the showers, Reyn still wasn’t there. Goten thought about waiting for him, but then decided - against all odds - that he would be less self-conscious if he didn’t need to take his clothes off under Reyn’s watchful eyes. So he chose the farthest stall in the room, undressed quickly, and got under the spray.

There were three more people in the showers and the running water drowned out all sounds. Goten sensed, rather than heard, someone’s presence near him, but still gasped and jolted when his back was touched.

“Don’t do that,” he admonished Reyn, who was now grinning at his skittishness. The third-class blinked and wiped at his eyes to get the water and shampoo out of them. “Damn,” he grunted when the shampoo started stinging his eyes. He scooped up water from the flowing stream to cleanse them.

“My bad.” Reyn’s gaze slid over Goten’s bare shoulders, then darted to his crotch and rose up again. “You don’t waste time, do you?” he said, staring at Goten thoughtfully.

The other third-class shrugged. He turned away from Reyn to continue washing the shampoo out of his hair. The flight officer took off his scouter and put it together with Goten’s belongings in the container on the shower wall. He undressed and arranged his boots next to the younger man’s.

Goten tensed when two strong arms wrapped around his waist from behind. It wasn’t unexpected, in fact, it was welcomed, but he wasn’t used to that kind of closeness. Goten’s back leaned into the flight officer’s chest obediently when he was tugged from under the shower spray and into his body. He was getting hard again.

“Let’s get your ‘shower fantasy’ fulfilled,” Reyn said softly into Goten’s ear, making the other male blush furiously. “So how do you imagine doing that boy? Or is it him who does you?”

So he hadn’t forgotten the young man in the porn magazine with bent and tattered pages… Goten’s blush became so deep that his face was now the color of a boiled crayfish.

“Well?” Reyn inquired, bending his head to press his lips to Goten’s wet shoulder. He pushed the younger male deeper under the shower.

“I do him,” Goten admitted with a slight stutter. He reached out for the knob to lessen the water cascade so that now its warm flow reached only his stomach. 

“Is that so?” the other third-class drawled ponderously.

Goten said nothing, but Reyn hadn’t expected him to answer. His body was tingling with anticipation while Goten’s was taut with bewildered eagerness. Goten’s skin was damp but, even if diluted, the smell of the younger male’s arousal was clear in the air. It was most inviting.

“Say, Goten,” Reyn asked, his hands slowly running up and down the other third-class’s sides. “Wh-” He fell silent while his right palm glided over Goten’s solar plexus. Then he turned the younger male around to face him. They were almost the same height and build, which made it convenient for them to kiss. Believing that this was what Reyn wanted, Goten leaned in. The older male, though, moved his head aside. Absently, his index finger traced Goten’s collarbone. He had intended to keep quiet about it, but it was bothering him too much.

“What’s that?”

Goten lowered his head, trying to see what Reyn was pointing at. He couldn’t. But he didn’t need to as his memory suddenly supplied him with the answer to what the older male was indicating. He felt the flight officer’s fingertips circle the bruise Edesha had left.

“Must be from the spar with the backup captain.”

The expression on Reyn’s face didn’t change, but something shifted in his eyes, and Goten knew that he didn’t believe a word of what he had said. 

“Is that so?” he muttered, his hands sliding over Goten’s back and to his shoulder blades. His kneading fingers were making the sheen of dampness on Goten's skin concentrate into droplets and run down the other male’s back.

Even though Reyn tried to keep his face neutral, Goten could see that he was displeased – anger was simmering behind those dark eyes. And Goten couldn’t help feeling a sudden surge of delight washing over him.

Reyn’s eyebrows rose at the reaction. Slowly, he massaged the back of Goten’s neck. Then the flight officer used his fingers to tug at the younger male’s hair to raise his head. He looked at the other male’s flushed face. He noted how his wet hair was plastered to his head; Goten looked awfully young.

“You like it when I’m jealous?”

“Yes,” Goten admitted softly.

Reyn examined his face to make sure the other third-class wasn’t joking. “That’s good because I have a quite livid jealousy streak,” he admitted.

“That’s good.”

But was it? Goten talked shit, and he knew that, but with Reyn’s naked body pressed to him, he wasn’t interested in serious conversations; he had made his choice and wanted to finally get laid.

“Don’t let it bother you,” Goten said dismissively. “It was just a drunk moose.”

The corners of the flight officer’s lips quirked up. His finger traced the mark again. “With very sharp teeth,” he noted.

Goten opened his mouth, but nothing came out as he concentrated on something behind Reyn’s shoulder. Reyn turned his head to follow his gaze. A middle-aged Human male was staring at them, at Goten mostly, for he had previously been able to see only Reyn’s naked back. There was disdain on his face.

“Piss off, you scum!” Reyn growled.

The Human didn’t understand the words, but he retreated quickly at the clear threat in the flight officer’s voice. Surprised, Goten stared at the place the man had been a second ago. Reyn snorted in disgust.

“Umm… What was that about?”

Reyn snorted again. Goten didn’t seem to know, but many Human males had negative reactions to couples of the same sex. Saiyans could understand the distaste, but didn’t understand why it should bother the Humans so much. Nevertheless, it did, and there had been a few cases when a Saiyan male couple was ganged up upon. It was rare and usually done under the influence of alcohol or drugs since, often, it resulted in Humans being splattered around.

“Must be a new potential boyfriend of yours.”

Goten’s eyebrows rose in question, but Reyn wasn’t in the mood for explaining anything. Goten thought he would ask him later. Now he, just as Reyn, was much more interested in advancing towards the prospective sex. He turned around to shut the water off completely, then faced the other male again. He leaned forward and Reyn met him halfway, capturing his lips. The flight officer’s hands settled on the small of Goten’s back while Goten’s slid to wrap around the older man’s neck and shoulders. Goten got bold quickly, his tongue joining Reyn’s in action, making Reyn wonder if this was how Goten imagined kissing the boy from the magazine; he couldn’t believe he was getting jealous of a photo.

Sometime during the kiss Goten had started rubbing himself against Reyn. He wasn’t even aware of it as his thoughts were mostly occupied by the other third-class tongue fucking his mouth. One of Reyn’s hands had also left the small of Goten’s back and now was kneading a handful of his ass. He loved this too.

Reyn’s mouth left Goten’s lips to graze his shoulder. Reclining his head, Goten sighed contently. Reyn elicited a few more approving grunts from Goten, then raised his head to give a contemplative look to the teeth mark on Goten’s collarbone.

“Eowch!” Goten grunted when Reyn sucked at the side of his throat quite forcefully. Leaning away from the flight officer, he rubbed at his neck to soothe the bruised skin. “What are you doing?”

“Making a point.”

“Ma-? Oh. Alright.”

Reyn chuckled, amused by Goten’s meek reaction. It was obvious that he felt guilty. Good.

“So what comes after this?” Reyn asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes. His other hand slid to Goten’s backside to join the first and he squeezed firmly, mashing their lower bodies together, making the younger male gasp.

“U-usually,” Goten breathed out. “Usually, at about this time, I plaster him into the wall and fuck the shit out of him.”

“Hmm…” Reyn couldn’t help himself, leaning in to steal one more kiss from Goten. “That might appear a little bit complicated, considering the circumstances,” he said once their mouths parted again.

“What circumstances?”

_The circumstances of **me** wanting to fuck **you** into oblivion_ , Reyn thought. He said nothing, though, instead continuing to caress the younger male’s body. Goten’s skin was almost dry already, his hair not so damp anymore either. Reyn pulled a little away, leaving enough space between them so he could graze on Goten’s chest. He felt the younger third-class tense up, but he wasn’t interested in the bite mark anymore. He held Goten by his sides to steady him when he wrapped his lips around his nipple. He sucked on it lightly. It soon hardened, but nothing else happened at first, Goten not showing any reaction. Then, after a few moments of teasing it with his tongue and teeth, he felt the younger male’s forehead fall to rest against his shoulder. Goten’s soft moan right at his ear went straight to his groin. Reyn’s left hand reached out for the other nipple.

“Mmnn…” Goten moaned breathless, forgetting that there were other people in the showers. Reyn wanted to remind him, but the moan had been quiet and the running water would drown out the sounds. Besides, he rather _hoped_ the younger male would moan more. 

Goten was rubbing himself against Reyn while the man was tweaking his right nipple between his fingers. He gasped again when Reyn let go of it and rolled it under his palm. His breathing was becoming shallower. He was aware that Reyn was no less aroused, the man’s heavy erection pressing against his.

It took time for the flight officer to notice that, while he had carelessly been playing with the other man’s nipples, Goten had pushed him against the wall. The younger male had probably done it unconsciously, but now was holding him pressed to the wall, rubbing against him, gauging his reaction from under half-lidded eyes. Overtaken by a sudden impulse, Reyn grabbed him by the back of his head and smashed their lips together. Goten could feel the older male grinning against his mouth, but didn’t know what it was about and, at the moment, wasn’t too much interested. Reyn was caressing his back, his own hips now undulating against Goten’s.

All of it felt incredibly good and Goten wasn’t aware that the hand that had previously been groping his backside had returned and was now dangerously close to the crack. Goten’s eyes shot open, widening at the feel of something slick sliding into his ass. He grunted in discomfort, but the finger didn’t even falter and slipped all the way in. So this was what the bastard had been grinning about.

“Don’t tense up like that,” Reyn whispered into Goten’s ear, biting on his earlobe. He withdrew his finger from the younger male almost completely, then pushed it back in. Goten grunted again. Reyn paid him no attention, withdrew his digit, added one more, and thrust them back in.

“It feels strange, doesn’t it?” Reyn asked, his left arm wrapping around Goten’s shoulders and back more firmly, to keep Goten in place when the younger male tried to shift away from him. He scissored his fingers inside the other man. He pushed his digits upwards and, in response, Goten’s body rose upwards as well, now standing on tiptoes. Reyn had expected that and simply changed their positions: he pushed Goten away from himself, turned him around, planted his palm on the younger male’s back, bent him forward, and set his left foot in front of Goten’s so as to prevent him from flattening himself against the shower wall. He moved Goten’s tail out of his way and pushed his fingers back into the man.

Certainly, Goten could have protested the handling or fought him, but he did neither. He had seen it being done to others plenty of times. He was still uncertain but, even if it didn’t feel pleasant, it didn’t hurt either. Reyn’s fingers pushed in and out of him in an irregular pattern, then they touched his prostate, spreading warmth inside him.

“Found it,” Reyn stated while following Goten’s reactions.

Goten’s nod was hardly discernible.

It had started to feel good now, every rub and touch inside him making the warmth swell throughout his body and concentrate in his cock. Soon, he could only think about those fingers pushing in and out of him. In only a few minutes, Reyn had him rocking up and down on them. 

It was obvious to the flight officer that Goten was going to come soon – earlier, he had planted his palms on the shower wall in front of him in order to support himself, and now his back was arched. His head was turned to the side while he was stifling his occasional moans. Goten reached down for his heavy cock, but Reyn brushed his hand aside, taking on the task himself.

“Umhn!” Goten gasped when Reyn’s fingers wrapped around him.

It took enormous self-control on Reyn’s part not to spear Goten onto his cock right then and there. He would have tried, in fact, if he had been certain of the younger male’s reaction. As it was now, his fingers pistoned in and out of Goten’s ass, his fist pumping him in the front.

Goten came with a soft grunt. His eyelids quivered while his back straightened. Pearly drops shot past the flight officer’s fingers and spattered the shower wall in short intervals. Reyn continued to stroke him to prolong his orgasm. 

“Mnnn,” Goten hummed, turning around when he was able to think again. He leaned against the wall. Reyn, aware that by doing so Goten had smeared his seed all over his backside and sides, tugged him off it. The satisfied, dreamy look on Goten’s face made him look even younger than he was. His cheeks were flushed and his lips were puffy from the earlier kisses. He wrapped his arms around Reyn’s shoulders and drew him close for yet another sloppy kiss.

Reyn quickly broke the kiss and pushed himself away from the younger male. He forced a laugh. “So I gather you liked that?”

Goten gave him a content grin and nodded. “Uh-huh.” It took him a few moments to figure out why Reyn had moved away from him. The throbbing length pressed against Reyn’s stomach had to be most uncomfortable, as his had just been. 

“I think I owe you a blowjob,” Goten said a little uncertain.

“I’d be most grateful if you returned your debt right now.”

“Sure.”

Goten maneuvered them so that now the flight officer was the one leaning against the same wall he had come against a minute ago, then squatted down in front of him. He ran his hands down Reyn’s thighs, feeling the skin's texture and the muscle underneath. Holding onto the older man’s hips, he concentrated on the jutting length.

Reyn saw Goten’s tongue sneak out to touch the hot skin at its base. The lick was tentative, just as it had been the first time. Reyn watched him curiously, the other male’s indecision fueling his arousal even more. If one didn’t count the previous attempt at a blowjob, it was painfully obvious that Goten was doing this for the first time. Reyn could see that Goten was a tad troubled by his engorged erection. 

“You don’t have to do it,” the flight officer said, even though he would have liked nothing better than to shove Goten’s head forward and fuck his mouth until he came.

“I want to,” Goten said with defiance in his voice. He still seemed reluctant, but then, with resolution, he bent his head and his swollen lips wrapped around the leaking head. He closed his eyes so as not to stare at the other man’s pubic hair and tried sucking. Soon he took more of the length into his mouth. Reyn rewarded his efforts by playfully ruffling his hair and stroking his scalp.

It took Goten about a minute to figure out what Reyn enjoyed most. It appeared that it was practically the same what he had enjoyed when the older male had done it to him. He just had to bob his head up and down, keep it wet and slippery, and not forget to use his free hand to both stimulate the part of the erection his mouth couldn’t reach and gently rub the balls. 

It wasn’t easy, to do all that at once and, at the same time, avoid scraping the tender skin with his teeth. Reyn also liked watching him, too. Goten kept blushing when their eyes met and either closed them or tried to look away. 

The musk was strong, even stronger than he had expected, but soon Goten found out that, instead of being repulsed by it, he was excited. Combined with the lingering smell of his own come, it was making a strange but very arousing blend. He moved his head back and forth while Reyn kept a hold of his hair. He didn’t try to regulate the depth, about which Goten was glad.

Nonetheless, at some point, when Reyn was nearing his climax, he had to restrain the flight officer’s hips as he started forcefully pushing into his mouth, choking him. From that point on, it didn’t take long for the older man to come. He pulled Goten’s head away and aside as his orgasm rushed over him.

Goten kept on stroking him to prolong his pleasure, just as Reyn had done for him. Once the flight officer’s shoulders relaxed and he opened his eyes, Goten gave him a questioning look, inquiring for the assessment of his hard work. Laughing softly at his eagerness, Reyn wrapped his fingers around the back of Goten’s neck and maneuvered him up to his feet. He drew his head close for a kiss. The younger male faltered and turned his head aside. Reyn, however, forced it back and kissed him fully on the mouth, surprising Goten by not being revolted at all. It was a form of thanks and a reward and Goten accepted it.

They broke the kiss when Reyn noticed goosebumps on Goten’s legs from the cold water on the bottom of the shower stall. He also took note of the younger man’s reddish knees. Reyn maneuvered them closer to the shower head and turned on the water. When Goten yelped and pushed them from under the fountain of ice-cold water, he realized that his thinking capacity had been reduced to a three-year-old’s. His brain seemed to turn into mush when with Goten. Alarming.

Chuckling, Reyn pressed his lips to Goten’s temple. “Sorry.”

Gradually, the spray turned warm and Reyn maneuvered them back under the shower. Goten warmed up quickly, and Reyn reached for the sponges in the container against the wall. He grimaced at the slimy feel and groped around. He retrieved the universal washing liquid. The sides of the plastic bottle were smeared with colorless texture. Goten stared at the bottle. So this was what Reyn had used for lubricant. 

“Oh, fucking hell,” Reyn said remembering that he had put his scouter in there. He shoved the bottle into Goten’s hands and groped around in the container. Quietly, he retrieved the dripping scouter out of the container. “I fucked it up,” he said, staring at it morosely. It was blinking haphazardly, showing bizarre hieroglyphs and signs.

“How much does it cost?” Goten asked immediately, alarm clear in his voice. 

The flight officer looked at him strangely. It was not the first time that he had noticed that money seemed to be Goten’s sore spot. “I have no idea,” Reyn said. He tossed the useless scouter further into the shower room and onto the floor. He had been in such a hurry to lay his hands on Goten that hadn’t capped the bottle properly and it had fallen over and spilled. Served him right. 

Reyn retrieved the sponges, then took a look at their uniforms. Goten’s was fine as it had been on the very bottom of the container, but his own had random circular blotches of wetness. He hung both of their uniforms on the corner of the shower stall wall. Goten gave the wall a mistrustful look – it was probably all wet.

They had intended to wash themselves quickly, but the shower had turned into a prolonged massage session. Reyn had ended up washing not only himself but Goten as well. By the time he had finished rubbing Goten dry with his towel, both of them were aroused again. It was obvious that Goten was positively interested in taking the activities further, but Reyn was planning for more than that.

“Tonight, in your cabin,” Reyn promised Goten when the younger male started drying him with the towel. Goten was bent on returning the favor as good as he had gotten it. Goten looked a bit disappointed when the flight officer took the towel from him and continued drying himself on his own.

“Shall I talk to Edesha, then?” Goten asked.

“Nah, I will do it – I intended to have a talk with him anyway.”

It became apparent to Goten that Reyn had a pretty clear idea who had left those teeth marks on his collarbone. “Um,” he hummed, being not capable of saying anything more.

ooOoOoOoo

“I’ve got business with you,” Reyn announced as soon as he entered Goten and Edesha’s cabin.

Edesha sat up straighter in his chair. He could bet he knew what kind of business it was; he had been careless. “Yes?”

Reyn’s index fingers pointed at his collarbone where they drew a circle. “This. Are you trying to mark him?”

Edesha cursed inwardly. Reyn had misunderstood. Well, not quite. It was pointless to deny, though. The soldier shook his head. “No, I’m not. It was just an accident.”

Reyn was giving him a sharp look. “I thought we had an understanding?”

“Oh, we still do: I understand that you want him, and you understand that I want him, too.”

The flight officer’s eyebrows rose a fraction. Edesha was openly challenging him. “He’s mine.”

Edesha chuckled. He shook his head. “He isn’t yours. As far as I know, he isn’t anyone’s.”

“I’m working on that.”

“I’m working on that, too.”

Reyn gave his friend a grim smile. Edesha returned it. He was too stunned to move when Reyn’s hand suddenly shot out to grab him by the front of his shirt. His body left the chair almost by itself, his back suddenly hitting the wall painfully, Reyn’s forearm pressing against his neck to keep him in place. His feet dangling a few centimeters above the floor, he stared at Reyn. He had made it seem so simple and easy, holding him in place effortlessly.

“Then I suggest you _stop_ working on that,” Reyn warned him.

Reyn wasn’t pissed off, he was just making a point. They stared at each other for some time, then Edesha nodded. He had already decided to leave Goten alone beforehand. He had simply been interested in what Reyn’s reaction to a rival would be. He had never seen Reyn going after someone. It appeared that he was incredibly assertive. Edesha had no doubt that, if he continued to court Goten, Reyn would openly challenge him to a fight for the younger male. And the duel would end up with more than a few broken bones; Reyn had a nasty streak once crossed.

“You don’t need to worry,” Edesha said after the flight officer had let go of him. He rubbed his bruised throat. “I was drunk.”

“That’s not a valid excuse. Next time I see you attempt something, I’ll beat the crap out of you.”

“What about him? What if it’s him who attempts something? Will you beat the crap out of him, too?”

“What the hell are you implying here? I’ve never been violent with my partners. And even if I were, beating Goten would never work; he would fight back.”

“Yeah, fight back and then leave you in a blink.” Edesha shrugged. He flopped back onto his chair. “Well, you have my promise.” He gave Reyn a look. “Actually, he’s already devoted to you.”

Reyn sat down on Edesha’s bed. “He’s just using me as an excuse.”

“Hmm? Why are you so sure?”

The flight officer looked over at Goten’s unmade bed; Edesha’s scruffiness was rubbing off on the third-class, it seemed. “I just am.”

“He’s been incredibly turned on lately, agitated even. He’s practically reeking of it,” Edesha pointed out casually. “Even the spar with…”

“Yes, I’ve noticed.”

Reyn considered what he should say in answer to Edesha’s questioning look. In short, Edesha was asking why Goten had suddenly become so sexually oriented. Reyn was reluctant to share his discoveries since he felt possessive of Goten. On the other hand, he didn’t think there was any harm in it.

“He’s a virgin.”

For a moment, Edesha was astonished. “Seriously? How old is he, again?”

“Yeah, seriously. And he’s quite self-conscious about it.”

“Huh. Why? Is there something wrong with him?”

“No, I don’t think so. He seems perfectly normal to me. It’s just that he’s a late bloomer. He’s probably been ridiculed about it, too. You know how schools are.”

“Huh. You don’t say…” Then a large grin stretched over Edesha’s face. “So now he’s discovered the pleasures of the flesh. And he’s hooked.”

“You could say that.”

“I see. That makes sense now. And I was already thinking he’d overdosed on something.”

“Anyway, I would be grateful to you for all eternity if you could just disappear from this cabin for tonight.”

Edesha grinned at him. “Well, that’s just downright insulting.”

“Yeah. Just go to my cabin or something. Just make sure not to scare the Human kid.”

“So in addition to being tossed out of my cabin, I am also to be a nanny? Reyn, man, you will owe me a month’s pay.”

“A day’s.”

“Deal.”

TBC


	43. Part 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> A/N: **_Starcut’s crew members_** :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain - (Kandar)  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician – (Landan)  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 43

Adriel was humming softly to himself while inserting the preliminary data of tomorrow’s coordinates into the main terminal. A strange shimmer attracted his attention to the front screen of the captain’s bridge and he raised his head. He leaned forward in his chair when the main screen flickered. The starry view shuddered a few more times, then disappeared altogether, and Adriel was left staring at a blue display with a few icons.

“The hell?” Sildara muttered in shock from the other side of the captain’s bridge.

Alarmed, the officers stared at the main screen where a mouse cursor circled a few icons indecisively, then settled on one named “Knight Fighter”. The loading screen appeared, then a saved game was chosen and loaded.

“What the hell?” Sildara repeated while a longhaired character of the female persuasion was seen running through fields on _Starcut’s_ main screen. Loud music was blasting through the speakers.

“Umm… Someone’s playing a video game,” Monteira drawled, blinking.

“No shit?” Adriel snickered. He turned to the programmer, whose fingers were already flying over the keyboard, inserting instructions, checking. “Rokunda, where’s the signal coming from?”

In a few moments, the programmer pointed at Adriel’s terminal. “Ish yoursh.”

“But I’m not using mine.”

“Ish noush. Chekish againsh.”

“Is this an attack?” the captain asked Rokunda. “Sabotage?”

The programmer shrugged. “Itsh not doingsh anysingsh.”

“A prank, then?” Monteira suggested.

Adriel turned away from Rokunda to watch the female character, dressed in a variation of Saiyan armor, jumping around, shooting a laser gun all over the place. The noise was booming, and the captain walked over to the screen to regulate the sound. The character was so awkwardly controlled that she kept running into the walls and occasionally injured herself with her own ki-blasts.

“Clumsy as hell, but at least nice to look at,” Sildara commented. “What?” he asked when Rokunda gave his terminal a suspicious look. “Mine’s not even on!” 

“Mmhmm…” Rokunda hummed, restarting the tracking program for the third time.

“Seriously?” Adriel muttered, incredulous that Rokunda was taking her time in finding the signal source.

It took fifteen minutes for Rokunda to finally jam the intrusive signal and restore the usual view to the screen. Everyone on the captain’s bridge exhaled in relief.

“Okay, I’m conducting an investigation,” Sildara said, standing up.

Adriel rolled his eyes. “Do you believe you’ll find the culprit just by taking a look at their computer screen?”

“No. But I was getting bored anyway.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s a perfectly valid reason.”

“Why don’t you join him, Monteira?” the captain suggested. “You were about to take a nap on Sildara’s desk anyway.”

The gunnery sergeant grunted. “Just great.”

“Yeah, isn’t it?” quipped Adriel.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten got bored with the game quickly. The reason he was still playing was that the heroine’s big boobs bounced all over the place every time he made her jump. She also had a perfectly shaped ass.

“Okay, turn this way,” Goten muttered an instruction after having chased the heroine up an extremely high cliff. “Now, off we go!” He nearly squealed in delight, pushing the ‘jump’ button repeatedly. The wobbly boobs filled the screen with all their splendid glory. A loud wet splash followed when she splattered onto the ground. Goten pursed his lips. “And one more time,” he said happily, loading one of the saves.

He finally quit the game forty minutes later, when he was done making her jump off a cliff twice, drown three times, and then – his most recent discovery – visit an in-game brothel. He had been utterly thrilled to watch her have sex with the whores. The gasps and moans were an additional bonus. He made her choose males the first time and then went for a female. Hot.

The third-class circled a few icons, but his interest was on a particular icon on the right, in the very corner of the screen. He still wasn’t certain how he had made the terminal work, but it probably had to do with his newly discovered switch a day or so ago. Now the pointer hovered right above the yellow icon, and Goten felt his pulse speed up. He moved the pointer away and leaned back in his chair, away from temptation. He hummed under his breath, then stood up and went to the wardrobe. He started looking for the cookbook.

The phone number was still there, in the same place he had seen it last. Without really being aware of what he was doing, Goten took it out from between the pages and, absentmindedly, started reading the recipe for “Trout with Carrot and Celery Garnish”. He read up to the seventh line, then caught himself and raised his eyes to the slip of paper he was holding. Then he realized that he didn’t even need it – he already knew the number by heart. 

Goten covered the “Trout with Carrot and Celery Garnish” with the paper slip again and closed the cookbook. He returned to the desk and took his place in front of the terminal again. He lowered the book onto the desk and gazed at its cover. The bluish light from the screen illuminating his face gave him an eerie look. He thought that, when Kyon had given him this book, he had never ever imagined the prince getting his hands on it. If he had known, he would probably have burnt it instead if giving it to him.

The third-class flipped the cover open to read through the words there again. It was probably the hundredth time as he was reading them. He had spent over a month on _Starcut_ but, despite his doubts and Reyn’s remarks, the words had never lost their impact on him. He raised his eyes back to the yellow icon on the screen. The more he thought about it, the more stressed he got. 

Goten nearly started when a box asking for a phone number whooshed forward on the screen. He didn’t even remember clicking the icon. He blinked at it a few times, chewed on his lower lip, and started entering the number. It could be that it was fake, or not valid anymore. It could be a practical joke the prince had played on him.

The third-class hesitated only a second before typing his credit card number into the box which had popped up after he had entered the phone number. He was going to go bankrupt. But his call would probably never get through anyway. He clicked on “connect”. For a few minutes, he did nothing, just listen to the silent beeping while he was first connected to Otahra Station and then further down the line to other stations and then all the way to wherever the phone attached to that number was. Finally, there was a click and another kind of beeping started. It sounded demanding to Goten’s ears and he tapped his fingers on the recipe book. He was in panic. He had no idea what he would say if the call was actually picked up. Something jarred in the loudspeakers and Goten panicked even more.

“Yes?”

The third-class jerked in his seat, his eyes suddenly going wide in shock. He knew the voice perfectly, would recognize it anywhere, anytime. He sat hushed, afraid to even move.

“Hello?”

Goten’s mouth was so dry that even if he would have tried to speak, he would have only let out a pathetic peep. He tried to swallow, the sound deafening in his ears.

“Goten, is that you?”

Goten slammed his hands on all the buttons he could reach. The signal hissed, squeaked, and the line went flat. The third-class stared at the screen. He waited for some time to reassure himself that he had indeed been disconnected, then heaved a sigh of relief. He looked at the clock above the door. The call had only lasted about ten seconds, but to Goten it had seemed like all eternity.

What the hell had he been thinking?

An even more interesting question was why the shaii knew that it was him right away. Maybe it was just a wild guess. Which made it even more awesome. Goten felt he was grinning like an idiot and straightened his face at once. He couldn’t help feeling giddy, though. Moaning, he slapped himself on his forehead. He turned off the computer and even crawled under the desk/table to flip the switch off.

What the hell had he been thinking?

ooOoOoOoo

It was late in the evening when Reyn came to Goten and Edesha’s cabin. Just as the flight officer had asked, Edesha and he had switched cabins for the night. Goten, who had been sitting in the chair in front of his bed, jumped to his feet. He seemed to be a little bit nervous, skittish even. The tip of his tail was twitching. Reyn found it endearing. He turned around and punched in the code, locking the door behind him, making sure nobody disturbed them. He heard Goten’s nervous chuckle.

“You looked much more eager just a few hours ago,” Reyn noted.

“Weeeell,” Goten drawled, “I still am.”

The flight officer gave him a lopsided grin. “That’s a relief.” He looked around the cabin, taking in its clean state. Goten had cleaned it for tonight. That was nice of him. Then Reyn’s eyes fell on the recipe book lying on the desk. The damn cookbook was right in front of the terminal.

“Gmh,” Goten cleared his throat when he noticed where the flight officer’s eyes lingered. “I thought of suggesting a few recipes for tomorrow’s lunch. Trout with carrot and celery garnish sounded heavenly.”

Reyn looked at the younger man, noting how his eyes shifted. It would have been convincing if he hadn’t known that it was a complete and utter lie. He hadn’t expected Goten to give up on those empty hopes so fast, but this was dispiriting, taunting even. Why had Goten left the book where he could see?

Goten felt like slamming his head through one of _Starcut’s_ metal walls. How could have he forgotten to put away that damn book?! What the hell was wrong with him? He felt both relieved and embarrassed when Reyn didn’t comment on his words. It was only too obvious that the flight officer knew the truth.

Reyn crossed the cabin to where Goten stood. The younger male seemed guilty, and Edesha’s words that Goten didn’t belong to him floated in Reyn’s thoughts. He was going to change that, though. Hopefully, Goten would be willing to assist.

They stood against each other in awkward silence, then Goten stepped in the direction of his bed and flopped onto it. That was a blatant way of showing initiative and pointing out that he hadn’t changed his mind. Reyn followed Goten and sat down next to him on the edge of the bed. Goten’s scent wafted from all around the bedding, surrounding them. It made Reyn more eager than he had ever been in years.

It was kind of late and silly, but the flight officer felt like asking the younger man whether he was sure about this. Goten liked him, he knew that much, but those theoretical boyfriends bothered him. He didn’t ask, though – he wasn’t going to give up Goten just because of two indecisive morons. Instead, he turned toward Goten and raised his arms, unbuttoning the other third-class’s jacket. Goten’s tails unwound from his waist and slid away to rest behind him on the bed. Goten’s eyes were on him, watching his fingers threading the buttons through the holes. 

The flight officer’s fingers worked down Goten’s jacket, then parted it, revealing a smooth, powerfully built chest. There was a round bruise on the side of the younger man’s neck. Reyn found the sight of the marking satisfactory. He leaned forward to press his mouth against the younger man’s while his hands slid over the exposed skin. Sitting almost side to side – like they were – wasn’t a very comfortable position to kiss, so Goten bent his left knee and turned his body to Reyn’s. He moved his left leg sideways, onto the bed, the boot sticking out so as not to dirty the covers. He shivered when Reyn’s hands left his chest, slid over his sides and then up his shoulder blades, almost up to his nape. They kissed until both of them were breathless.

Goten had that look of arousal in his hooded eyes again, which made Reyn want to throw the younger male on his back and have his way with him. Instead, he took it slow. Leaning in to plant unhurried and soft kisses on his lips, he started unlacing the other third-class’s left shoe. Obviously, Goten found this funny since he grinned and his hands dove for the flight officer’s belt. Reyn thought that maybe he was taking this too slow, after all; it was not as if Goten was a virgin maid.

The younger man gasped when he was suddenly pushed onto his back. With his bent legs drooping over the edge of the bed, Goten stared up at Reyn. The other man was leaning over him, not quite pressing him down into the bedding, but close to that. Then Goten realized that Reyn was gauging his reaction. With a chuckle, he lifted his arms to wrap them around the older man and drew him into a kiss to show that he was perfectly alright with everything he had to suggest. He could feel Reyn harden against his thigh. He knew the other man could also tell the same about him.

Goten felt Reyn’s fingers groping around his midsection, then they slid further south to fumble with his belt. He felt a tug when Reyn threaded it out of its clasp. Then he went for the button and soon the sound of a zipper being pulled down was heard. Goten bucked involuntarily when Reyn’s hands slid inside his underwear and took hold of him.

The younger man felt a little nervous but, in fact, that only added to the excitement. Besides, it was Reyn who was the more experienced of the two of them, so he bore more responsibility as well. Goten wasn’t certain how much Reyn knew about him, but he found it natural for the older man to take the lead. Goten also hoped that Reyn had a condom. He had one too, from the base. He didn’t know how, but one day it had appeared in the pocket of his trousers. He could only guess that it had been Toharu’s courtesy. Or maybe Ranvera’s, or one of his roommates. It was hard to tell, but it was probably best not to use such a randomly materializing condom.

The flight officer was stroking him, his hand moving up and down unhurriedly. The intensity in his eyes made Goten blush and close his own. He tightened his arms around Reyn’s back and pulled him even closer. He sought the older man’s mouth again and Reyn answered eagerly. So as not to feel indebted, Goten moved his right hand down in between them to finish undoing the flight officer’s trousers. While working, his hand kept bumping into Reyn’s until the flight officer let go of him and shifted sideways to get out of his underwear and trousers.

Goten lifted himself on his elbows, watching the process curiously. His view was somewhat obstructed by his jutting cock straining upwards. At this point, Goten discovered that he was hardly embarrassed. There wasn’t much point in that – especially not then, while he was hungrily gawking at Reyn getting out of his underwear. The older man’s tail uncurled from around his waist and, instinctively, Goten found himself following the brown silky appendage with his eyes. His fingers itched to touch it. Bed was perhaps the only place where he could be allowed such a luxury.

Unaware of Goten’s gaze, the flight officer shifted to the edge of the bed, pulled his boots off, and then finally got rid of his trousers. His jacket was still fully buttoned, which made the younger man wish he had taken care of that disruptive garment earlier.

The flight officer pulled Goten’s left boot off, then started unlacing the right one. There was a peculiar tremble to his fingers, indicating to how impatient he was. The younger male found the idea that he could affect Reyn this way arousing. 

When Reyn was moving back onto the bed, Goten spread his legs to let him crawl in between. It had been an innocent act, trying to save space since the bed was too narrow for two. A soft tinge of red colored his face when he realized how Reyn took it. He didn’t have enough time to dwell on it, though, as the flight officer’s palm slid over his chest. The caress didn’t have as much effect as Reyn’s gaze had. Goten felt his pulse speed up under those dark, intent eyes. He left out a soft sigh as Reyn’s lips touched his stomach, their eye-contact breaking. 

Ignoring the jutting length, the flight officer kissed his way up Goten’s stomach and to his chest. All the while, his fingers continued playing with Goten’s left nipple. The bud was as hard as a pebble now. He could feel how taut the younger man’s muscles were. He reached down in between their entangled legs and unhurriedly drew his palm over the inside of Goten’s thigh, all the way up to his crotch. It was all just foreplay and he hadn’t been trying to part Goten’s legs wider but, as he cupped Goten’s testicles, the younger man instinctively spread his thighs further apart to give him better access.

Reyn ran his left hand over Goten’s side, then over his stomach. The younger man reached out and caught him by his collar. The flight officer shifted, trying to lower his head, but Goten didn’t let go, instead tugging at his collar with both hands.

Reyn gave him a quizzical look. “Are you trying to strangle me?”

Goten let out a short breathless giggle which sounded somewhat nervous. “Not until we fuck.” He tugged Reyn up even more, until the older man was almost lying on top of him. Then he started to methodically unbutton Reyn’s shirt. 

The flight officer grinned at him. “’s been bothering you?”

Goten said nothing, but it was obvious anyway. He let go of Reyn’s shirt only when he was done unbuttoning it. The flight officer leaned away and shrugged it off. He was now kneeling in between the other third-class’s legs. He wasn’t surprised at all when Goten sat up. Even if eager and willing, Goten wanted to feel of equal standing with him. It was only natural.

Reyn’s hand settled on the younger male’s nape and he drew him in for a kiss. He felt Goten’s arms wrapping around his shoulders, stroking his shoulder blades. When they broke apart, flushed and breathless, Goten’s mouth attached itself to Reyn’s neck. He nibbled and sucked while his hands caressed the flight officer’s back. He had shifted closer, trying to feel more of Reyn, but their position didn’t allow for that. 

When Goten started squirming, Reyn realized that he intended to move into a kneeling position, just as he was. He pressed his hands against Goten’s sides to hold him down. The other man pushed at him, but Reyn leaned forward to bodily manhandle him back down onto the bed. That earned him a not-too-friendly growl. So that was it. In fact, he had been rather surprised that Goten had allowed him to go this far.

Reyn was rubbing himself against Goten’s crotch while holding him down. As much as the younger male liked it, he was struggling to push him off to gain more control. Reyn doubted Goten was even aware of what he was trying to do. Their hips were moving in sync, soft, satisfied grunts were leaving the younger man’s mouth, but he was desperately trying to sit up. It wasn’t that Goten was attempting to push him away, Reyn knew he wasn’t. Just as he knew that he could easily make Goten submit, since he was physically stronger than the inexperienced youth. That, however, would not end well in the long run.

Panting, Goten stared up at Reyn. It felt incredibly good to feel their cocks rubbing against each other. The other man’s scent was clouding his head. Lust was coursing through his body like hot red flame, but the discontentment he felt continued to grow and he couldn’t understand where it was coming from. Then he realized he was growling. Stunned, he stilled the sound.

“It’s fine,” Reyn said, sucking on Goten’s left earlobe. He rolled his hips again. “I’ll let you do me next time.”

“Will you?” Again, Goten was surprised at how rough his voice sounded – almost like a growl.

“Sure.”

There was something in the other man’s eyes that made Goten think that it wasn’t going to be as easy as he made it sound, but he knew that Reyn would keep his word. And then Goten suddenly felt most of the aggression bleed out of his body. He wasn’t even certain why it had accumulated in the first place.

Now Goten was pliant under him and the flight officer’s mouth pressed against his lips to award him with an earth-shattering kiss. He still couldn’t quite believe that the younger man had given in so easily. Not too competitive, really. But that was their only saving grace. Goten’s arms wrapped around his back again. There was an urgent feeling to Goten’s caresses this time and, planting one more kiss on Goten’s chest, Reyn leaned away.

Goten watched him bend over the side of the bed. Again, his eyes automatically followed the arch of Reyn’s tail. He thought about reaching for it but, as if on cue, it moved sideways, away from him. Goten strained his ears, but his pounding heart covered all sounds he might have heard otherwise. He raised himself on his elbows to see the flight officer ransacking his trousers. He soon retrieved a shiny packet of condoms and a bottle of the same universal washing liquid he had spilled in the showers. One would think he would be more prepared. Goten laughed softly. Then he thought that the same could be said about him. He didn’t even have that.

“What?” Reyn asked quizzically, lowering his supplies onto the bed.

“Nah, nothing.”

Wondering about the best way to proceed, the flight officer looked at Goten. He took the packet of condoms, tore it open, and took one out. The other third-class was watching him curiously, anticipation clear in his eyes. Reyn didn’t see the need for a condom since he was certain that he himself didn’t carry anything – his last sexual encounter was more than a year ago and he had always been picky about his partners. Goten was a virgin and was just fresh out of the shower. Hence the condom was mainly for Goten’s mental comfort.

The other third-class watched him press the condom to the top of his cock and then roll it down until all of it was covered in latex. This was the first time he had seen it done in real life. The flight officer stroked himself a few times, smoothing out possible creases and air bubbles, then raised his head to look at him.

Reyn thought of simply asking how Goten wanted it – on his knees or on his back, but then thought better of it – Goten probably had no idea how he wanted it. Instead, Reyn took the bottle of the universal washing liquid and crawled in between the younger male’s legs. Goten was still leaning on his elbows, his eyes following every movement.

“Raise your hips a little,” Reyn said, uncapping the bottle.

Goten shifted on the bed, bending his knees. Reyn poured some liquid onto his fingers and rubbed them together to warm it up. Goten was still hard and willingly spread his legs apart even more when the flight officer reached out between them.

When a slick finger slid inside him, it felt odd again, but Goten remembered how much pleasure he had received in the showers. It went deeper and he tensed as it brushed over his prostate. Reyn noticed his bodily reaction and continued stimulating the gland with firm rubs.

With warmth spreading inside him, Goten’s hips rose to give the flight officer better access. Reyn pushed two fingers inside and Goten reclined his head deeper into the pillow. The younger man had closed his eyes, was grunting softly every time the fingers slid over his prostate, making Reyn want to tease and pleasure Goten until he could no longer resist. Until he started shouting in bliss so loudly that everyone on Starcut could hear him. Cutting off that trail of thought, he added a third finger. Even if Goten wasn’t skittish, that still might be too elaborate for one’s first time. 

Reyn stretched Goten until he could no longer feel any resistance from the younger male. Then he pulled his fingers out. The other third-class’s eyes blinked open and concentrated on him. The flight officer was holding the bottle of universal liquid again. He squeezed a generous amount out into his hands and wrapped it around his coated member to give it a few strokes. Goten swallowed loudly in anticipation.

“It would probably be better if you turned around and got onto your knees,” Reyn said softly. It was a very vulnerable position and he saw Goten hesitate. But that took only a few seconds and then the younger man was moving, pulling away and turning around. He got onto his hands and knees, but obviously found this embarrassing since his ears were red.

Behind him, Reyn moved in closer. His hand pushed against Goten’s left thigh, indicating to him to spread his legs further apart to make him more room. Then he ran his left hand over Goten’s back. It was a soothing caress and Goten’s ears reddened even more. He tensed when he felt Reyn’s fingers touch his tail near the base, but they only moved it aside, out of his way. He exhaled when he felt Reyn’s weight press against his back. The flight officer’s hips pressed against his backside, rubbing against it slowly. Goten could feel the slickness of the universal liquid spreading over his butt cheeks. A hard rod was pressing between them, enticing him and at the same time making him anxious.

Still caressing Goten’s back and shoulders, Reyn wrapped his right hand around Goten’s member. It had softened somewhat and he stroked languidly until it was brought to its previous hardness. He soon had the younger male panting softly, his hips bucking against his unconsciously.

Reyn let go and moved slightly backwards and, spreading apart Goten’s cheeks, positioned himself over the younger man’s opening. The skin around his anus was tender, a little more reddish than usual from all the fingering Goten had received in the showers and just now. He was going to be sore, very sore in the morning.

“It’s going to feel strange in the beginning.” That was all the warning he gave Goten before pushing forward, breaching him. The younger male gasped and tried to move away from the unpleasant invasion, almost making the length slip out of him. Reyn’s grip on Goten’s hip tightened to keep him in place and he pushed further in. The muscles were taut on Goten’s back, straining. 

“Breathe. Just breathe.” 

Then Reyn got the impression that Goten was not as much in pain as there was some conflict taking place in his mind. He pushed again, impaling him further. Goten was trembling slightly, then leaned forward, dropping his upper body onto the pillow with a shaky sigh. He felt his asshole was stretched almost to impossibility.

“Fuck.”

Reyn found himself nodding in agreement. “Yeah.” He was all the way in now and could feel the muscles around him clenching and unclenching spasmodically. He could see fistfuls of sheets between Goten’s fingers. He reached forward to wrap his hand around the younger male’s member. It had softened again. Goten’s back tensed when he started stroking it.

“Is it really bad?”

Goten hesitated at first, then shook his head wordlessly. Reyn figured the pause was due to uncertainty about what “really bad” was. However, Reyn didn’t think that it was “really bad” either – there was enough lubrication and Goten didn’t feel too tight – he had glided inside him pretty easily. Most of Goten’s discomfort was simply from how strange it felt. It would have been better if Goten had tried to play with his ass while masturbating. On the other hand, it was more exciting for them both this way.

The other third-class wasn’t the first virgin he had bedded and Goten was taking it much better than Lafir had. There was a kind of businesslike approach Goten had to all of this. He liked that. Certainly, Goten felt much discomfort, but it was going leave soon. He had to simply be more patient and wait for it.

Straining not to move, Reyn stroked Goten’s cock and waited until he felt Goten relax, the restriction around him lessening, his fists unclenching to let go of the sheets. He was hard again, grunting softly with the strokes of his hand. Goten didn’t say anything, but bucked his hips to show that he was ready. Reyn pulled backwards just a fraction and Goten clawed at the sheets again. He thrust back in, making Goten grunt. He repeated that a few times, until the younger male seemed to get used to the inward and outward friction inside him.

Reyn pulled out, found the universal liquid bottle, rubbed more of it over himself, then poured more of it over Goten’s crease. The younger male shivered at the coolness on his skin. The flight officer capped and tossed the bottle aside. Goten let out a soft sigh when he was entered again. His muscles were already relaxed. He still felt stretched, but it didn’t feel anymore as if he was going to be torn apart at any second.

Reyn concentrated on setting a slow rhythm they both were comfortable with. He reached out to stroke Goten, then abandoned the thought – Goten would come way too fast if he did that. The youth had probably figured it out as well since he wasn’t touching himself.

At some point, the flight officer realized that Goten was meeting his thrusts. This was a sign that Goten could probably take anything he dished out now. He thrust harder, making Goten grunt. A few seconds had to pass before the younger man finally succumbed to the pleasure and his voice, rough with lust, started to echo in the cabin. It made Reyn want to fuck him senseless.

Goten’s hips were meeting his feverishly, their harsh breathing and panting filling the cabin. Both of them were close, but Reyn still swatted at Goten’s hand when it went south with the intention of bringing himself off. That resulted in a desperate whine, shamelessly asking for more.

And he was given more, Reyn now taking him roughly, pounding into his body, stroking Goten’s shaft himself. Goten was teetering on the edge, his asshole burning with the fierce thrusts. He could tell that Reyn was also at his limit. And then all of the accumulated lust and pleasure rippled through his body and burst. He went rigid while he could still feel Reyn’s cock sliding in and out of him. For a few seconds, his mind went blank. Then he felt Reyn pull out and something warm splashed over his back.

Goten lay limply on his stomach, panting softly. He could hear Reyn moving about, then the flight officer settled against his side. The bed wasn’t wide, intended for only one person, and it wasn’t going to be a comfortable night’s sleep. His ass was throbbing and it felt as if something large was still inside him. His hole felt raw, abused, but he also felt satisfied, happy even.

Reyn watched the slowing rise and fall of Goten’s back. Reyn could feel endorphins oozing from him. They indicated that Goten was sleepy and sated. The tip of his tail was lazily curling and uncurling on its own accord, showing that he felt content. 

Goten rolled over onto his stomach to give Reyn a satisfied look. “Well, that was certainly more enjoyable than doing it by myself.” He had never told Reyn that he had never had sex before, but now he felt safe enough to admit it – he believed that Reyn had figured it out on his own anyway.

Reyn accepted the awkward compliment without commenting. Goten could really be interesting sometimes. They climbed off the bed to get the cover from under themselves. Goten’s limbs felt numb, his feet shaky. He was only too happy to settle under the cover comfortably

“Does it hurt?” 

Goten hesitated with the answer again and Reyn ruffled through the other man’s hair. He doubted that tomorrow Goten would be able to walk properly, but didn’t voice his thoughts out loud. He would probably have to ask Tamahi for ointment of some kind. 

“Lights,” he called when he noticed that the younger man was drowsing.

Reyn petted Goten’s hair until he noticed that the younger male was asleep. It didn’t seem that Goten was regretting anything, which was undeniably a good thing. He first did it with a man who had believed that he was also a second-class. Even if he had gone to bed with the man willingly, it had been a traumatic experience, both mentally and physically. He didn’t want Goten to experience anything like that.

ooOoOoOoo

Edesha punched the keycode into the panel and entered the cabin. At once, his nostrils flared at the smell of sex. It was much diluted after a night’s conditioning, but he could still clearly tell Goten and Reyn’s mixing scents apart. It was dark and Edesha groped around the door to flick the switch, then thought himself a fool for trying to stay quiet. Reyn turned around and, shielding his eyes from the bright light, stared at him.

“Ah, it’s you.”

“Yeah.” Edesha moved towards the wardrobe. “I forgot to take my scouter.” On his way, he couldn’t help looking at Goten. The youth was still asleep, turned to his side, facing the wall. The cover had ridden down his back, revealing how it rose and fell slowly. There was a large hickey on the side of his neck. Edesha chuckled inwardly.

Reyn yawned. “What time is it?”

Edesha opened the door to the wardrobe and saw his scouter at once. “Six,” he said, retrieving it. “You still have one hour till breakfast.”

Goten stirred, mumbled something, and then settled back into sleep. Edesha watched him curiously, then his eyes rose to Reyn’s face. The flight officer was giving him a warning look. The soldier raised his hands as if in surrender, then set to fixing his scouter over his right eye. Once done, he flashed Reyn a lewd grin and went away.

With a roll of his eyes, Reyn settled back next to Goten and fell asleep quickly. He woke up to the younger male moving around in the bed. He didn’t even need to ask how Goten felt since he winced sharply when sitting up. It was best he stayed in bed. But that was impossible – he had duties to attend to. Reyn gave Goten’s backside a sympathetic look when the younger male stood up. It shouldn’t be anything too bad, though, – he had been careful not to cause unnecessary damage. It was going to be much more fun when Goten got used to taking him. A soft grumble reached the flight officer’s ears.

“Damn it to hell.”

“Tamahi should have something to soothe the burn.”

Goten started and looked around. He blushed both at the thought of himself asking for that and the way Reyn’s eyes roved over his body. The man wasn’t all that subtle. But that was what he liked most about Reyn.

“I can ask him,” Reyn said seeing that Goten was uncomfortable with the thought. “I think it’s my responsibility anyway,” he added with a chuckle.

“Don’t patronize me.”

The words weren’t said out of anger, Goten’s voice was calm, but there was still a clear demand in them. The flight officer’s eyebrows rose. “What makes you think I am?”

Silent, Goten shrugged. He grabbed his boxers from the floor and hastily slipped into them. “I just…” He ducked his head. “Sorry.”

Reyn rolled out of the bed and started gathering his own clothes. It was probably inevitable – he was ten years Goten’s senior. He didn’t think he had been trying to patronize the younger man, actually he had been avoiding doing exactly that, but he was probably doing it unconsciously.

Goten gave the flight officer an uncomfortable look. He shouldn’t have said that. Reyn was just looking out for him. He was supposed to be grateful instead of snapping at the man like a total asshole. And speaking of assholes – his was really sore. Goten scowled at himself. One would think he would be much more content about finally getting rid of his virginity.

The flight officer started when Goten’s head nudged against his shoulder. He turned to stare at two innocently sparkling eyes.

“I’m not a morning person and my butt hurts as if there’s no tomorrow. Truce?”

Reyn laughed softly. He ruffled through the other third-class’s hair; he was getting addicted to the feel of it. “Truce,” he agreed. Goten seemingly liked his head being touched too – his pupils dilated and he looked much happier than a few seconds ago.

“Now let’s pay a visit to the bathrooms, get something to eat, and then let’s go see Tamahi.”

The canteen was bustling, Humans and Saiyans scraping at their breakfast hungrily. They mostly sat in groups at separate tables, though, Saiyans with Saiyans and Humans with Humans. Reyn and Goten got their food at the counter and turned around to cast a look around the canteen. They had come too late and now couldn’t see free seats.

“Hey, Goten!”

The third-class turned to his left where he saw Adriel waving at him. The navigator shifted aside, bodily pushing Sildara to make more space on the bench. In turn, Sildara pressed against Jadenas, nearly making him topple off the bench. On the other side of the table, the twins and Edesha squeezed themselves together to make space for another one.

Goten and Reyn started making their way to the table. 

“Hey, Goten, did you hear that sound?” Adriel shouted at them while they were approaching.

“When? What sound?” Goten wondered. He had slept like the dead so he didn’t think he would have been able to hear anything.

“Last night,” Adriel hollered across the canteen, grinning. “Oh, c’mon! You really must have heard it! The sound of your cherry popping!”

Goten stopped so abruptly that Reyn walked into him and nearly dropped his tray. Red-faced, Goten sent the navigator a look which would have made a lesser man anxious or at least ashamed. As it was, Adriel’s shit-eating grin only widened. 

Catcalls and whoots shook the canteen when everyone else caught on. Some even stood up and started clapping. Sildara lifted his mug and called for drinks. One of the twins stood up and started singing some kind of an anthem.

Goten groaned. “Oh, for gods’ sakes…” He felt Reyn nudging at his back with his tray and his head turned to the other third-class. The flight officer had the most innocent look on his face he had ever seen. Goten turned away from him and trudged forward. On his way he received a few congratulatory slaps on his behind, which made him wince in pain. Others were saluting Reyn with their tea or coffee.

Goten wanted to pound Adriel’s head into the table. but that would have only made it worse. He lowered his tray onto the table with an aggressive clang. The demonstrative anger was spoiled by an obvious wince when he sat down. Now the whole table was grinning at him knowingly. The third-class flushed red again and set about eating his breakfast.

By the time he started eating, the catcalls and applause had almost died out. Goten noticed that some Humans had started asking what they had been applauding for and what the occasion was. He could see their shocked or amused faces when they were told. That was what you got for having no translating device and just getting along with whatever others did.

Reyn watched a red-faced Goten munching on his breakfast. At least the youth didn’t lose his appetite. The flight officer looked at Edesha. The soldier caught his eyes and shook his head discreetly. Even more subtly, his eyes pointed at Jadenas. Reyn couldn’t even begin to fathom how the other flight officer might have known. Goten must have told him of his own accord. Strange.

TBC


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> A/N: **_Starcut’s_ crew members:**
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain - (Kandar)  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician – (Landan)  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 44

When Goten got to the medical room, he was informed that the vegetating Nondren had died during the night. Tamahi was inserting the circumstances of his death into the terminal. Goten gave the doctor’s back a morose look and, since the chair was taken, went to Tom’s bed. The Human shifted to give the third-class more space and offered him an energetic smile. Seating himself carefully, Goten thought that there was no way he could ask the doctor for something to dull the pain in his bottom. He would just have to bear it.

“Doctor said I am going to recover completely.”

Goten responded to Tom’s grin with one of his own. “That’s good to hear. You were a complete wreck when you got here.”

“The rehabilitation process is going to be slow and painful,” Tamahi said glancing at them.

“Why spoil his joy?” Daniel admonished from the adjacent bed. “You Saiyans are really insensitive.”

Tamahi rolled his eyes at the ceiling. “Goten, why did we save them, again?”

“Because we were bored and had nothing better to do.”

Tom chuckled. Goten turned to look at the ki-cuffed Nondren in his bed. He was sitting, his absent, brooding gaze directed at his lap. The third-class wondered if he was affected by his comrade’s death. He must be. Goten had tried to talk to the Nondren a few times, but he was mostly unresponsive – they didn’t even know his name. Had he attacked a Saiyan ship, they would have made him talk a long time ago and/or just killed him. However, he was responsible for Human deaths, so he wasn’t a Saiyan problem. They just had to get him safely to Meia Colony.

Goten averted his gaze from the Nondren to Andrew. “You seem to be a perpetual patient.”

The man grinned at him. “That’s not true. I’ve got a terminal disease. Tell him, Doc.”

“The only disease you’ve got is laziness,” Tamahi said with a snort. “Get the hell out of here and make yourself useful!”

Andrew widened his eyes theatrically. “I’m a patient!”

Daniel laughed. “You just like the bed.”

Andrew shook his head. “Lies, all lies!” Grinning, he turned to Goten. His curious eyes studied the third-class for a moment, then he asked: “What was that about during breakfast? Did you get promoted or something?”

Goten had no idea how he managed to keep his face from turning red; maybe he was finally getting a hold on his blushes. His butt, though, throbbed dully at the reminder. “No, it’s my birthday today,” he said.

Daniel got all flustered. “Oh, man, why didn’t you tell us? We gotta celebrate!”

Goten shook his head. “Nah, it’s nothing special.”

“Of course it’s special!” Tom denied. “So how old are you now?”

“Eighteen.”

Goten saw all three Humans stare at him in surprise. “What?” he asked.

“You don’t look it,” Daniel said. “I’d give you over twenty.”

“Seriously?” Goten wondered. “We are really talking standard years here, right? Everybody keeps saying I barely look sixteen.”

“Bollocks!”

Goten turned sideways and pointed at Tamahi. “How old do you think he is?”

“Forty!”

“Forty-two!”

“Thirty-five!”

His eyebrows raised, Tamahi swiveled his chair around to face them. “Eighty-nine.”

“What?!”

“No way!”

“Okay, even I didn’t know he was that old,” Goten said with a chuckle. He threw his hands up when everyone stared at him accusingly. “Oh, c’mon! It’s practically _impossible_ to tell a Saiyan’s age from thirty to about a hundred thirty or so.”

The doctor muttered something under his breath. “To any other Saiyan Goten does look like a kid, though,” he said before turning away with his chair. “A babe just out of diapers.”

“Thank you very much!” The third-class bowed his head theatrically. “I’m certain I couldn’t have lived without your kind descriptions.”

“Well, but you are!”

Goten turned away from Tamahi to offer a bright smile to the Humans. Humans and Saiyans read faces differently, so they often had misconceptions about each other. He wondered how off he was with his guesses about the three Humans, but wasn’t really interested enough in the topic to pursue it further.

“So we have to celebrate!” Daniel said enthusiastically. “Eighteen comes only once in a lifetime!”

_You’d be surprised_ , Goten thought.

“Why do I feel as if my back is on fire?” Tamahi grunted, lifting his eyes from the computer screen. “Oh, no, no.”

“Oh, c’mon!” Daniel insisted. “Just a few shots! To refresh our mouths after we sing ‘Happy Birthday’!”

“It’s such an important anniversary!” Tom endorsed. “Unique!”

“Nobody would ever notice,” Andrew promised.

OoOoOoOoo

Goten’s eyes blinked open to someone shaking his shoulder. He grinned happily and raised his arms to wrap them around Reyn’s right leg. “Reyn!” he chirped ecstatically, rubbing his cheek against it.

The flight officer’s eyebrows rose and he stepped away from the stench coming from the other third-class’s mouth. Drunk as a skunk. And while on watch, too. He was going to report Goten one of these days. Just to teach him a lesson. Reyn took another look at the stirring bodies around the room. Could Goten smell a party when it was about to start or something? Maybe he could foresee them? Just like he had been able to foresee the danger on Orion?

“Hey, hey, what are you celebrating? Don’t tell me…” Adriel sang, ravishing all the corners in the medical room with thirsty eyes. His eyes caught sight of an empty bottle of medical spirit on the floor and he almost started bouncing. “Why did nobody invite me? I’m insulted. I’m veeeerrryyy insulted!”

“It’s Goten’s birthday,” Daniel slurred out. “Eighteenth.” Yawning, he rubbed at his eyes.

Adriel clapped his hands in delight. “What? You lost your virginity _and_ had your birthday all in one go? An awesome birthday present!” He punched the air. “Woot!”

For a moment, Daniel looked uncertain, then he looked at Tom, who looked at Andrew. Then all three of them looked at Goten.

“So who’s the lucky lady?” Daniel asked.

Reyn caught Goten’s hand before it could touch him, but it was too late. Drawn by the motion, the Humans’ eyes set on him.

“ _That_ ,” Tom said, staring at the flight officer reproachfully, “hardy qualifies as a lady.”

Gotten giggled mindlessly. “You bet! I still can’t sit proper-” He didn’t finish the sentence because Reyn’s hand covered his mouth.

“Off you go,” Reyn said, heaving the other third-class up off the floor. He thought about throwing the other man over his shoulder and just carrying him off before he could embarrass himself any further in front of his newly found Human buddies, but then decided against it – Goten would probably vomit all over the floor. As it was, he started leading the unsteady man towards the exit.

On his way, he cast a look at the Nondren. What the hell had Goten been thinking? And where the hell had he gotten so many ki-cuffs? Each of the pirate’s feet was bound to his wrists by ki-cuffs and then secured to the metal leg of the bed by two more ki-cuffs. He looked as if someone with a serious inclination towards bondage had worked on him. He was glaring at Goten’s stupidly grinning face with unconcealed hatred. Reyn couldn’t blame the pirate.

“And you… I thought you were smarter,” Reyn said to Tamahi, who was curled up near the door.

The doctor blinked at him groggily, saluted and, yawning, settled back into sleep.

When the flight officer dragged Goten into his cabin, Edesha tensed at first then, after noticing that Goten was just drunk, gave Reyn a questioning look. 

“Tamahi,” the flight officer said as if that explained everything.

Edesha looked at the youngest crew member thoughtfully while Reyn picked his way towards Goten’s bed. The flight officer pushed the hardly coherent man onto the mattress and started taking his boots off.

“Who’s watching over the damn pirate?”

“No one.” 

“Bloody idiots,” Edesha growled. He headed for the door with the intention of taking up the task himself. “Punch him one when he wakes up.”

Reyn arranged Goten’s boots next to the bed and straightened. He looked at Goten’s face. The youth was frowning in his sleep. Then a fart echoed in the cabin and the third-class’s features smoothed out into a content expression.

“Lovely,” Edesha spat from across the cabin.

Reyn did nothing to stop the angered Saiyan from leaving the cabin; Edesha’s irritation was going to siphon out after seeing the captive. He might even get a laugh or two. That, however, was not going to stop Edesha from lecturing Goten later.

ooOoOoOoo

His mouth felt as if he had tried to eat Mr. Elite. Goten rolled onto his back and, pressing his palm to his forehead, let out a pitiful groan. He called for the lights and let out another groan when the glow hit his eyes as if it were a hammer. Almost blind, he blinked at the clock above the door and deciphered that he had woken up just in time for dinner.

“Goddamnit,” he muttered, “never drinking again.” That was not true, of course, and he knew that even before uttering the words.

He rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. His backside still pained him, but the visit there ended successfully, without serious trauma. He headed for the kitchens, but wasn’t certain whether he would be able to eat anything. A mug of tea or just water seemed to be a much better idea than solid food.

For some reason, it was very lively in the canteen. Laughter and excited conversations would break out here and there. It was mostly Saiyans, though, who were so energetic. Humans seemed wary and surprised at their loud voices and guffaws. Suspicious, Goten eyed the mugs in his crew mates’ hands. Even Reyn was drinking something that looked like his usual coffee. Curious, Goten approached him and took hold of his mug. Thinking that he wanted him to share, the flight officer let him. He pulled it away when Goten sniffed at the coffee. 

“You know, I am afraid to even ask what you’re celebrating,” Goten muttered, lifting his eyes and casting another look around the milling people.

“Then don’t.”

Goten gave him a look and Reyn shrugged. “Don’t sweat it. It’s just an occasion to get drunk. Anything would do. I think fixing the washing machine will result in a grand celebration, too.”

“Yeah…” Goten drawled. He leaned against the wall next to the flight officer. His eyes set on Adriel, who was angrily explaining something to Sildara, waving his hands about. “What’s with those two?”

“Just another fight.”

“What this time?”

“This morning Sildara caught Adriel peeping at the Human women in the showers.”

“Why is Sildara the one being shouted at, then?”

Reyn sipped his enhanced coffee and shrugged. “Adriel,” he said, as if that explained everything.

“I’d probably kill him if he were my boyfriend.”

“Well,” Reyn sighed, “he could never be your boyfriend, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

Goten wondered why the flight officer said that, then decided that it was pretty obvious that men similar to Adriel were just too unpredictable and too intense for him. He preferred stability over everything. If he had any say in it, he would never choose Adriel for a partner. On the other hand, things just happened. Like him constantly thinking about that damn purple-haired bastard.

Reyn grunted in surprise when the other third-class swiped the mug out of his fingers and, in two gulps, emptied it. “Can you get some more of the stuff?” he asked, pushing it back into Reyn’s hand.

The flight officer nodded and went to replenish his supplies. He returned in a few minutes with two mugs and held one out for Goten, who grabbed it with the grace of a man dying of thirst. They stood side by side, drinking quietly, and it was some time later before Goten noticed that Reyn was gone. The spat between Adriel and Sildara seemed to finally be over and Goten went to greet them. He was met with cheers and congratulations on both his birthday and his loss of virginity. Goten didn’t care enough to correct them.

“Has Reyn gone to sleep already?” he asked Adriel.

The navigator shook his head and pointed somewhere further in the canteen. Goten’s eyes followed the motion to settle on Reyn’s back. He was talking to someone, but Goten couldn’t identify who it was since the flight officer stood in front of his companion, covering most of him.

Adriel took a better look at who was protruding from behind Reyn. “I think it’s the same guy who has been complaining about Jadenas and the twins having no shame.”

Goten blinked at him. “Huh?”

“He doesn’t like them having sex and he likes the noise that comes out of it even less,” Adriel explained generously. “I wonder what Reyn could be talking to him about… He’s kinda tipsy.” He watched the scene at the other end of the canteen uncertainly. “He gets quarrelsome when drunk. Maybe you should check it out?”

“Ah.” A nagging suspicion settled in the pit of Goten’s stomach and, hastily, he started making his way to the two. Just as he had guessed, it was the same man who had seen them making out in the showers. Reyn’s voice was just above a hiss, but the menacing vehemence behind it was unmistakable.

“…the wrong way and I’ll shove my boot up your ass.”

The Human snarled in anger. “Stop threatening me or I’ll complain! I doubt you’ll like standing in front of Military Tribunal! The protocol…”

“I’ll fuck you like I fuck protocol,” Reyn promised with a lethal smile, wrapping his right arm around the Human’s shoulders and squeezing. He saluted his captive with his mug of coffee, and it became clear to Goten that Adriel had been absolutely right – Reyn was going to eat the Earthling alive. 

“Oh, here you are,” Goten chirped cheerfully, wrapping his arm around Reyn’s shoulders so that now the three of them made a chain. “Getting along just fine, I see.”

“Oh, yeah,” Reyn confirmed. “We’ve become inseparable buddies.” Taking a sip from his mug, he gripped the Human’s shoulders even firmer, making him let out a sharp squeak. It came to Goten that the conflict was similar to what he had experienced when he first set foot on _Starcut_ – once tipsy, Reyn started flinging sexual insults and threats. Goten wondered whether this was how his sexual frustration showed. On the other hand, except for those few times with Reyn, he knew close to nothing about the other man’s sexual life. This wasn’t fair since Reyn knew everything about his.

Goten started to pout. “Now, that makes me jealous,” he complained to both the Earthling and Reyn. His hand slid off the flight officer’s shoulders to wrap snuggly around his waist. The other third-class gave Goten a funny look, opened his mouth to say something, then changed his mind and closed it again. In any case, Goten’s diversion worked – Reyn’s interest in the Human visibly dwindled.

“If you think that you can…” the Earthling started saying, not wanting to give up so easily. He trailed off at the sight of a blue ki-ball appearing in Goten’s palm. The Saiyan didn’t say a word, but there was something about him indicating that he would indeed launch it at him if he didn’t keep his mouth shut.

The sudden absence of the warmth on his waist made Reyn’s eyes follow Goten’s arm. He was in time to see the ki-ball disappear. “Why don’t you piss off and mind your own business?” the flight officer suggested to the Human, tightening his hold over the fragile shoulders again to be more convincing. This time it worked and the Earthling, with one last defiant glare at Reyn, sauntered away.

He would probably report Reyn to the captain, but Goten didn’t think that it would have any consequences at all. If anything, it would only make Reyn less tolerant of Humans. Goten turned his head to look at Reyn when the older man’s hand dove into his hair and settled there. It didn’t tug, didn’t stroke, just rested there, feeling his scalp. The other third-class was sipping the last drops of his enhanced coffee, the look on his face moody.

When Goten tugged the flight officer forward and started leading him in the direction of the door, he followed Goten without questioning; he probably felt he had overdone it with the Human. On their way, Reyn set his empty mug on one of the tables they were passing. From across the canteen, Adriel saluted Goten with his drink and soundlessly mouthed something out the third-class didn’t understand.

The half-lit corridor was almost empty, only a few Earthlings walking by. It occurred to Goten that, past getting Reyn away from the annoying Human, he didn’t know where he intended to take him. After a short thought, he settled on his and Edesha’s cabin. It was probably not a very good idea since he knew that Derek was probably all alone in Reyn’s cabin but, on the other hand, Reyn could use some time to get the alcohol out of his system.

Once inside, they settled on Goten’s bed and the third-class was instantly engulfed by the previous night’s memories. His face flushed brilliant red. Reyn gave him a questioning look, then caught on and chuckled. He wrapped his arm around Goten’s waist and tickled his side playfully. The younger male wasn’t ticklish there, but Reyn accidentally brushed over his tail, which was still firmly wrapped around his waist, and the touch made him feel warm.

“Uh-oh,” Reyn chuckled at the intense look in Goten’s eyes. “Someone wants it badly.” When the younger man leaned in, he opened his mouth to meet Goten’s. The younger man’s hands rounded his shoulders, rubbing them, trying to bring him closer.

Wet, smacking, and slurping sounds filled the cabin. Goten didn’t particularly like kissing. No, it wasn’t that he didn’t like kissing. After having practiced on the base, he had grown to love it, in fact. It was just that Ranvera had informed him that he wasn’t particularly good at it. He believed that he got a better deal out of kissing while his partners had to put up with his half-assed skill. He liked Reyn’s kisses, too – they made him hot and needy, but he wondered what Reyn thought of his.

Goten’s hands left Reyn’s shoulders and wandered down to his chest. Circling and stroking, they tried to feel Reyn through the fabric of his uniform. Goten’s mouth trailed a set of kisses down the other man’s jaw then, with his cheek, he nudged the flight officer’s head to the side to get better access to the muscular column of his neck. Sucking lightly, he set on unbuttoning the older man’s jacket.

Reyn helped Goten to get the jacket off him, then hummed in appreciation when the other third-class splayed out his warm palms on his bare chest. Goten’s hands slid over his chest and sides, massaging, stroking. Goten was impatient. He was already hard, his cock tenting his trousers. He was probably leaking, too. Eager, he grasped Reyn’s belt and undid the loop with one precise tug. He wanted to rub himself against the flight officer, against all of his skin. He wanted Reyn badly. If he ever got to fuck Reyn, it was now. He expected that the alcohol in his system would make the other man more compliant. 

Goten’s hands dove into Reyn’s underwear and he righted the man’s cock upwards. It was hot and half-hard, just as his own. He gave it a few tentative strokes, then tightened his grip, making the flight officer groan at the pressure. Goten let go and, after unzipping Reyn’s trousers all the way, hooked his hands under his backside. Reyn lifted himself and Goten wasted no time in getting rid of his underwear and trousers. He dropped the garments next to the bed. His hands returned to caress the other man’s naked body.

When Goten started pushing him backwards onto his bed, Reyn realized what the younger man wanted. After his first time – what now seemed ages ago – he had never been on the receiving end. He knew he had promised Goten, but now was reluctant to keep his word. There was no other way, though. If he wanted Goten to become his permanent partner, some sacrifices had to be made.

At some point, Goten noticed that his jacket was hanging open and he shrugged it off; he hadn’t even noticed when Reyn had seen to that. The other man’s fingers flicked over his nipples and Goten didn’t even try to bite back a soft moan that spilled past his lips. He had Reyn under him, well most of him, and it was the most exhilarating feeling he had ever known. He wanted to fuck him, now.

Clumsily, not wanting to leave the heat of the other man’s body, Goten leaned away and peeled the rest of his uniform off. Then he frantically looked around on the floor for the flight officer’s clothes. His fingers trembling with impatience, he ransacked the pockets until he found a condom in Reyn’s trousers. Just as he had expected – Reyn was prepared. Goten hoped that he had at least a boxful of these. The bottle of the universal washing liquid was where Reyn left it yesterday – under the bed. 

It was Goten’s first time putting a condom on, but he had seen how Reyn had done it. He fumbled with the wrapping then, impatiently, tore at its corner with his teeth. He got it out and, soon, under Reyn’s scrutinizing eyes, had it rolled down his shaft. Smoothing the latex out, he reached out for the bottle of universal washing liquid. He poured some into his hand. He shivered and is eyes widened slightly at the coolness when he palmed himself. He gave himself a few strokes, then looked back at Reyn. All this time, the flight officer had been watching him with expressionless face and Goten thought that he didn’t look very happy about the idea.

“You did promise,” Goten reminded him, his voice husky with lust.

“I did,” Reyn agreed. He let Goten hook his hands under his thighs and pull him towards the edge of the bed so that his legs were spread wide at Goten’s sides. Now he was lying on his back, the top of his head almost propped against the wall. He was half-hard, which indicated that he wasn’t as much opposed to the idea as he was trying to act.

Drunk with lust and excitement, Goten poured more of universal washing liquid into his right hand and brought it between Reyn’s legs to spread it there. The flight officer grunted, either at the cool lubricant or in unexpectedness or both. Goten couldn’t think of any reason why it would be unexpected, though. He rubbed the lubricant over the hole, then pressed two of his fingers in. It was hot inside. The muscles clamped down on his fingers at first, but then Reyn let out a shuddery breath and Goten’s fingers slid in further, to their knuckles and past. Not certain what he was doing, Goten pulled them out and then, trying to scoop more lubricant from around the hole, pushed his fingers back into the flight officer. 

Goten was moving his fingers rhythmically and Reyn closed his eyes. He was grunting softly every time the other third-class’s digits brushed over his prostate. Goten herded more of the lubricant into him and then pulled his fingers out. Reyn opened his eyes to see him positioning himself against his hole. The sight made him grab fistfuls of sheets, but Goten slid in quite easily. His face showed surprise at the nearly effortless entrance, then he let go of his shaft and, with only the help of his hips, pushed all the way in until his balls came flush to Reyn’s ass. 

Experimenting, Goten pulled slightly backwards, then thrust back in. “Can I…?” he asked, his voice thick with ache. He saw Reyn grin at the desperation in his voice. The other man nodded.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

His voice was somewhat strained and Goten wondered whether it was really okay, but he had been given permission and didn’t want to question it since he felt as if his balls would fall off if he stalled any further. He gripped the other side of Reyn’s knees and spread the other man even wider. He pulled Reyn closer yet, if that was possible. He started thrusting, slowly and carefully at first, then the heat and tightness pulled him in. He tried to hold back, but Reyn’s hands reached out to grab at his thighs. His fingers dug into the younger man’s flesh, encouraging him.

Goten’s eyes were fixed on where he and Reyn were joined by his cock. Hungrily, he watched himself fuck the other man. His cock was glossy with lubricant, the slick sound of him thrusting in and out fueling his lust even more. Both of them were panting loudly, Reyn’s eyes still closed. He was feeling it, though, and intensely so – his neck and chest were flushed with color and heat. Fine beads of sweat covered his forehead and temples, some of his short hair sticking to his skin. His cock appeared to be hard as a rock, bent towards his stomach, the tip drooling.

Goten wanted to keep his eyes on where he and Reyn were joined, but soon it turned into an impossible task. His eyelids fluttered shut while the only remaining thoughts in his head were the heat surrounding his cock and the narrow passage he kept thrusting into. His hips flexed on their own. Soon the cabin was filled with desperate grunts and moans and it took him some time to realize that they were his. He clamped his mouth shut, but soon grunts and pants found their way through his lips again. He was getting closer.

Reyn was touching himself now, his hand stroking his cock in time with his thrusts, his thumb continuously flicking over the profusely leaking head. Goten was pounding into him now, fucking him in earnest, without any thought of consideration. Reyn was getting close, his ass burning both with roughness and pleasure. Goten’s hands slid down his thighs to his buttocks, trying to find purchase to be able to keep a firmer hold on him, but it didn’t work and he grabbed at his knees, pushing them backwards, bending him, so that his ass was now tilted even more. 

Goten felt it coming, his lust skyrocketing, his balls turning hard like rocks. His thrusts became shallower, faster, his heartbeat deafening in his ears. Without any awareness, groans were spilling through his gritted teeth while his hips ground against Reyn’s ass incessantly. His back was already arching with urgency, his fingers digging into Reyn’s legs, bending him nearly in half. He hammered into the other man for a few more seconds then, jerkily, hips snapped forward, burying his cock into Reyn up to its hilt one, two times. Baring his teeth, he tossed his head back and stilled while his cock spurted into the condom. Vaguely, he could feel Reyn stroking his stomach.

When his orgasm was over, dizzily, he continued rocking against Reyn, stroking his thighs, still high in the aftermath. It had been amazing. Utterly, shockingly delicious. He was already softening, though, his cock now useless. Shakily, he pulled out, his limp penis dangling pitifully between his legs. Awkward, he wetted his dry lips with his tongue when Reyn didn’t move, staying just like that, staring at him with hungry eyes, with his legs spread and his red leaking cock still hard and throbbing. Goten leaned forward, wrapped his fingers around the cock and raised it so that he could take it into his mouth. Reyn’s hands dove into his hair at once. This time the grip on his hair was firm, painful even. He could feel the older male shivering, his muscles flexing. He was close, very close.

The taste of precome was sharp in his mouth and Goten wasn’t certain he liked it. It wasn’t repulsing, but it was very distinctive, to the point where Goten knew he would always remember what the other man tasted like. When Goten’s lips slid down his shaft, Reyn let out a shuddery breath, his eyes shutting. Goten sucked and he thrust upwards. The younger male pressed his hands against his thighs to hold him down. He pulled his head away so that now only the tip remained in his mouth. He washed it with his tongue, rubbing the very tip of it against the profusely leaking slit, then sucked again. Reyn approved that with a loud groan.

By the end of his earnest labor, just before Reyn thrust up into his mouth as far as he was allowed to and came, Goten worked out that once he had the pattern down, he would probably be able to apply it successfully on any other man. Amused at the thought, he wondered what other man he would blow; it was not as if he had a wide range of choice. He was taken aback when, in his head, blue eyes flashed at him unexpectedly. They were followed by a purple blob of hair. Forgetting what he was doing, Goten choked on Reyn’s sperm.

Damn.

Coughing, Goten let Reyn’s softening cock slip from his mouth and looked around for the box of tissues. He pulled out a few sheets and, guiltily, started wiping his face. All this time he had been trying to avoid confronting this. He was gaining experience in sex and loving it. It was all well and good, but the thing that worried him was the accompanying sense of wicked achievement. He kept thinking that, if he met the prince now, it would be a little different. He didn’t know how exactly, but now he wouldn’t seem like a complete hick anymore. The prince liked to feel wiser, more experienced, liked lecturing and teasing him. Now the extent of his power and influence over him wouldn’t be so big.

Another thing that bothered Goten more than he would have liked to admit was Reyn’s age. The man was older than him by ten years and it was only natural that, unconsciously, the flight officer felt protective or even tried to patronize him. He didn’t particularly mind being coddled, but some aspects of this behavior reminded him of the prince all too well. He didn’t think anyone could beat the prince’s self-confidence, teasing, or lecturing, but he glimpsed all of those things in Reyn. It also made him wonder if these traits really were so visible in Reyn or whether it was him who was specially looking for them in other men. If it was the latter, he was pretty much screwed. He hadn’t paid much attention to assertive men before. To think that his preferences had changed after meeting the prince… It was better _not_ to think, after all.

ooOoOoOoo

The next morning, Goten woke up to something touching his nape. Sleepily, he batted backwards with his hand at the disturbance. He heard a soft chuckle behind his back and recognized it as Reyn’s. The flight officer’s mouth descended on his nape again. Goten sighed contently at the contact and lowered his head to bare more skin to the pleasant treatment. Slowly, the awareness of the cabin filled him: he was in his bed with Reyn. He was naked under the cover, probably just as the flight officer was. They must have slept through the night. The thing that surprised Goten was how warm and safe he felt.

The flight officer’s tongue washed Goten’s skin, leaving a wet trail on the side of the younger man’s neck. “Are you in the mood for a quickie?” Reyn asked when Goten murmured in appreciation. His hips pressed to Goten’s backside suggestively to give the other man a taste of his morning erection. He felt a pang of peculiar discontentment after having noticed that the hickey on the side of Goten’s neck had almost faded already.

They were indeed naked. Without much thought, Goten moved his legs forward, presenting himself to the older man and giving him all the access he needed. The hard length started rubbing itself between his buttocks lewdly. Even so, Goten couldn’t help chuckling.

“Are we going to take turns?”

Reyn laughed at first, then gave this some thought. “Hmm… Is that a problem?”

“I’d rather toss a coin,” Goten said honestly. “This is somehow…childish.” It had taken him no time to realize that Reyn preferred topping to bottoming. There was no big difference to Goten, at least in so far as he could tell from his limited experience: he had liked taking Reyn more, but he had come just as hard with Reyn inside him. Nevertheless, he neither wanted to give in nor yearned to dominate the other man completely. Neither was going to work in the first place. He knew, however, that this would make him self-conscious next time it was his turn to do Reyn. 

“A coin it is, then,” Reyn agreed, pulling himself away from Goten. “Even though, personally, I find this no less childish. Should I get one now?”

“There’s a limit to how stupid y-,” Goten started saying, turning around, then trailed off at the grin on Reyn’s face. The man was just teasing him. Goten flopped back onto his side to face the wall again. “Bastard. Just get on with it!”

“Hey, don’t make it sound like you’re doing a chore; I know you like it.”

“Do you?”

Reyn liked a challenge and Goten was a challenge if he ever saw one. He knew Goten probably hadn’t gotten a lot of pleasure from their first time, but he was going to remedy that. He was most likely still sore down there as well, but it should be alright if he handled it carefully. Besides, the more frequently they did it, the faster Goten would get used to it.

“I will make you whimper and cream yourself like a little girl,” he whispered, catching Goten’s earlobe and sucking on it.

Goten shivered, his eyes widening in surprise. “I don’t think little girls do that.”

Reyn chuckled. “Shows what you know.”

Goten pouted at the wall, but whatever smart ass comments he had at the ready flew out of his head when Reyn’s hand gripped him at the front and, at the same time, a hard rod was pressed against his backside again. The fingers on Goten’s shaft started stroking him, making him harden further. Reyn’s body molded around his, his chest coming flush to Goten’s back. 

Reyn let go of Goten’s cock and shifted away, turning to his other side to look around on the floor for the bottle of universal liquid. The other third-class raised his head and turned to see what was amiss. Reyn found the bottle quickly and returned to Goten’s side. Kissing the younger man’s back, he stroked Goten’s shaft again. 

He ran his hand along Goten’s side, down his hip, then his palm hooked around it and pushed it forward to Goten’s chest, raising the leg a little as well. 

“Hold it there.”

The younger man nodded, swallowing loudly. He felt lightheaded with anticipation.

The flight officer squeezed out some liquid onto his palm then, checking, shook the bottle; there wasn’t much left. His hand went south and pressed against Goten’s ass. He heard the other man exhale with a grunt when his fingers slid inside. The muscles around him spasmed at first, then Goten forced himself to relax, allowing him an easy entry. The man was a quick learner.

Reyn thrust his fingers in and out a few times until he was reassured that Goten would be able to take him without much discomfort. He pulled his fingers out and tortured the last drops of washing liquid out of the bottle. He coated his member, giving himself languid, teasing strokes, then shifted a little bit down the bed and positioned himself against Goten’s entrance. 

The younger man’s body was tense while he was guiding himself inside, but he could hear him breathing loudly, trying to relax. The younger male shifted his hips to get a more comfortable angle, then stilled again. The passage felt less restricted than it had felt the first time. Goten was going to get used to penetration in no time at all. Almost effortlessly, he pushed all the way in until his balls came flush with Goten’s buttocks. 

It took Goten a few moments to realize that it felt somehow different from the previous time. It took a few more to realize what it was exactly that bothered him. He tensed.

“You aren’t wearing a condom.”

It was not a question, it was a statement, and Reyn was able to sense both irate disbelief and concern in it.

“We don’t really need them unless it’s for aesthetics.”

Goten said nothing to that, waiting for Reyn to elaborate his words.

“Well, the only person you’ve ever slept with is me, and I know I don’t carry anything.”

“How so?” Goten asked, his voice still annoyed.

“All crews must have a health check-up before a flight. I didn’t have one this time, none of us did, but the most recent relationship I had was almost a year ago.”

Reyn sounded serious and Goten believed him. His shoulders relaxed. “I suppose it’s fine, then.”

The flight officer chuckled. “Besides, it’s much more fun without a condom – I get to come inside.” 

Goten tried to turn his head to look at his face, but had to give up on the thought since, with Reyn holding him by his side and the way Reyn was buried in him, he could hardly move.

“Do you want me to have diarrhea? Thanks, but no, thanks.” He felt puffs of breath ghost over his shoulders when Reyn chuckled. “I’m serious,” Goten repeated.

“So am I,” Reyn said, his teeth scraping against the younger man’s shoulder blade. His hips started undulating against Goten’s in slow, measured circles. “It will take five times – ten at most – and you will get used to having semen inside you.”

“I’m not sure I want to,” Goten said after a pause. He could feel Reyn growing inside him, stretching him wider. The dull ache returned, but it felt good too, to be stretched like that. He blushed at the thought and it was a good thing that Reyn couldn’t see all of his face.

Reyn laughed. “Sure you do. The thought arouses you,” he said, cupping Goten’s erection to prove he was right.

“A little bit,” Goten agreed, the color on his face darkening. He felt the other man’s shaft slide almost all the way out of him, then it thrust back in. It pulled away again and slid back in. Reyn’s palm was still wrapped around his cock firmly, his fingers rubbing over the head. The length inside him retreated again and then glided all the way back. Out, back in. Out, back in. It still stung somewhat, but it was also slippery. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the inward and outward motions inside him. Warmth spread over his body when Reyn shifted and found the right angle so that nearly every time he thrust in, he would brush over his prostate.

The dull pain in his ass was soon replaced by a needy ache. With a soft moan, Goten pressed the side of his face into the pillow. He didn’t even feel ashamed anymore for enjoying this to such an extent.

“Hnhn…” 

The heated whimper made Reyn want to increase his pace, but he just gripped Goten’s cock tighter and continued fucking him with slow, leisurely thrusts. Goten had finally allowed himself to relax completely and just take it. In several moments, the younger male pulled his leg higher, giving him even more access, and he ground against Goten’s buttocks in circular motions. The younger male moaned softly and, in a backward gesture, reached out behind himself to grasp at Reyn's thigh. 

“A-alright,” he gasped out, “you can come in-mmhm-side.”

Reyn kissed his shoulder to show his appreciation. “Damn, you are easy.”

“T-told you so,” Goten grunted, swallowing loudly to wet his throat. “I’m going to regret thi-mhiinn-s, aren’t I? Mhmn!”

“I hope not.”

“Tha-ah-ah-ts too ambiguous.”

“You’re being fucked, Goten – there’s nothing ambiguous about that. Shut up and just take it.”

The words made Goten moan. His ass was burning in need while he was straining against the other man. He startled and his eyes flew open when Reyn smacked at his thigh. Goten stilled in surprise.

“Don’t like that, huh?”

Goten shook his head. “I’m n-not into that k-kind of thing.”

“How would you know?”

Silently, only his shallow breathing heard, Goten just shook his head again, and, point taken, Reyn resumed thrusting in and out of him unhurriedly. He wasn’t very fond of inflicting pain in bed either, however he'd had his share of bed-partners who loved being spanked, tied, or being dominated completely. If that made them more aroused, why not?

“Mmn… Ah… Ghm… Ah…Ah… Ghnnh… Fuuuuuck… Mnnn… Oh, yes!”

Reyn grinned at the last one. Sweat was dripping down his brow while he was trying to maintain a steady rhythm. To keep himself quiet, Goten had tried to bury his face into the pillow, but his position didn’t exactly allow for that, thus the cabin was filled with his soft moans.

He felt a little guilty for prolonging this since he knew that Goten would be sore again, maybe even more so than he had been before. The quickie had turned out to be not so quick after all.

“Mnm… Shit… Ahh! Ahh! Mnn…”

“Ready to come yet?”

“S-stop ask-asking and d- Ah!”

Reyn snapped his hips forward to cease the incoming flow of complaints. He drew back at once and flexed his hips again, hard, and again, now fucking Goten in earnest. 

It felt as if his ass and dick were on fire. His disjointed thoughts didn’t even reach the surface since all he could think about was coming. Reyn was fucking him into oblivion. His thrusts were rocking both of them, the springs creaking. He could vaguely feel the other man’s balls slapping against his buttocks, the sound lost in the blood drumming in his ears. The cock in his ass was drilling him harder and harder. He grasped at the sheets with his right hand while his left dug into Reyn’s thigh behind him. His eyelids started fluttering madly.

Goten’s back and shoulders tensed when he started coming. Reyn felt him tighten around him, but for some time he was still loose enough to allow him entry. Then his muscles constricted around him and he forced himself to still or otherwise he would risk injuring Goten.

“Oh, fuck,” Reyn pressed his forehead against the younger male’s back. Immobile, he panted against it, wishing nothing else than to continue thrusting into that tight hole. “Shit.” 

Slowly, what felt like ages to Reyn, Goten’s back relaxed, his shoulders slumping. He tried thrusting again, but it was still too tight, Goten grunting painfully at his attempt.

“That hurts,” Goten complained after he had tried thrusting in one more time. He heard Reyn curse softly and almost felt sorry for the other man. Reyn’s hips were undulating against his backside fruitlessly. At least the motions were easing some of the tension.

Reyn heard Goten exhale loudly, then he took a few deep breaths. In a few moments, he felt the muscles around him relaxing. He tried thrusting again and this time Goten uttered no protest. He took it slow at first, then, when the passage became looser, quickened his pace. He soon was pistoning in and out with his previous speed.

The slapping sounds of Reyn’s hips against his ass were echoing in the cabin and Goten wondered absently where Edesha was. It wouldn’t do for him to come in suddenly. He shivered at a well-placed thrust against his prostate and closed his eyes. This was definitely different from the quickie the flight officer had promised. He was going to get hard again if Reyn kept this up. However, the harsh breathing against his back and the desperation in his thrusts indicated that he wasn’t going to last for long. Now Reyn was pounding into him without any awareness, his thrusts painful. Goten’s fingers fisted into the sheets while he braced himself, but then the other man was coming, his body tensing, arching off his back. Goten’s eyes widened at the feel of the warmth gushing inside him. Reyn was riding out his orgasm and kept coming inside him for a few more seconds. Goten closed his eyes, his insides feeling warm now. It felt…good, actually. Unusual, but he liked it. Then Reyn was pulling away and he felt something leak out of him. He heard the flight officer curse softly.

“Hand me a few tissues.”

Blindly, Goten lifted his arm to fish around atop of the cabinet near the bed, but couldn’t make himself care about the sheets.

“A little too much lubricant.”

Goten dropped the box of tissue behind him. “I had no idea there could be too much of it.” He frowned at the wall when Reyn swiped at his backside with a tissue. He opened his mouth, then closed it quickly. He was suddenly overtaken by the urgency to visit the toilets. He rolled over.

“Hey, you…” Reyn quieted when Goten crawled over him and got out of the bed.

“Toilets.”

The flight officer nodded. He watched Goten sway lightly on his feet while he was grabbing his garments off the floor. Damn, he had not expected it to be so good with the other third-class. No matter what all those stupid tests and reports showed, they were really compatible, after all. He thought that his next goal could be to fuck Goten to the point where his knees buckled. 

“You okay?”

Goten’s laughter was strained. “I think there will be a disaster if I don’t get to the toilets in twenty seconds.”

TBC


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> A/N: **_Starcut’s_ : crew members**
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain - (Kandar)  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician – (Landan)  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 45

Waiting for Goten to return from the toilets, Reyn dressed and looked around the cabin. There was no sign of the recipe book. Oh, it was still here, somewhere – in the wardrobe or the cupboard or even under Goten’s bed, but this time Goten had the decency not to display it for the masses.

Reyn thought that he should go to see how the Human kid was doing. On the other hand, he might be sleeping and waking him up would only result in the kid following him around. It was best to see Derek when it was certain that he was already up. He felt a little guilty for his avoidance, though. They were going to reach Meia Colony tomorrow evening and the kid and the rest of the passengers would stay there while _Starcut_ would continue its patrol. Only two days were left and he should just stick it out.

Goten didn’t show up for five more minutes and Reyn decided to use the time by visiting the medical room. He found Tamahi seated in his usual chair. The doctor was yawning, obviously just out of the bed. Expressionlessly, he listened to Reyn’s request, then went to unlock the medicine cabinet next to Tom’s bed. He retrieved a small brown jar. Holding it out for Reyn, he tapped with his fingers on the label to draw his attention to it.

“Just read it before applying,” he said, being too lazy to explain.

“Thanks,” Reyn said, taking the jar and pocketing it. “And some lubricant,” he asked.

“Ye gods, there’s no need to show off this much,” Tamahi muttered, turning back to the cabinet. He grabbed a white plastic bottle from the upper shelf. There were at least five other bottles like that visible.

Reyn took the bottle without commenting. He thanked Tamahi and left. When he returned to Goten’s cabin, the other third-class was still absent. He wondered if he should go and check on Goten, but decided not to since he would certainly be accused of patronizing the younger male again.

Ten more minutes passed until Goten returned to the cabin. He seemed tired. He was shirtless with wet dripping hair and skin, just out of the shower. He hadn’t taken a towel with him and the trousers were sticking to his legs in some places while he carried the rest of his uniform in his hand. He went to the wardrobe to get a towel then, with a wince, sat down on the chair opposite to his bed where Reyn sat.

“The cabin reeks of sex,” he said, swiping over his chest and back with the towel to dry himself.

“Yeah, it does. Are you alright?” 

“Everything’s fine.” Goten shrugged his jacket on and started buttoning it. “A little uncomfortable,” he admitted after a pause. His ass was throbbing with every step he took, even more so than it had after the first time.

“Come here,” Reyn said patting on the bed next to him. 

Goten gave him a questioning look but rose from the chair and came closer. “Mm?” he hummed, brushing with the towel over his hair.

“Take your trousers off.”

“I don’t…” Goten started saying, then fell silent at the sight of a brown jar in Reyn’s hand. “What’s that?”

“Something Tamahi gave me to soothe the sting.”

Goten’s face reddened at the thought of Reyn asking the doctor for something like that. He reached out for the jar. “Thanks.” The other man’s raised eyebrows made him falter, and his hand froze in midair.

“I was rather hoping you’d let me treat you.”

Staring at him, the younger man rubbed over his hair with the towel, then dropped it onto the bed next to Reyn. The flight officer reached out for his belt and Goten let himself be tugged closer to the other man. Reyn unbuckled his belt, pulled his boots, trousers, and underwear off, then maneuvered him into the bed and made him lie down. Leaning on his elbows, Goten watched him uncap the jar and scoop some whitish salve onto his fingers. Goten spread his thighs apart when Reyn’s hand moved in between his legs. The cool, greasy fingers brushed over his entrance, circled it and slid inside. They moved about gently, spreading the salve around, then pulled out. Reyn scooped up a little bit more balm and eased his fingers back in. 

The moving digits inside Goten resulted in him starting to harden. Besides, accidentally or not, Reyn would brush over his prostate. Goten wondered if he was going to make him come like that. However, soon the other man removed his fingers. Goten closed his legs, rolled on his side, and watched him wipe his fingers with a tissue, then put the lid back onto the salve.

“Here, keep it.”

With his head, Goten motioned at the wardrobe at the end of the cabin. “Just toss it inside.” He rolled on his stomach and folded his arms so that his hands were under his chin. His eyes followed Reyn’s journey to the wardrobe. The throbbing in his butt was already turning into a pleasant coolness and Goten let out a contented sigh. The salve was really effective.

Reyn turned away from the wardrobe and raised his eyebrows. “Well, that’s a pleasant sight,” he said, casting his eyes over Goten who was still lying on his stomach, bare-assed but with his jacket on. His tail was waving lazily in the air. The fur was almost dry now, glossy.

He walked over to Goten but, to the younger man’s relief, didn’t seem to be eager to continue the morning session. Instead, he bent down, retrieved the underwear from the floor, and tossed it onto Goten’s head. With a grunt, the younger male picked it up and rolled onto his back again. He slid into the garment and stayed sprawled, staring up at Reyn.

“Tired?”

“Yeah. Someone should have warned me that sex is so exhausting. Doesn’t really make sense.”

“Move over,” Reyn said, starting to take his boots off. “What doesn’t make sense?”

“I can beat two elites in hand-to-hand combat, but sex just knocks me over.”

Chuckling, Reyn walked to Edesha’s bed and dragged the cover from it. He returned to Goten and got into the bed next to him, spreading Edesha’s cover over them. The cover smelled musty and was permeated with Edesha’s scent. It was strongly reeking of sweat as well.

“This bed is really too narrow for two.”

“I know how we can conserve space,” Reyn said with a lewd grin on his face. “Just get me a coin. No? Then I suggest you stop complaining.”

“Just a whiny kid, aren’t I?” Goten pouted. “You really don’t have a good opinion about me, do you?”

“On the contrary,” Reyn said, patting Goten on his head. He planted a hearty kiss on the other third-class’s temple. “It’s only the best. You’re the best whiny kid I’ve ever laid my eyes on.”

“I’d hit you with something but I’m too tired.”

The older man ruffled Goten’s hair. “Has your hair re-grown completely?”

“Nah, not yet. I think I did mention that the final result looks as if I’ve been struck by lightning.”

“Ah, right. Can’t wait to see that.”

“So you can laugh at me?”

“Yeah.”

“Bastard.”

They stayed silent for a few moments, then Goten yawned loudly. He smacked his lips together, then turned his head to look at the other third-class.

“Say, there has got to be a reason why we have been put on one ship. And you can’t convince me that it was just so you could fuck me.”

Reyn gave him an intent look. “Hmm… When you put it this way… Can you bear babies?”

Goten rolled his eyes with a snicker. “Not that I know of.”

“Then, no. That was not the reason.”

Goten opened his mouth then closed it. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face. He had no idea what kind of experiments had been performed on his kind. Damn, just a few weeks ago he had no idea who he was. He still didn’t. For all he knew, he could be carrying a bomb in his ass and know nothing of it.

“Goten, no. You can’t bear babies.” Reyn slapped himself on his forehead at the mistrustful look the other third-class was giving him. “Me and my fuckin’ mouth. No. No babies, Goten. What are you? Retarded?”

“But…”

“No. Just stop thinking about it. You’re such a…” He shook his head not finishing the thought.

Next few minutes Goten spent staring at the ceiling, brooding. The other man’s rhythmical breathing was lulling him to sleep. He wondered what his friends would think of the flight officer if they met him. Would they like him? What would the prince think? Well, it was not as if he cared.

“Have you had many partners?”

Reyn blinked his sleepy eyes open to give Goten a wondering look. Why the hell was he asking that? Wasn’t this something people usually tried to avoid talking about? Really, Goten could be really interesting sometimes. 

“Well, a few.”

“A few?”

“A few.”

Goten rubbed his chin in thought, but didn’t try asking again. “A few” probably meant about ten. Or more. He wondered if Reyn would have approached him if he weren’t a third-class belonging to the same project. It was highly unlikely.

Reyn’s sleepy eyes regarded him curiously. “What? Jealous?”

“A little bit.”

The flight officer chuckled. “I’m flattered, but there’s no need to be jealous – as I said, the last half-serious relationship I had ended about a year ago.”

“Half-serious?”

“Well, it was a convenient arrangement.”

“Ah, friends with benefits.”

“Mmm… Something like that.”

Goten looked doubtful. “Does it even count as ‘half-serious’?”

“I think in the end it would have turned out to be.”

“So why didn’t it?”

“She died. The damn infection.”

“Huh,” Goten said astonished. “A female?” Then he caught himself. “Err…sorry to hear that.”

Reyn shrugged. “That’s how it is.” Goten was silent but Reyn could bet he knew what the other male wanted to ask. 

“Err…” Goten drawled sheepishly, his cheeks tinting red. “I do realize that it’s a horribly untactful question, but… Is it very different?”

“Different how?” Reyn asked just to tease Goten.

“Well, the sex. I kind of… Dunno, I’m just curious.”

Reyn chuckled. “Yeah, it’s different.”

“How?”

“Well, for one, they don’t have a dick. Second, breasts do feel nice. And third, I didn’t need so much lubricant.”

Goten frowned at him. “You know I wasn’t asking about that.”

“Yeah, I do. But you’ll have to do the research on finer details on your own.”

Goten pursed his lips in protest. “That’s not fair.” Really, Reyn wouldn’t even have thought about approaching him if he didn’t belong to that stupid project. Why would he if he could score a female any time he wanted? This was stupid, but it was kind of hurting his pride. Well, in a way, he was using Reyn, too. Fair enough.

“Right,” Goten said in a minute, his voice somewhat irritated. “As of this moment, I’m starting to save money for a visit to a female. Will probably take me ages, but who cares.”

“You sure you want that?”

“If you can, then I can too.”

Reyn rolled his eyes at the ceiling. Younglings. “Don’t turn this into some sick competition.” Shifting to get into a more comfortable position, he sighed. “You don’t need to save any money. As soon as you show any interest in meeting one, National Security will present all of them for you.”

“To inseminate them,” Goten said, not certain how he should react.

“Yup. You can line them up along a wall and fuck a different one every night. They would be so pumped up with sedatives that they wouldn’t even understand what was happening. They might even enjoy it, too.”

“Ugh… Is it really that way?” 

“Well, that’s what they suggested to me. I kindly declined the offer and just chose one who didn’t seem as if she would claw my eyes out as soon as I touched her. It more or less worked out. Except for her death. I suppose I was also the one who transmitted the virus to her.”

“You don’t know that. And they sanitize all visitors, don’t they?”

“Yeah, they do,” Reyn agreed. “But there’s always a chance that… I also keep telling myself it’s pointless to think about it. Doesn’t really work.”

“Yeah, that’s how it goes,” Goten said. He thought about his own mother and father. His father must still be blaming himself for her death as well. Then, Toharu’s grinning face swam up in his mind’s eye. He thought of his brother, too. “It gets easier with time, though. Kind of…blurry,” he said after a pause. He cringed at the memory of Ario holding Toharu’s mutilated body in his arms. Nothing was blurry about that.

The flight officer watched him thoughtfully, then shrugged. “I suppose.”

Goten pursed his lips. It was clear now why his father had taken the female he liked away from that birthing factory. He didn’t know his mother, he only knew what Gohan had told him about her, but the thought of her staying in one of those facilities where anyone could just do her if they wished was very disquieting.

“Well, it doesn’t sound so exciting anymore,” Goten admitted. “It’s kind of…”

“You shouldn’t go there unless you’re ready to father a kid or two,” Reyn said seriously. “And even then, make sure you can take care of them. Be certain that National Security will want to get their hands on them.”

Unsettling. Really unsettling. “Thanks for the advice, I suppose,” Goten said uncertainly. More often than not, Saiyans didn’t particularly care what happened to their offspring as long as they were alive and continued the bloodline. Growing up at a children's home was a common occurrence. Reyn had correctly figured that he had grown up in a family or a pack. There was always a difference, no matter how small. Usually, those who had grown in families or packs later created or joined one as well. If there was a possibility to, of course. Due to the lack of females, it was mostly impossible for the third-class.

“Say,” Reyn drawled a little hesitantly, “have you had more of those dreams?”

Goten felt a little regret for mentioning them at all. “Well…sorta. I think I had one about ten days ago. But I can’t remember much from it. I think there was an explosion of sorts and then I also remember seeing many people.”

“Sounds similar to what happened on _Orion_.”

Goten shook his head. “No, it was completely different. It was…a big hall with many seats. A conference of some sorts?” he mused.

“Was your father there?”

Goten gave him a stunned look, but then remembered that Reyn had seen the notebook where he had scribbled something down right after waking up from his three-day sleep. Damn, the man had a good memory for things like that!

“Yeah, I think he was,” Goten answered after some thought. “I can’t really remember, but I wouldn’t have written him down otherwise. Or maybe I intended to ask him something. I can’t tell for certain.”

Reyn sighed. “Not much to work with. But you’d better contact him – maybe you had intended to warn him about what was about to happen.”

Goten nodded, but didn’t believe it was that. He somehow knew instinctively that it was not the reason. Why he knew, he could not explain. It was just one of “ _those_ ” things.

ooOoOoOoo

“How goes it?”

Sildara gave Goten a sullen look. “I’ve been tasked with finding the hacker who messed with the screen on the captain’s bridge. No luck so far.”

Interested, Goten stopped chewing. “Yeah? I haven’t heard anything about that. When did this happen?”

“Two days ago. Well, we can’t walk around saying that there’s some mutton-head on board who can get into our system whenever he wants.”

“Yeah, makes sense. So what did he do?”

“Nothing much. He simply loaded a game and we were forced to watch him prancing around on the screen until Rokunda blocked him.”

Goten grinned. “I promise you that it’s just Humans getting bored.”

“I doubt it. Our systems and codes are pretty different after all, and only the most widely used equipment of ours is adapted for the codes Humans use. I think the only thing they could hack on _Starcunt_ is our washing-machine, but even that one is out of order.”

“So you think it’s one of the crew? Nah. There are many Humans who are well-versed in all kinds of coding.”

Sildara looked dubious. He didn’t want to tell Goten, but he had already checked most of the Humans’ identities and none of them appeared at least partially close to being able to usurp the main screen. “Say,” he wondered, “there’s a terminal in your cabin as well? It doesn’t work, though, right?”

Goten gave him a sheepish look. “It does. I accidentally found out that there’s a switch on the system block under the table. It works perfectly.”

“Yeah? Mind if I take a look at it?”

“Of course not. Be my guest.”

ooOoOoOoo

The scheduled landing on Meia Colony was going to take place in seven hours and Goten was looking forward to it. There was a small matter to take care of after landing, but once it was done, all the Humans were going to leave the ship. Goten had made friends with a few but, in general, he wanted his routine back, the one without Humans’ scandalized comments and snooping around.

There was a meeting held on the captain’s bridge and Goten – with a few others from the crew – headed to the front of the ship. When he entered the room, he found a few of his crew mates engaged in a discussion about the upcoming landing on the colony. Goten looked around his gathered colleagues, then spotted Reyn and trudged over to him.

“What’s going on?”

“They want to spend the night on the colony. To go drinking or something.”

“Are you serious?” Goten gave him an incredulous look, then averted his eyes to the circle of several people next to the main screen. Adriel, Sildara, Edesha, and the twins. He sighed. “Yeah, you are.”

“Don’t even think about it,” the captain was saying.

“But…”

“No!”

Adriel shook his head in frustration. “But Landan isn’t feeling well! Tamahi said that he shows the symptoms of pnomorea. And we don’t have the needed equipment on board to finalize the diagnosis. He has to be tested.” 

The captain cast an inquiring look at the doctor. Tamahi shrugged, then gave the ceiling an overly thoughtful look. “Well,” he drawled, “it _might_ be that it _is_ pnomorea.”

“One chance out of a million,” Reyn muttered under his breath only for Goten to hear. “Last time we were flying past this colony, some mysterious holes appeared in one of the water pipes and we didn’t have the required material to mend it.”

“And it will take time to run all those tests,” Adriel continued, “so why not let us go out? We’ll be staying here scratching our idle asses anyway.”

“Well, alright,” the captain agreed after a minute’s hesitation. He pretended not to notice the joyous grins on his men’s faces. “Now, let’s concentrate on the topic at hand.”

“How much did they pay Landan to be poked and prodded at?” Goten wondered silently.

“No idea. They might start taking turns getting sick every time we fly past this damn colony.”

Goten chuckled. “He does know what they are doing, though, doesn’t he?”

“Sure he does. You don’t become a captain for being brain-dead.”

Absently, Goten listened to the instructions for fifteen minutes, then they were dismissed. Reyn caught him by his arm just when he was about to leave the captain’s bridge. 

“Wait a moment.”

“Mm?”

Goten let himself be guided to Adriel’s terminal. The flight officer tapped his fingers on the navigator’s desk to get his attention. 

“I want eighty percent,” Reyn said when the other man’s eyes concentrated on him.

At first, Adriel seemed to be flustered, then his face changed into an unreadable expression. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you do. I saw Edesha watching it.”

“I seriously don’t un-”

Reyn smiled at him. “I think I don’t need to bother telling you how hard it is to pilot this ship with broken arms.” With his head, he motioned at Goten next to him. “Show him.”

Adriel hesitated, but the look on Reyn’s face made his fingers move on the keyboard. Goten leaned in to see the monitor better. He rolled his eyes when two naked bodies appeared there. Figures. More porn. Then Goten’s jaw unlocked and he just stood frozen with his mouth wide open. 

“What the hell?!” he stuttered in shock in several seconds. “Where the hell…?” Then his head snapped around to Sildara, who quickly hunched behind his own terminal. “I’ll freakin’ kill you,” he hissed, straightening. “Both of you!”

Reyn patted the other third-class on the arm. “Now, now. It’s not a big deal. I look hot, you look hot, and we have put on a pretty good performance. I’m more interested in the income our video earned.” He thought his uniform was going to ignite from the look Goten was giving him. “Hey, I thought you liked being watched?”

“Not this way, you idiot!” Goten screamed at him, pointing at the screen. He turned to Adriel. “Delete it all to motherfuckinghell or I’ll freakin’ blast it together with you! How many people have seen this?!”

Shrinking away, Adriel gave Goten a tentative look. “Umm… About fifteen?”

“I will kill you. I’ll fucking kill you!”

ooOoOoOoo

Tom hunched his shoulders and tried to appear non-existent at the look Goten was giving him. It wasn’t really directed at him, the Saiyan was staring at him without really seeing him, but the furious flame in his eyes made him want to hide under the bed. Whoever had pissed Goten off had better watch out.

The Nondren moved on his bed, and Goten’s eyes snapped to him. There was one hour until they boarded _Kareli_. It was going to take about twenty minutes to land the shuttle on Meia Colony. He just knew the damn pirate had a plan up his sleeve and would attempt an escape. He didn’t even need to be clairvoyant to know that. The third-class realized he was growling and stilled the sound. There was no need to frighten the bastard – let him try. He badly wanted to bash someone in, anyway.

That fucking Sildara. And even more fucked up Adriel! To think they had had enough audacity to activate the intranet video camera on that damn computer for their sleazy interest! He should have smashed that damn terminal to bits as soon as he set foot on _Starcut_! Not only had he phoned the purple-haired asshole, but also this happened! He just hoped that Nohail wouldn’t attach that video to his weekly report to the prince. Or maybe he hoped that he would. That would show the bastard! Mentally, Goten let out a row of colorful curses. What exactly did he hope would happen then? That the prince would come running after him? As if! He would probably forward the video to Ranvera to show him that he had finally given in to his fate and become a porn star. 

Goten realized he was rambling.

He regretted not having punched Adriel and Sildara at least once. He most probably would have if not for Reyn, who had dragged him out of there with a promise that he would be able to beat the crap out of them once they weren’t needed to pilot the ship. That had sounded about right then, but now it didn’t make much sense.

The third-class watched Andrew typing away on his laptop. He must have written an entire book by this time. Besides being angry, Goten was anxious as well. He remembered his reaction to _Starcut’s_ take off and now was even afraid to think what a landing might do to him.

He was relieved when, in about half an hour, Edesha and Reyn came into the medical room. They rounded up the patients and the Nondren and led them out of the room and onto the runway where the shuttle stood waiting for them. The Humans were being herded inside by Hazel and Monteira. The Earthlings appeared to be quite eager, though, climbing the stairs quickly.

Once everyone was inside and secured to their seats, Jadenas started the engines. Through the front screen, Goten stared at the hangar door that was opening slowly, the dark gap behind it becoming wider and wider. The third-class tore his eyes away and swallowed loudly. He looked around. There were only a few of them in the cockpit, the other passengers crowding the lower deck. _Kareli_ was so packed with Humans, the shackled pirate, and the crew themselves, that there was hardly enough space for a fly left. Only half of his teammates were left on _Starcut_ to cruise the orbit of the colony. Adriel and Sildara were coming to Meia as well. Goten would have expected them to try and stay away from him at least for a while, but it seemed that their wish for change was greater than their fear of getting punched.

The shuttle jerked softly and started maneuvering towards the open hangar door. Goten gripped at the armrests. He would have preferred not to go because he dreaded the landing and the takeoff. Otherwise, he was eager – he had never imagined he would have the chance to set foot on one of the Saiyan Empire colonies. He had spent his entire life in a small town, with the exception of that half a year on the base. The two haphazard days in the capital city didn’t even count. This was a great opportunity to broaden his horizons.

“You okay?”

The third-class looked at Reyn who sat in the row of chairs next to Jadenas in case the other pilot needed assistance. Goten figured that his face must have shown distress, making Reyn wonder what was wrong with him.

“Ehh…” Goten laughed nervously. “I’m not particularly good at this shifting gravity thing.”

“Why the hell did they even send you off to space?” Sildara wondered from across several rows of chairs.

“I’m still not talking to you, asshole!” Goten snapped at him.

“There should be a plastic bag in the pocket of the chair in front of you,” Reyn said. “Unless someone has already used it.”

“Found it. Thanks.”

Reyn turned away to face the screen again. He exchanged a few words with Jadenas, making the other pilot laugh softly. Goten’s eyes crossed when _Kareli_ shot forward and his back pressed into the chair. In a few seconds, Goten opened one eye to take a peek at the screen. It was filled with a round ball of a planet which was increasing with every passing second. For a while, the third-class admired the bluish ball, then screwed his eyes shut again when they entered the atmosphere. The jolting and shaking lasted for a few minutes, then the flight smoothed out. Cheers and claps rose from the lower deck and Goten added his own sigh of relief to them.

The touchdown was smooth. Another row of applause echoed from the lower deck, making Jadenas chuckle. He started flipping the switches, turning off the engines, and the others started unbuckling their seat belts.

Reyn took a careful look at Goten, but it didn’t seem that there was something wrong with the other third-class so he turned towards the door. They filed into the lower deck to help the rest of the crew with the Humans. In a few minutes, they were walking down the lowered trapdoor. It was late evening by standard time, but it was only afternoon on the colony, the two small suns still bright and scorching above everyone’s heads.

A mob of military personnel and onlookers were already crowding around the shuttle. A few were Saiyans, Goten also spotted a Human or two, but mostly the crowd consisted of a species he had only seen in textbooks. Curiously, he took in their large yellowish bodies. The Ardarians bowed their heads in respect as soon as his eyes would meet theirs. However, the four eyes on their wide round faces made it hard to grasp what they were looking at exactly. They had no hair and he soon became aware of their long chunky tails. They were as thick as his arm. It was probably a formidable weapon. 

Goten found that there was a higher oxygen concentration in the air than he was used to. At first, he felt somewhat dizzy, but then his breathing rate slowed down to adjust and the feeling passed. The Humans, though, started swaying on their feet. Uncertain, the Saiyans stopped, giving each other questioning looks. In a few moments, though, a large vehicle glided to a stop next to _Kareli_ and two native men or women (Goten couldn’t tell) with stretchers rushed out of it. The military personnel started leading the staggering Humans inside the vehicle.

The maintenance technician lurched as if he was about to faint. With a roll of his eyes, Tamahi pushed him towards the stretcher. Landan was nearly manhandled onto it and rushed off into the vehicle together with the Earthlings. Goten watched both of his crew members disappear inside. Adriel was already flipping through a bunch documents, signing every one of them, confirming the delivery.

With a gesture at the pirate, Goten asked one of the military personnel: “What about this one?” 

The man bowed his head. “Sirs will escort him to the detention center.” He stretched out a clawed hand to point out a prison van speeding their way. “Here, the ride’s coming, Sir.”

The creature’s mouth quirked up, showing a two rows of razor-sharp teeth, when Goten continued staring at him even after he had finished speaking and the scouter translated his words. Saiyans often reacted like that. He had heard that it was due to how jarring their voices sounded to their ears.

“Sir, huh?” Goten muttered, turning away to glare at the navigator, who had been appointed the head of their group. He could already tell who exactly would be escorting the pirate while the rest of them would head for the nearest pub. “Just call me G-”

“Hey, Goten!” Sildara called as if on cue, motioning for him to come closer. “You, Reyn, and Edesha are escorting the Nondren to the detention center and…” he trailed off at the cutting grin Goten was giving him. “Umm… So,” he continued, “you leave him there and then go to “ _Triple Luck_ ”. It’s…“

“We know where it is,” Edesha cut him off with a scowl on his face. “And I expect you lot to at least buy us a free drink for dragging our asses around.”

“Sure. And, Reyn,” Sildara said, turning to the flight officer, “try not to…”

Reyn rolled his eyes. “Right, right,” he muttered, not waiting for him to finish. “I’ll try.”

“Try what?” Goten wondered, shoving at the pirate’s back to make him move faster in the direction of the prison vehicle, which had already stopped. The driver was opening the massive metal side door for them. 

The look on Reyn’s face indicated that he didn’t want to talk about it. Edesha was sniggering, and Goten was intrigued, but before he could pressure Reyn for the answers, a commotion caught their attention. They turned around to look at the vehicle with the Earthlings. A shrill, protesting voice made Goten flinch and want to cover his ears.

“Ah, shit,” Reyn said at the look of the Human kid trying to wrestle out of a yellow creature’s grasp. He had suspected this might happen, but he had hoped he would be able to slip away unnoticed. He wondered what he should do, then just shrugged and pushed the prisoner to make him move.

“You sure?” Goten asked, walking after them.

Reyn nodded. He had talked to the kid in the afternoon while trying to explain that they were going to separate on Meia and that, in a week or two, he was going to be picked up by his mother. At least that was what she had promised him on the phone. It had taken Rokunda quite a while to find her contacts, but when he called her, it appeared that she had already been contacted and updated on the situation.

“It will be even more difficult for him if we prolong this,” Reyn said, wondering a little since, when they had been talking, Derek seemed to understand and accept their parting as natural. Now all he could do was frown while listening to his hysterical shrieks.

“I hope he’ll be alright,” Goten said, turning his head to catch a glimpse of the kid being manhandled into the vehicle. “Shouldn’t they just use sedative or something before he screams himself raw?”

“I don’t think they have many Humans here,” Edesha muttered. The pirate stopped in front of the vehicle, refusing to climb through the door, and Edesha kicked at his back, sending him sprawling inside. “Move it, you shit! So I doubt they have something like that.”

“Hmm… Yeah,” Goten agreed reluctantly. “But those few that are here are probably treated at local medical centers anyway.” The third-class climbed into the vehicle after the Nondren, grabbed him by his arm, lifted him to his feet, and half-pushed, half-threw him into one of the seats. “Let’s say one of them breaks his leg or arm or needs some kind of operation.”

Edesha nodded. “True.”

“Look over yonder,” Reyn said, grinning. “What do we have here?”

Goten looked past him and through the door to see Andrew running towards the prison vehicle. Edesha grunted, and all three of them met each other’s eyes. Edesha shrugged.

“Hey, could you give me a lift to the city? They are taking us to the refuge center here and I’m rather fed up with all that right now; I could do with a nice and clean hotel room.”

The driver gave the Human a stunned look, but Goten nodded before he could give his piece of mind about what he thought of this kind of request. “Sure, hop in. I think I owe you ten credits, don’t I? If we find an ATM, I’ll withdraw some cash.”

Andrew gave him a thankful grin and climbed into the vehicle. He was carrying only his laptop and a small bag of clothes. Mumbling under his breath, the driver slid the door closed with a slam. Andrew quickly took his place on the chair next to Reyn. 

All the while they were riding to the city, Goten was staring out of the windows, turning his head this way and that. The architecture, to put it mildly, was strange. The houses reminded him of termitaria – there were tall, thin buildings the color of sand everywhere he could see. The vegetation was as sparse as it was on his home planet. They were probably taking water from deep underground streams, too.

“Ah, here!” Andrew suddenly said, pointing through a window at a distinctive whitish tower further down the road. “That’s the hotel. You can drop me off there.”

Goten banged with his fist at the metal partition separating the driver and the rest of the vehicle. “Stop at that white tower. We’ll drop the Human off.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Andrew gave him another grateful smile and Goten answered with a modest one. The vehicle soon slid to a halt and Andrew left his seat to go to the door. He pushed it open, then suddenly turned back, throwing himself on Reyn. Meanwhile, in the other row, the pirate slammed his body into Edesha, both of them toppling down onto the floor. Goten jumped out of the van just in time to intercept a band of five attackers. Powering up to what could probably be his maximum, he wasn’t even aware of the native people scattering around and away from the street.

His ki-shield instantly up, Reyn ignored the kitchen knife in Andrew’s hand, grabbed him by his face, and slammed his head against the tempered glass window behind him. Leaving the unmoving body slumped on the floor, he jumped out of the van after Goten.

Goten’s back was glowing with powerful ki while he was fighting the Nondrens. Three men were already down, charred and broken. In fact, the last two were trying to escape. Without much luck, though. Goten’s ki-blast hit one’s back, sending him crashing down into the nearest building. Reyn shot into the air after the last one, overtook him and then, using his locked hands, slammed them into the pirate’s back. The man sailed backwards through the air as if he were a rocket, colliding with the asphalt in a loud, sickly sounding thump.

Reyn’s scouter was beeping incessantly, but he ignored the noise completely. All of the pirates were down, but the biggest threat was still there, strong and powerful. Still in midair, he turned to the source of that raw energy. Slowly, two dark and calculating eyes focused on his.

Enraged, Edesha kicked the shackled Nondren out of the van and then continued to kick him around for a few more seconds just to vent his anger. His arm was almost healed, but he was still favoring it, thus his feet were his best friends. His scouter was screeching like mad, but this always happened when Reyn powered up, so he paid it no attention. He knew that the enemy was down and nothing else mattered.

It took Edesha some time to notice that there was something wrong with the other two Saiyans. He gave them a perplexed look. Only now he became aware that his scouter was warning him, not about one, but about two incredibly high sources of ki. They were even glowing with it. Reyn and Goten were staring at each other as if they were about to attack each other. Reyn was hovering about ten meters above the ground while Goten was on the asphalt, his feet planted wide, his fists clenched. This was absolutely different from when they had been sparring, though. The tension was deadly. The fur on Reyn’s tail was standing on end, the look on his face ferocious. Goten’s stance was similar. Edesha thought that he had even heard a soft growl erupt from the younger man’s throat. There was also a lot of confusion in the air. He couldn’t be certain, but mostly the scent was being emitted by Goten.

The soldier briskly walked over to the youngest man and tugged at his arm. “Hey, what the hell are you two d-”

Edesha was cut off short when, with the back of his hand, Goten sent him flying backwards into the side of the van.

There was something absolutely wrong with this situation, but Goten was having trouble staying focused. Edesha’s painful groan coming from behind him cleared his mind a little. It was only a matter of several seconds until Reyn or he attacked one another. It was unavoidable. Why that was, Goten didn’t know. He didn’t even know if he had a chance to win against Reyn at his full power.

The flight officer blinked slowly when Goten started powering down. The urge to annihilate the other man was decreasing in time with his diminishing ki. Uncertain and wavering, he stared at Goten until the other third-class’s power level dropped almost to nothing. All the time Goten kept his eyes on him, too. 

The entire incident had not even taken a minute, but it felt like an hour to Goten. He was still not sure if Reyn wouldn’t decide to attack him. Only when the other man landed back to the ground and gave him a guilty look, did Goten allow himself a breath of relief. The yellowish people were coming from the corners and nooks they had been hiding in to avoid the dangerous clash between the Nondrens and the Saiyans.

Edesha punched Goten in the face when the younger man rushed over to him to ask if he was alright. “What the fuck was that?” the soldier demanded with a snarl. He hadn’t been hurt. There was, however, a large dent on the side of the van.

“I’m sorry,” Goten apologized honestly, rubbing his cheek. “I guess I was afraid you’d get hurt if… I really don’t under-”

“No, seriously! What the fuck is wrong with you two?” Edesha growled. He looked as if he was about to hit Goten again.

“We just couldn’t decide who was going to be on top today,” Reyn said while dragging one of the unconscious Nondrens into the van. “Yowch!” he yelped when Goten punched him in the back, but he was just in time to avoid Edesha’s left foot aiming for his backside.

“Not funny in the least, you sonovabitch!” Edesha growled.

TBC


	46. Part 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> A/N: **_Starcut’s crew members_** :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain - (Kandar)  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician – (Landan)  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quetreofdoom

Part 46

Absently, Goten watched the soldiers and medics fussing themselves with the pirates. He wasn’t certain what he should do, so he just stood with his hands crossed while leaning against the dented door of the prison vehicle. He presumed that they had already seen the damage he made to the van by sending Edesha flying into it, but there was still some hope left. If he could, he would have also gone and tried to bodily cover the corner of the building that was missing. He shouldn’t have used his ki and blasted that damn pirate fool into a wall. He prayed to all gods he wouldn’t be made to pay for the damage. 

He had expected to just toss the Nondren and the rest of the attackers back into the van and continue driving to the local prison, but somebody had called the police. They had been very respectful, had been bowing a lot, but it had taken some time for Reyn to explain the situation. Once he did, the local police contacted the military and left it all to them. Goten was amazed at how fast the uniformed soldiers filled the street. Reyn told their story one more time, wasting another ten minutes. It was a good thing that he had the driver of the van to back him up, which made the entire process faster.

They were in the middle of the street, completely blocking the traffic. With so many soldiers moving about and everyone’s interest mostly on Reyn and Edesha, nobody was paying him any attention and Goten soon moved away from the van to look for an ATM. He badly needed some cash since he practically owed everyone on _Starcut_. He asked around and soon found an ATM in a supermarket not far away from where the incident had taken place. His eyes widened at the numbers on the screen – he was rich! Aside from his usual pay, his father had also transferred a handsome sum to him. He hadn’t asked him to, and hadn’t expected anything, but it felt very pleasant. It also meant that Kakarott had already recovered, which was five times better to know than the fact that he was rich.

When he returned, the traffic had already been restored. Andrew and the injured pirates were already gone, and the two Nondrens who had not required immediate medical treatment were already in the prison van. There was one military car in front of the van and one behind it. It seemed that the only thing they were waiting for was Goten.

“Sorry,” Goten muttered sheepishly, climbing into the van. It started moving as soon as he closed the door.

Edesha snorted while Reyn just gave him a curious look. “Where were you?” he asked.

Goten groped around his pockets. “Here,” he said, holding out twenty credits for Reyn, “my debt to you.”

“Oh, finally some cash. That’s good,” the flight officer said, taking the money and putting it in the pocket of his jacket.

“Five credits,” Edesha demanded with an outstretched hand.

“I know, I know,” Goten said, counting quickly. He poured the jingling coins into the soldier’s palm. Edesha’s scowl softened at the sight of the credits. With luck, he would soon forget the incident.

The third-class still had no idea why he had been so agitated half an hour ago. It hadn’t been only him, though; Reyn had been on the verge of attacking him as well. It was as though they hadn’t been able to see anything except each other. What the hell had that been about? He felt shaken up and guilty for hitting Edesha. The flight officer, however, didn’t appear to be worried in the least. Goten intended to have a word with him later.

They reached the detention center ten minutes later. They were obviously an interesting sight to behold since a crowd of onlookers gathered in a blink. Escorted by the military personnel, the Saiyans half-led and half-carried two of the Nondrens into the building. Goten didn’t understand why they were needed here at all. He would have gladly shaken off the pirates after their unsuccessful rescue mission and gone drinking with his other crew mates, leaving them for the local military to deal with. The locals obviously believed that, no matter what, the Saiyans still had to lead someone to the detention center because some papers somewhere said so. One or two or five pirates, it didn’t matter.

The inside of the building, just like the outside, was a gray mass of blocks. They took a lengthy walk along the wide corridors until they reached the right cells. Reyn put his signature down on a few sheets of paper, and Goten hoped that they were finally free to go. It was only wishful thinking though, as, once Reyn was done signing, they were intercepted by the detention center supervisor. He bowed.

“I’m Arkhash Armafl, the supervisor here, Sirs.” He bowed again. “If I could take some of your precious time, Sirs…”

Edesha turned to him. “What’s the problem?”

The supervisor and the other Ardarians looked at each other anxiously. The supervisor let out a nervous laugh. “No, no. There’s no problem, Honorable Sirs. It’s just that the Human claims that he doesn’t have anything to do with the pirates. He also insists that Reyn Dueri…” broke off with a tentative look at the three Saiyans. 

“That would be me,” Reyn said, raising his hand.

“He insists that Sir attacked him without any reason. I’m afraid we’ll need written testimonies.”

“Sure,” Edesha said with overflowing enthusiasm. “Can we see him first?”

The yellow creature let out a gargling sound. “Err… He was brought here alive and it would be better if he stayed so, Sirs.”

“Pity that,” Edesha said.

Reyn muttered, “I knew I should’ve just killed him.”

The supervisor bared two sets of sharp teeth, and Goten wondered whether it was in protest or in amusement. Probably it was in amusement, because it was very likely that Reyn would have smacked the creature for his insolence otherwise. 

The supervisor nodded. “I would not bother you, Sirs, with such a mere trifle, but Humans like their papers neat.”

“So it’s our word against his,” Goten summed up. “Where can I get something to write on?” he asked when the creature nodded. He wasn’t going to stop writing until he put down everything he knew about that damn bastard. If that wasn’t enough, he would just invent some more.

The supervisor suddenly looked much happier than he did a second ago. “If you’d follow me, Sirs…” he said, politely outstretching his hand to point at one of the corridors.

“Okay, so apparently all of us knew he was a rat,” Edesha muttered when, with the promise of lunch, the three of them were left alone in a small cubical office with an oblong desk and stacks of blank sheets of paper.

They exchanged accusing looks. Amused, Reyn rolled his eyes and concentrated on writing his paper.

“Umm…” Goten drawled. “I suppose I’ve suspected him for quite a while. It was you who gave me the idea about the rat on _Orion_ and he somehow fits the description spot-on. He kinda…was purposely trying to look harmless, was hanging around the medical room too much and was asking too many questions.”

Edesha nodded. “Yeah, he was way too suspicious. I suppose everyone knew.”

Reyn snorted. “Well, duh. Why do you think it was the three of us who were told to escort him? It was as clear as day there was going to be an attempt at rescue.”

“That was an unnecessary risk,” Edesha said.

Reyn gave him an amused look. “What risk? He’s just a measly Human. Attacked me with a kitchen knife. A knife against a grown Saiyan!” He snorted again. “He should be happy I didn’t slit his throat with it.”

Edesha sighed. That was true enough, but if there had been someone other than Goten or Reyn escorting the pirate, the rescue attempt might have succeeded, and there might have been victims on both sides. From the corner of his eye, Edesha gave Goten a searching look. Now he knew why Reyn was so bent on pursuing the younger male. It was more than the likeable character and fighting skill. They shared the same power. Alone, Goten was able to take out a squadron of Nondrens without so much as breaking a sweat. In addition to being a partner of equal stance to Reyn, Goten was also good to have as a powerful ally. The two of them could take on an army, just like the most powerful elites. This was insane.

Mixed blood.

Edesha suppressed a shudder and lowered his eyes to his paper. He wasn’t certain how he felt about mixed classes. It didn’t concern him personally, but it still bothered him. It was probably a good thing, after all, that Reyn had stepped in between him and Goten before they got too close. Edesha gave his paper a morose look. He didn’t trust what his reaction would have been if he had been partners with Goten.

“I think he believed that once Reyn and I were busy, they would deal with you easily,” Edesha said with a sigh. “Must be your childlike face.”

“Yeah,” Goten agreed, “I get that a lot. Even he believed,” he pointed at Reyn, “that he’d beat the crap out of me with one finger.”

Reyn chuckled. “Now, that’s a lie. Actually, I thought I’d throw a few insults your way and you’d run off crying for your daddy.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “So what exactly do we write now? The more, the better, but I don’t think we have any tangible proof.”

“Sure we have,” Reyn said, “Rokunda has a complete copy of the data on his laptop. Who he contacted, who contacted him, everything. He’s as good as done.”

Goten and Edesha gave him incredulous looks. Then Goten wondered why he hadn’t thought of that. He had suspected Andrew, but hadn’t believed anyone would take him seriously and, even if they did, telling others would have resulted in their attitude changing towards Andrew. In which case, he would have probably just slipped away silently without attempting anything. He hadn’t wanted that. But Rokunda wasn’t involved. Goten doubted if she had seen Andrew at all. Unless it was in the canteen.

It took them about an hour to write their testimonies. Somewhere midway in their writing, they were delivered lunch and had a break. Goten wondered how many here could read Saiyan, then decided that it was of no concern to him. Reyn had finished his report first and was drinking his lukewarm coffee while watching Edesha write his. Goten soon joined the flight officer with a mug of tea. The Ardarians were awfully nice. Or fearful.

“You are not that good at your letters, are you?” Reyn commented after reading Goten’s testimony; some hieroglyphs were bent out of shape, a few mixed up entirely. Several sentences were going to give the Ardarians pains while translating.

“One can’t be good at everything,” Goten said with a pout.

Reyn chuckled. “I guess not.” He lowered Goten’s report back onto the desk. “Let’s make copies. There will be less work when we go back to _Starcut_.”

“Sure,” Goten agreed. However, as he stared at the pages of his report, a vague feeling slowly engulfed him. A certainty that he would never set foot on _Starcut_ again was suddenly as real as the paper in front of him.

“What’s wrong?”

Goten raised his head to look at Reyn. He wondered what kind of expression he had on his face to make Reyn look so confused. The strange feeling was slowly seeping away and Goten shivered suddenly, shaking off the last of it. 

“What happened back there?” he asked Reyn softly. “Why…? We almost…” He didn’t know how to put it into words. All he remembered was that he had wanted to tear Reyn’s throat out, to annihilate him. It had felt…felt as if the other Saiyan had no right to exist. Was that the same way Reyn had felt?

“Not now and not here,” the flight officer whispered.

Goten nodded; he hadn’t expected Reyn to answer with Edesha around. He emptied his mug and leaned against the wall behind him. He felt tired – it was eleven in the evening according to standard time, the time he was usually in bed. Here, however, it was a bright day. He doubted that he would get some sleep any time soon – they would probably join the rest of their team on their drinking spree.

“Finally,” Edesha said when they left the office. He stretched his arms over his head, his back giving a satisfied crack. In his mind, he was already drinking beer with the rest of his crewmates. He couldn’t wait to feel that cool pleasantness slide down his throat.

Reyn gave him a look. “We’d have left here much faster if you had hurried that report of yours.”

“Well, we gotta be thorough, don’t we?”

“Could it be that you’re even worse at writing than me?” Goten wondered. He saw Edesha shrug. It was obvious that the soldier didn’t give two shits about his writing skills. He looked at the backs of the two Ardarians who were leading them towards the exit. They seemed to be awfully glad to be rid of the Saiyans.

“And isn’t this our golden boy! Wow, you hair’s almost grown back!”

An involuntary grin appeared on Goten’s face at the sound of the familiar voice. He spun around to where the voice came from. The elite female was grinning too, walking towards him from one of the many corridors. There were three second-class females behind her. They weren’t certain what to make of this and stopped to watch the elite female briskly advancing toward the group of Saiyan males. 

Goten spread his arms, stepping forward to greet her. He couldn’t believe she was really there, in front of him. It seemed like it had been ages since he saw her last.

“Almanda! Wh-eowch!” With a grunt, Goten fell back when the elite female socked him in the eye.

“You sonovabitch! Why the hell haven’t you contacted us?”

Pressing his palm to his throbbing face, Goten got to his feet. “Hey!” he growled. “What was that for?” Then he suddenly found himself in a headlock, Almanda squeezing the life out of him. 

“I said that was for not contacting us for so long. Oh, oh,” she whispered into his ear. “And also to make you look cooler in front of your friends.”

Only now did Goten remember Reyn and Edesha. The two Saiyans stood in stunned silence, their wide disbelieving eyes glued on him and the elite female. The three second-class females were gaping at them as well. The two Ardarians were notably tense, not certain what was going on. It seemed that he was indeed the most interesting thing in the entire building.

Almanda grinned again, smacking him over his head. “To make you more popular with girls and stuff.”

“Hah!” Goten let out a painful grunt. “Interfering with my affairs again. Who said I wanted that?” He rubbed his head to soothe the sting. “To hell with being popular,” he said softly, “I’ve already gotten myself a man.”

The elite female straightened abruptly, making Goten gasp at the sudden movement. “Huh. You have? Really? Well, fuck me! Where is he?”

Goten pointed at his two crew mates. “The shorter one.”

Giving Reyn a speculative look, Almanda let go of Goten. “You know, he’s kinda plain.”

“Well, yeah,” Goten agreed. “But I’m plain too, so we make a cute couple.”

“Do you know that we can hear everything you say?” Reyn asked them.

“Never stopped her,” Goten said, patting Almanda on her shoulder, making Reyn’s eyebrows rise.

“Who’s your friend?” Edesha wondered. His face shone with eagerness while he threw quick glances at the second-class females behind Goten and Almanda. He didn’t really believe he could land any of them, but he had always appreciated the other sex’s company.

“We studied at the officer training school together,” Goten said. “Almanda…eeehh?” He turned to the elite female. “What’s your surname, once again?”

She threw her arm around his shoulders. “Nobody cares about my surname, sweetheart. Tell me, what about Kyon and Ranvera? Those two were chasing your ass for half a year and then you just go off to heck knows where and land yourself a boyfriend in no time. So what’s so special about that one?” she asked, pointing her finger at the flight officer who gave the ceiling a torturous look.

“We can discuss this over a glass of beer,” Edesha suggested. He grinned at the murderous glare Reyn gave him. He elbowed the flight officer, mouthing soundlessly, ‘ _Don’t cockblock me_!’

“What a wonderful idea,” Almanda purred. With her head, she motioned at the women behind her, indicating to follow her. “Where to?”

“To _Triple Luck_ ,” Edesha said, almost bouncing on his heels.

Almanda grimaced, showing what she thought of the choice, but nodded.

“Ma’am…” one of the Ardarians started saying, but the elite female waved him off.

“We’ll return in an hour or so and finish it then.”

While their party was walking through the door outside, Goten cast one last look at the Ardarians. They were probably used to Saiyans doing as they pleased, but that didn’t mean they liked it. Still, Saiyans were probably better than Ice-jins or some other race, since Saiyans didn’t care about personal matters and didn’t impose their culture on anyone. As long as they didn’t advocate rebellion against the Saiyan Empire, Saiyans just couldn’t care less about religion or education on their colonies.

Goten wondered how they were going to get to _Triple Luck_ but once outside, Edesha powered up and rose into the air.

“What?” Reyn asked after noticing Goten’s frowning face.

“I don’t particularly like flying.”

“Oh, really? Don’t worry, you can hold my hand.”

Goten gave him the finger and rose into the air to join them. He had so many questions for Almanda that he didn’t even know how to start organizing them. He felt tense with brimming questions, but was also relieved and happy to see someone from the base.

They landed next to _Triple Luck_ ten minutes later. Having judged by Almanda’s reaction, Goten had expected it to be some shabby pub. To his surprise, it turned out to be a huge, brightly-colored building. From the variety of races gathering in clusters around the door, Goten deemed it to be a multicultural haven. He could also hear, or rather feel, the rhythmic vibration created by the music coming from the building. 

Smug, with the females in tow, Edesha led the way to the heavy door. Two Ardarians guarding the door looked their group up and down, but even if they had anything against such a large party of Saiyans entering the bar, they kept quiet. Edesha pushed the door open and they filed inside.

Goten faltered at the loud music blaring through the air. He looked around, taking in the spacious hall with round tables spread out around the perimeter. The middle of the hall was empty though, obviously intended for those fond of dancing. At the moment, there was only one pair of yellow native creatures gyrating on the dance floor. It was still too early in the day, most people being at work. The ones who were present were still more interested in filling their thirsty throats than moving about.

The bar at the farthest end of the hall was served by two natives. Goten couldn’t be certain from this distance, but it seemed that one of them was filling a mug for Adriel. The bar was well-isolated from the rest of the hall by a wide and sturdy counter. There were also a few bulky natives hanging around at the walls. The third-class took note that the security personnel also included two Saiyans. He couldn’t tell whether they were second or third-classes, but they looked tough enough. He wondered how much they got paid. But then…he’d rather stay in the military than work in a bar.

They received quite a few curious glances while making their way toward the tables where they could see five of _Starcut’s_ crew members. Sildara’s mug froze without reaching his lips while he stared at the huge elite female next to Goten. He had seen quite a few elite females in his life, but he had never seen one with such a big build. She saluted his open mouth in greeting with a backhanded gesture then, with a nod at the rest of the crew, turned her head to Goten.

“Shall we join your friends or would you rather we had some time alone?”

Sildara tried to whistle, but only managed to spit into his mug when his numb tongue refused to obey. Awkwardly, he closed his mouth.

“We can join them later,” Goten said, motioning at one of the tables farther away. “Your girls can get more chairs and join them if they want. I can guarantee for most of them.”

Almanda cocked her head to the side. “Hmm… And the ones you can’t guarantee for are…?”

Unceremoniously, Goten pointed at Sildara, then turned around to point his finger at Adriel, who was returning with two mugs of beer. “Would film you in a toilet if given a chance.”

The elite female gave Adriel a sharp grin. “I see. Sweetheart, if you touch any of my friends, I’ll tear your tail off and feed it to your lover over there,” she said, motioning to Sildara behind the table. “With hair, bones, and all.”

Puzzled, Goten watched Adriel give a quick nod and make his way past them to sit at Sildara’s side. How did she know?

Instead of pushing up a few chairs, the three second-class females carried a nearby table over and added it to the _Starcut_ crew’s. One of them went to order the drinks. The other two sat down at the table. It was obvious that they felt as awkward as the men. 

In total silence, Adriel reached out to nudge Reyn in the side. “Listen, what’s the deal with your man and that…Almanda?”

Both of them turned their heads to where the elite female sat; Goten was just returning with two mugs of beer. 

“I’ve got no idea,” Reyn muttered. He was certain he would have remembered Goten mentioning being cuddly with an elite female. To tell the truth, he was rather shocked. What was that about Goten whining and complaining about wanting to save money for a visit to a female? He wasn’t certain, but it seemed that she was positively interested in Goten. An elite, at that. It would have been impossible otherwise, but with Goten being who he was, it was an option. If Goten was smart – and he undoubtedly was – he was not going to let go of her.

Adriel and Reyn watched the third-class lower the mugs onto the table, then grin and laugh at something the elite female said. He got into his chair, and she saluted him with her beer. She took a few large gulps, then burped loudly. Goten followed her example and emptied half of his mug at once. He seemed to sigh contently, then the relaxed expression on his face went away. He pushed his mug aside and leaned forward.

“How is Ario?”

Almanda pushed her mug aside as well. “He’s been sent to Wardara.”

Goten flinched visibly. The front lines. It made sense, though – he was a powerful ki-wielder. He could wipe out fields of enemies almost like a regular elite.

“When I saw him last, he…” The elite female shook her head. “He’s barely hanging in there.”

Goten pressed his palms to his forehead. “I wish I could be there for him.” A wave of sorrow swept over him. He wished he had somehow prevented this from happening. It was useless, though. Toharu was dead and Ario was all alone. “When did you see him last?”

“About two months ago, just like you. We are keeping track of him, though. We’re afraid he might become suicidal.”

Goten let out a frustrated groan. He had been worried about that as well. It happened frequently, Saiyans losing their wits when their long-term partners died. He could easily picture this happening to Ario.

“Keeping track of him? How?”

“Just like we are keeping track of you. Through Ranvera. However, I’m surprised that he didn’t mention anything about you dropping by here.”

The third-class gave her a confused look. “Ranvera?”

“Yeah, he’s been summoned by National Security, and has the access to most of the data. He knows who got sent where and can contact most of them. But you never called back, you bastard.”

Goten blinked at her. “But nobody ever contacted me. I keep telling you I had no idea about how to reach any of you.”

Now it was the elite female who was giving him a confused look. “But he’s been in contact with his sister the whole time… Didn’t she tell you?”

Goten stared at her for a few moments, then exhaled loudly. “You’ve gotta be kidding me… Rokunda? His sister?” Caught in a sudden frenzy, he ruffled through his hair with his fingers. “Arrrghh! That damn bitch!” he yelled, slamming his palms on the table.

Almanda chuckled at the display. “I see. Have you done anything to piss her off?”

“I haven’t. But I think she believes I have. She’s kinda weird.” Closing his eyes, Goten pressed his fists to his forehead. “Oh gods, so it was that idiot Ranvera who sent my profile to her and then she distributed it around the ship just to get back at me. Wonderful, just fucking wonderful.”

The elite shrugged. “Well, I can give you Ranvera’s number so that you can contact him directly and tell him what a shithead he is.”

“That would be awesome.”

She looked around, then got up and went to the counter. Goten watched her go. While they had been talking, the club had filled with more people. Now they hurriedly got out of her way before she could even set her eyes on them. Like all elites’, her tail was wrapped around her waist in a manner that made the white tip glaringly visible. Nobody in this building would ever dare to lay a hand on her. If the need arose, they could try and take her out in a group, but the consequences would be dire – an elite female was, literally, a national treasure, and the Saiyan Empire would not tolerate that. In case of her death, the entire city would be leveled to the ground to teach others a lesson. The Saiyans looked after their females. And their females made sure to look after themselves.

Now, as he was waiting for her to come back, Goten was aware of two elite males near the center of the club. He hadn’t noticed when they had entered the building, much less when they had taken their place at that table. But now they were giving him cross looks, blatantly telling him to just piss off back to the village he had crawled from. The third-class ignored them steadily. He could also feel Reyn giving his back confused and uncertain glances. Served him right after the shit both of them had pulled earlier today.

Almanda was coming back from the bar with a scrap of paper and a pen in her hand. Goten watched her sit down. She pressed a few buttons on her scouter and scribbled down the number.

“Here,” she said, holding out the scrap of paper for Goten. “Call him sometime. He will be happy to hear from you.” She hesitated for a moment, then drew her hand back and quickly wrote down one more number. “And that’s mine. Just in case. But I won’t be staying here for long. In a few hours, we are departing for Earth.”

“Huh,” Goten said, taking the piece of paper. He folded it and, with thanks, stored it safely in his breast pocket. He should have probably just programmed the numbers into his scouter, but scouters in his possession didn’t last long. 

“Have you heard anything about Kyon?”

She nodded. “He’s in the capital, just like Ranvera. He’s been added to the sharpshooter squad in the City Defense Force.”

Goten gaped at her. “Are you serious?”

“Why so surprised? You knew he’s damn good.”

“Well, yeah, but…” He scratched his head.

With her chin, Almanda pointed at the table where _Starcut’s_ crewmen and her friends sat. “So what’s the deal with that one? I think Kyon is convinced that he has already bagged you.”

“Maaan…” Goten sighed. He felt tempted to repeat his favorite phrase, that he hadn’t committed himself to anyone, but had a feeling that in that case she would punch him. And she would be right. He had left loose ends and it didn’t feel right. He let out another sigh, a much deeper one this time, the vibrating sound flowing over the table. “I will have to set it straight.”

She nodded. “You have to. He’s a good man. A pity. Would have made a good partner for you, too – easy to please, easy to deal with. Well, you’ve made your choice.” Then she rolled her eyes. “If we lose this war, none of this will matter, anyway.”

“That’s what I thought,” Goten agreed.

The elite grinned. “Yeah, and it would be a pity to die a virgin.”

“I’m not in danger of that anymore.”

Almanda burst out laughing. “Boasting like that… You’ve become quite shameless,” she pointed out.

“Have I? I think it’s how I’ve always been.”

She shrugged. “Is he any good? Treating you well?”

“Hey, you make it sound as if I can’t take care of myself.”

“It’s not really about that. What’s his name, again?”

“Reyn. Reyn Dueri.”

She reached for her mug. “A peculiar surname,” she said before taking a gulp. “He’s older than you. It’s probably a good thing, though.”

“Why are you saying so?” Gotten asked, pulling his mug over to himself.

She shrugged. “Just saying.” Goten had a tendency to take stupid risks and get into all kinds of trouble and it would be good if his partner was experienced enough to know how to deal with that. It would be better if he led Goten and not the other way around. She wasn’t going to say that to Goten, though. There was no need – he knew that himself. He was probably never going to admit it though. And that was fine.

“I received a short message from Hedera about a week ago,” Almanda said. “She says she’s doing fine. She’s due in two months. She also asked me to thank you.”

Goten smiled unconsciously. The prince had kept his word and sent her away to one of the colonies. “That’s good to hear.” Almanda was giving him a curious look, but Goten only smiled brighter. Except for the things that Toharu had constantly blabbered, he hadn't been aware of other people wondering about his and the shaii’s relationship. He realized now that it had not only been Toharu who’d had various speculations.

“Well, let’s hope the white tip won’t show up,” the elite said.

Goten nodded in agreement. If it didn’t, Hedera could just say that the father of her kid died in some battle and nobody around would question her. On the other hand, the tail with a white tip would be very problematic, even in one of the backwater colonies.

Almanda took note of the time her scouter was showing. “I will have to leave in ten minutes. You will probably have trouble with those two in the center of the hall.”

“Yeah,” Goten agreed. “Nothing new. Elites hate me. I think it’s in their blood.”

“Hey.”

“Well, with the exception of you.”

She chuckled, then saluted him with her nearly empty mug. “Don’t hurt them too much.” She shook her head, then gave him an intent look. “When the war is over, and if the two of us are still alive, let’s meet in some shabby bar and drink our asses off.”

Goten raised his mug to clink against hers. “It’s a promise.”

They talked about this and that, then, with a longing look, the third-class watched her stand up and head for the door. At the sight of her going, the second-class females left their table to follow her. He sat for a few more moments after the door had closed behind them, then went to search for the toilets.

When he walked back into the hall, his mood was bordering between nostalgic and ecstatic. His feelings were also overlaid by a layer of misery. He was going to drink his head off tonight. With the intention of ordering something stronger than beer, he headed for the bar. He stopped when one of the elites who had been throwing warning glares at his side stepped in front of him, barring his way. 

Arrgh! Just great.

At least the second elite stayed seated at the table, nursing his beer. Not even expecting it to work, Goten gave the older man in front of him a polite nod. “Yes?” There were at least seven different species in the hall; why was it that he never got along with his own?

“What did you want with that female?”

“Oh, we’re just old acquaintances.” That was a very stupid thing to say, Goten realized. The elite’s eyes blazed with anger, his nostrils flaring as if he was about to hit him. Not yet, but he wasn’t far from it, the fur on his tail half-raised. Goten scratched his chin sheepishly. “Umm…”

The man snarled. “What can an elite female and you have in common?”

“Well, many things,” Goten drawled. “Like taste in beer. Or liking porn. Or peeling potatoes all night long.”

The elite gave him an irritated look. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“About our common interests.”

Noisily, the second elite pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. In a few strides, he was at his companion’s side. At first, Goten thought that he was intent on joining his friend in a unanimous attempt at beating the crap out of him. In a few moments, however, he noticed that he was looking at something behind him. Cautiously, from the corner of his eye, he cast a glance behind him. There was half of _Starcut’s_ crew. Eight men were standing in a loose semi-circle surrounding him. The looks on their faces were bordering between questioning and annoyed.

“Umm…” Goten mumbled, concentrating back on the elites. So he had some serious backup. This felt really nice, even though it was much more problematic than nice. He didn’t want to drag his friends into this stupid spat.

“What’s wrong?”

The elite Goten had talked to glanced dismissively at Reyn. “Get lost,” he snarled.

Goten didn’t know what Reyn did, but the next moment the elite’s face reddened in indignation. Only when the elite stepped forward and tried to shove at Adriel’s chest did Goten realize that it had probably been the tipsy navigator showing him the finger or something along those lines.

The elite grunted in pain when the flight officer grabbed his hand, twisting his palm. The elite turned sideways, but the flight officer didn’t let go. Alarmed, Adriel stepped back. Reyn, however, held the other man effortlessly as if their roles were reversed – he was an elite and the man he was holding a mere third-class.

“If you power up any more,” Reyn warned the elite when he started summoning his ki, “I’ll tear you apart.”

Goten grimaced at that. This was not going to end well. He could remember someone telling him that Reyn abhorred elites with a passion. The situation had just become complicated to a point. The elite was not going to listen, Reyn was not going to let go of him, and then it would be the _Starcut’s_ crew against two elites. If he and Reyn were lucky and fast enough, his friends would end up with only a couple of broken bones. 

Goten let out an audible groan, noticing the security guys walking to them. Their steps were indecisive, though. It was nine second-class and two elite Saiyans, after all. It was now obvious that the two Saiyans working as security guys were just third-classes. They would want to avoid the confrontation at any cost.

Reyn’s ki rose in response to the elite’s. The second elite, who had not moved an inch, was giving him an intent look, then leaned forward to whisper into his companion’s ear.

Goten could only hear separate words such as “ _Starcut_ ”, “the same guy”, and “beat up”. Now, besides anger and pain, something more appeared on the elite’s face. He stopped powering up. It took a few more seconds, then Reyn powered down as well, let go of his arm, and stepped back at an arm’s reach.

“I mistook him for another person,” the elite muttered with a motion at Goten. “My bad.”

Goten nodded. “Happens,” he said. Without waiting for the elites to add anything, he ended any further attempts to prolong the conversation on any side by proceeding past the elites and to the bar for the drinks he had wanted so much. 

The two glasses of whiskey went down Goten’s throat in three seconds. He frowned at the taste, then let out a heartfelt sigh. It was silent at the table. The third-class smiled tentatively at his companions.

“Thanks. Really. For standing up for me.”

“Are you an idiot?” Reyn snorted. “What are you doing encouraging them?”

“Well, yeah…” Goten agreed, giving the crew yet another uneasy grin. “You shouldn’t have interfered,” he told them. “I can pretty much hold my own against two elites.”

“Well, fuck you, then,” Adriel said. He glared at his mug and took a large swig out of it. “Freak of nature.”

“Calm down or I’ll hit you,” Sildara told him.

“Drinks on me,” Reyn said suddenly.

“Oh gods, fuck you!” Goten snarled in disbelief.

“And none for you,” Reyn said to him, already getting up and going for the counter.

From his place at the table where he was sitting all alone now, Goten glared at the other third-class’s back. Not patronizing. Right. He was going to kill Reyn when they were alone. Well, at least it had worked – everyone was following the flight officer to the counter to choose the drinks they wanted. The topic about him and the stupid incident with the elites was as good as closed.

“Here,” Reyn said in a few minutes, lowering an enormous mug of beer in front of Goten. He pushed a plate of sandwiches under the younger male’s nose, too.

Goten stared at him for several seconds with a malicious look in his eyes, then wrapped his fingers around the glass and pulled it closer to him.

“I bet you’re thinking I spat or pissed in it.”

“No. I am thinking about punching you when we are alone.” Goten sniffed at the beer, then took a few gulps. He let out a content sigh.

“Have you ever been told that you can be incredibly childish?” Reyn asked indifferently.

“I’m insulted by the remark. You’ll pay for it later.”

Reyn grinned at him. “Awesome.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “No. Not that way.”

The flight officer chuckled. “Are you sure?” he asked, casually brushing his fingers over the back of Goten’s neck. The touch was fleeting, hardly there, but the younger male’s pupils dilated at the promise. 

“Really? You will let me do you without flipping a coin?” Goten wondered. He had to admit he was interested in this kind of redemption.

Edesha groaned and covered his ears. “Are you freakin’ serious? Why do we have to listen to this shit?” 

“I don’t mind!” Adriel announced cheerfully.

“Well, of course you don’t,” Monteira said. “You will film them later, too.”

“Jealous that nobody ever cared to film you?”

Monteira shook his head. “Not the least bit. But I have to admit it was hot.”

Noisily, Goten pushed his enormous mug to his left. “Okay,” he said softly. “Each time anyone mentions that video, I’m punching either Adriel or Sildara in the face.”

“He’s serious,” Reyn warned the other flight officer, who was opening his mouth.

“But it _was_ hot!” Jadenas laughed. His eyes widened in shock when, the next second, Adriel suddenly whooshed off the chair and found himself sprawled on the floor, his upper lip bleeding.

“Damn, that felt good,” Goten said, returning to his seat. “Anyone else wants to comment on how magnificent it was?”

It was silent for a few moments. Then, with a look at Adriel, who was getting up from the floor and cursing all the while, Jadenas slurped at his beer. He wiped at his mouth. “I’ve heard you suddenly became rich,” he told Goten. “Any chance I can get those fifteen credits back before you’re locked up in a detention center?”

TBC


	47. 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> A/N: **_Starcut’s_ crew members** :
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain - (Kandar)  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician – (Landan)  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 47

From where he was lying on the floor, Adriel was sending Goten a hateful look. The third-class paid him no attention, his hands patting over his uniform. The security guys lingered at the walls uncertainly but, since it had been over with one punch and no one else interfered, they stayed back.

Quietly, the crew watched Goten looking around in his pockets for the money he owed Jadenas. The third-class counted quickly and held out the credits for the flight officer. “Here. Thanks for letting me borrow.”

Jadenas nodded, taking them. “You’re welcome.”

“You know, I have some news for you,” Sildara said to Goten while Adriel was settling back into his chair next to him. The navigator was gingerly touching his injured mouth. “It was you who hacked into the main terminal from your computer.”

Goten snickered. “Hacked? Me? Are you an idiot? It took me over a month just to find a switch on that damn thing!”

“And yet it was you who did it.”

“Oh, c’mon!” Goten protested, incredulous. “The only way I would be able to hack it would be into pieces!”

Sildara rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you got _that_ part right. Your terminal belonged to Cid Alright, and he sometimes used to work from his cabin. He set it up to connect to the main terminal. It is, of course, against the protocol.”

Goten shrugged. “What do I care? I just turned it on and played a game.”

“No,” Sildara said with a shake of his head. “You also made a call.”

“And that is of no business of yours,” Goten said calmly. His eyes, though, concentrated on Sildara with such intensity that the communications specialist’s brow started sweating. Those eyes were telling him that if it was a fight he wanted, he was going to get one. And then he was going to regret having ever opened his mouth.

“This is already the second time you’ve punched me,” Adriel muttered, touching his swelling lip. He laid his other hand on Sildara’s arm to still him.

“Yeah,” Reyn said. “So you should take the hint finally.”

Hazel and Jadenas snickered. The rest of the crew was nursing their drinks, having decided not to interfere unless it became necessary.

Adriel’s fingertips came off bloody from his lip. He wiped them on his trouser leg. Sildara was threatening Goten without any reason. In other words, Sildara was being stupid and overprotective. After all, it was their own fault for setting Goten off. All Sildara would achieve this way was even more anger; Goten would not back down. Not now and not on this. And, in addition, if Reyn decided he needed to interfere, they would never hear the end of it.

Reyn badly wanted to ask what call they had been talking about but, just like everyone else, decided to let it be for now. They hadn’t gathered here to tear each other’s throats out. They had gathered here to have a pleasant outing before resuming their patrol.

All of them started in their seats when music suddenly blared through the loudspeakers. The volume rose, fell, then rose again and stayed; the evening merriments started. Monteira twirled a finger in his ear to get over the booming shock.

“I wish they wouldn’t do that,” he said, shaking his head. He had to shout to be heard through the music. “You can continue trying to raise the roof, but I’m getting myself more beer.”

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard in a while,” Jadenas muttered under his breath and rose to follow the gunnery sergeant. Hazel went after him. Goten had noticed that Hazel was skittish, his eyes flitting all over the hall as if expecting something to happen. At first, he had believed Hazel was worried that he and the idiot couple would get into a fight. Goten later realized that it had to do with the absence of his twin brother, rather than anything else.

Goten hid his face in his huge mug of beer and returned to the surrounding world only after he had finished all of it. He inhaled three sandwiches in a row and leaned back in his chair. He felt sleepy.

“Hey, don’t sleep,” Jadenas admonished, smacking Goten’s head on his way back to the table. He was carrying two bottles of a clear liquid which the third-class identified as vodka. “We’re gonna party all night long. A few more drinks and let’s hit the dance floor.”

Goten moaned. “I think I’m going to regret having left _Starcut_.”

“But you don’t dance,” Hazel told Jadenas with a roll of his eyes. 

“I do!” Jadenas protested. “I just don’t dance with Mandro around since he keeps laughing at me.”

“Huh,” Hazel muttered. “Really? That idiot. I’ve never even seen you dance!”

Jadenas laughed. “I don’t think it’s something to regret.”

“We’ll see.”

An hour later found half of the Saiyans in the middle of the hall, jostling like mad together to the music. A dancing Saiyan was always a sight and the local people were watching them, half in astonishment and half in amusement. As usual, it was surprising that none of them were knocking each other out with their fierce arm and leg movements.

The other half of _Starcut’s_ crew, including Goten, had moved over to two empty tables closer to the center of the hall to watch their teammates make fools of themselves.

“That kinda looks bad,” Goten gave his piece of mind after watching his friends dance for some time. It seemed that they were doing their kata, slowing down or going faster according to how the music changed. He had seen how dancing was done by several different species, but this was just…

“Would you like to try it?” Reyn suggested.

Horrified, Goten shook his head vehemently. “Gods, no.” The motion made his head spin. He had drunk quite a lot and then some. His bladder was calling to him. Shakily, swaying a bit, he stood up. “Toilets.”

Reyn watched him go, then his concentration returned to Jadenas. All of his coworkers were a sight to behold, but Jadenas surpassed all of them. He could understand why Mandro couldn’t help laughing at him. Tonight, though, no one from the crew was laughing at him – they were simply too drunk and couldn’t care less.

“Watcha sulking about?” Jadenas asked Reyn ten minutes later, taking a seat next to him. He grabbed one of the bottles lining the table and poured himself a shot. Five bottles already stood empty, pushed to the far end of the table; two more had been left on their previous table. 

“I’m not sulking,” Reyn said, pushing his shot glass over for the other flight officer to fill. “In fact, I’m enjoying your…” the third-class trailed off, not certain what to call Jadenas’s dancing. In all honesty, even if he didn’t want to insult the other man, he still couldn’t call it dancing. “…Your performance,” Reyn finished finally.

“Oh, I get it, I get it,” Jadenas said, rolling his eyes. With his head, he motioned somewhere at the hall. “What’s he doing with that third-class?”

Reyn turned in his seat to see what the other flight officer was talking about. At the far end of the hall, Goten was talking to one of the security guys. Goten had been gone for over ten minutes, but Reyn had figured it was because he had been sick. It appeared, though, that on his way to or back from the toilets, he found other things to occupy himself with. The youth was sitting on the table next to the security guy, who was leaning against the wall with his forearms crossed. It was obvious that the music wasn’t so loud there since it didn’t seem that they needed to shout to hear each other. He was grinning about something while the security guy was talking to him. 

Jadenas averted his eyes to Reyn. Surprised, he noted that the other flight officer looked a great deal displeased. “Damn,” he chuckled. “You’re pretty easy to read when it comes to him. Don’t worry – it’s just a third-class.”

“Yeah,” Reyn muttered, scowling when Goten burst out laughing at something the security guy told him. In fact, it was just the opposite of what Jadenas was saying – third-classes were his main rivals. “And we’re leaving in six hours.” Reyn’s mouth tightened when he realized he had uttered this aloud. The other flight officer was giving him an interested look.

“You’ve got it bad for him, don’t you?”

Reyn said nothing. He knocked his shot down and stood up. Jadenas gave him a worried look, but relaxed when it appeared that the other man was pretty stable on his feet; he was just tipsy. Still, knowing how aggressive the other man got when drunk, Jadenas followed him through the hall to where Goten and the security guy were talking.

“…and then he said that if he was gonna get in trouble for hitting him anyway, he’d punch him as hard as he could. And then…” The security guy trailed off when he saw two second-classes approaching. He uncrossed his forearms, his back straightening at the sight of them. “Your friends,” he told Goten, who was sitting sideways, still not aware of others’ presence.

“Mm?” Goten hummed, tilting his head back, his body shifting so that he almost fell backwards. “’s you,” he said steadying himself. “What’s up?”

“I was wondering where you went,” Reyn said, lowering his hands to Goten’s shoulders from behind. He squeezed gently.

“Oh. I was just interested in what life is like here. This is Parian,” Goten introduced, pointing at the third-class. “Reyn and Jadenas. He’s been working in this club for five years. You won’t believe the things he gets to see in…”

Parian tuned out Goten’s excited prattle. From the way the youngster shifted in surprise, but didn’t protest the older man’s possessive gesture, Parian deduced that they hadn’t been together for long. He dropped his eyes away when Reyn gave him a long meaningful stare. One would think he had been about to bag this second-class kid. Right. The kid was surprisingly easygoing, not bothered by his different class at all, but that was as far as it went. Parian wished he could tell the stupid ass what he thought of his suspicion, but the second-class was entitled to pound him into the ground for as much as meeting his gaze directly.

“Umm?” Goten squirmed uncertainly when the atmosphere cooled considerably. “What?” he wondered, looking at the quiet men. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous,” he giggled, elbowing Reyn in the side. “Stuuuupid.”

Reyn realized Goten was much more drunk than he appeared since he had only meant it as a joke. He met the other third-class’s eyes levelly and saw them widen in surprise when it finally dawned on him. Goten flushed red up to the roots of his hair. Reyn wondered how Goten could still act so coy when they were already sharing a bed. He, however, found this character trait of Goten’s endearing. It peculiarly contradicted to how he was during sex, but Goten liked to feel wanted. Goten had admitted as much when he had talked about some Kyon he hadn’t been able to reject properly. This was obviously where the largest part of his indecision to cut off all of his second-class admirers stemmed from. Selfish bastard.

“Erhmm…” Goten mumbled uncertainly when Reyn just stared at him quietly. “I’d better go back to my table.”

“Yeah, you do that,” Parian said. _Before this oaf of yours stirs up some kind of trouble_ , he added in his thoughts.

When the three of them returned, everyone else was already at the table, nursing their drinks. Loud guffaws were echoing over the music at something Adriel was telling to everyone. As soon as Goten joined them, a filled shot glass was pushed over to him and, not caring whether it was his or not and, not the least bit interested in what was in it, the third-class emptied it. It was quickly filled again.

At some point, Goten found himself on the dance floor, but he kept clumsily bumping into other people and Reyn dragged him away back to the table. Goten protested at first, then settled down. Soon, he was chortling loudly at something Adriel said. Watching, Reyn shook his head. Goten had a short memory indeed – just two hours ago he was ready to take Adriel’s head off. Maybe he would when he got sober. Or too drunk.

While Adriel was enthusiastically sharing his hottest experience with the local females, a loud echoing voice could be vaguely heard above the music. It was going on and off brokenly, only separate words floating above the music.

“…rd, you have a call from Velora. Please, …”

Goten frowned as it was intertwining with Adriel’s hilarious story. Must be someone important to be contacted from the capital itself. A captain maybe, or maybe an official needed for war council, or maybe someone’s female found out she was pregnant.

“…man ...epherd, …ere’s a c…ll for you from Velora. Pl…se, proc…d…”

Distractedly, Goten rolled his eyes and looked around for a drink. All this time, while listening to the navigator, he had been sobering up, since his shot, for some reason, stopped being filled. He hadn’t noticed, in fact.

“…and then she said she had a younger sister, if I was interested,” Adriel was telling. “Of course I was! Who wouldn’t be! And imagine my face when I…”

“Germ…n She…herd, you have a call f…m Velo…a. Proceed t… the…”

“Oh, shut up already,” Goten snorted at the unyielding voice. “Nobody cares about your stupid call!” His friends were also looking around, glaring at the loudspeakers. Must really be some serious bigwig for the announcer to be so persistent in begging him to answer the phone.

“…erman Sheph…rd, you have a call from Velora. Please, proceed to…”

Goten’s chair crashed down to the floor when he shot to his feet. “Where’s the fucking phone?” he gasped out, his eyes wide in sudden shock.

The crew stared at him in surprise.

“Huh? What?” Monteira asked, unsure what had caused this kind of intense reaction. 

Abruptly, the music went down, only the static in the microphone heard. Everyone in the club raised their heads to stare at the loudspeakers on the ceiling. The people on the dance floor started protesting against the lack of music.

“German Shepherd, you have a call from Velora. Please, proceed to the counter to answer the phone.”

“Oh, gods!” Goten wheezed. “That fucking idiot!” Gasping for breath, he ran off to the counter, leaving wide-eyed men in his wake.

Goten crossed the hall like a bullet. He kept running until his stomach crashed into the counter, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Gasping, not managing to utter a word, he held both of his hands out over the counter, his fingers curling and uncurling in demand.

“What? What?” the barman said, taken aback at the sight. “Did something happen, Sir?” 

“Phone, phone, phone!” Goten gasped out, clapping his hands together in his agitation. “Give me the damn phone!”

“German Shepherd?”

“That’s me!” Goten huffed out. He slapped his hands on the counter demandingly. “The phone! Now!”

With one more suspicious look at the third-class, the barman pointed at the other end of the counter where the phone was. Goten scrambled to it. “Oh, oh!” he said over his shoulder. “Return the music, okay?”

“You sure? You won’t be able to hear mu-”

“Yeah, I’m sure!” Goten said, already fitting the receiver over his ear, almost jumping up and down. “You’ve got some balls…” he panted out into it. “Sir.”

“Yeah, last time I checked I did have some,” came the prince’s smooth reply from the receiver. “You know, it always amazes me how much respect you have for your superior officers…”

Goten rolled his eyes. The music filled the club again, but it was not so loud as before. Mentally, he thanked the bartender.

“You sure took your sweet time before picking up the call.”

The third-class snorted. “I’m amazed I figured out it was you at all, sir. What if I hadn’t recognized you?”

“I’d have just used your real name. I’m glad you remembered, though.”

Goten felt he was smiling unconsciously and straightened his face. “So what can this dog do for you?” he asked. He heard the prince chuckle softly. Then silence settled on the other end of the line.

“You hung up on me.”

Goten’s face was suddenly hot like a furnace. “Err…” he stammered. “That… That wasn’t me.”

The prince tsked. “Oh, Goten. Besides lying to your superior officer, you forgot to add honorifics again.”

“Sir, I lost the number a long time ago. It couldn’t have been me. I don’t even know how to use a phone.”

“Well, of course.”

“Dog’s honor!” Goten could almost see the prince rolling his eyes. He listened to the prince sigh. It must have been a great sigh for him to be able to hear it through all the ruckus in the bar.

“We can argue about this some other time,” the prince said. “Goten, there’s this man on board the ship with you, Reyn Dueri. He’s just like you.”

Leaning on the counter, Goten closed his eyes with a chuckle. “Yes, I know, sir. He told me. I know about the project and all that stuff.” This was not a phone conversation. It was a great deal too late, the information, but it made him happy to know that the prince was looking out for him.

“Do you?” The prince was silent for a few seconds, then cleared his throat. Goten’s unconcerned voice made him wonder. “Did he tell you why the two of you are on that ship?”

Goten opened his eyes. “No, sir. He said he didn’t know.”

“He’s lying.”

Goten stiffened, bracing himself against the counter. “What’s the reason, sir? Is there something I must know?”

“So he told you nothing about that… I’ve just recently read a few reports concerning…hmm…your kind. I think they are interested in how you’ll react to each other. It seems that your kind don’t get along with each other. Far from it.”

Goten tried to stifle his laughter. From the uncertain silence at the other end of the line, he knew he hadn’t been successful. So the video hadn’t reached the prince yet. The third-class wasn’t certain if he was glad or disappointed about that. Probably both. “I think there’s got to be some mistake there, sir,” he explained, trying to steady his voice. “Reyn and I… We are…umm…very close.”

For a few seconds, only static could be heard in the receiver. Then the prince exhaled loudly. 

“Goten, are you trying to make me jealous?”

Goten tugged at the cable leading from his receiver to the phone. The prince’s voice, hardly controlled, was just above a hiss and was a great deal angry. Goten wasn’t certain if that was because the prince believed he and Reyn were an item or it was because he thought he was talking shit just to piss him off. The third-class wished he could end the conversation here. On the other hand, he wanted to hear more of that memorable voice. He chewed on his lips for a few seconds, then gave in with a sigh. “I probably am. I might also be making a statement.”

“You’re drunk.”

“Yeah, I am,” Goten agreed easily. He didn’t want to go any deeper than this. As long as it helped him avoid the confrontation, he was going to agree with anything.

“Goten?”

“Mm?”

“I’m not going to let go of you that easily, you idiot,” the prince growled irritably. “How many times do you intend to make me repeat myself? And that guy is dangerous. Stay away from him, and I’m not saying this be-”

Goten stared at the row of varicolored bottles on the shelf in front of him. He could only see a blur. “This is insane,” he said finally, taking the receiver away from his ear. “I… I gotta go.”

“Goten, wai-…”

The third-class stared at the wobbling receiver on the counter. Leaning his elbows on it, he bent forward, his hands sliding into his hair. Shit. He shouldn’t have answered the call. But what could he do? It was not as if he could hide from a Saiyan Prince. And it was not as if he wanted to. That selfish purple-haired bastard was messing him up again. And the problem was that it felt both wonderful and dreadful. 

Goten started when a hand appeared in his vision to hover above the receiver. He almost grabbed at the hand to prevent it from taking the receiver, then caught himself and raised his head to the bartender.

“Bad news, Sir?” the Ardarian asked sympathetically, returning the receiver to the stand.

Goten took a moment to think. “Not sure,” he said finally. “It depends on how you look at it.” Then he slammed his forehead against the counter, making the bartender jump away from him in surprise. “Fucking hell,” Goten cursed, raising his head, his forehead now reddish. “I forgot to ask about my father!”

Both he and the bartender started in surprise when the phone rang again. The bartender gave Goten a questioning look. It rang again.

“Oh, gods,” Goten moaned, motioning with his hand for it. He had no idea what to say except for repeating to the prince over and over that they shouldn’t be talking at all. The prince was not going to like that. Hopefully. The expectant emotion made Goten feel like slamming his forehead against the counter one more time. He was really drunk to want that. 

“You’ve got some nerve to hang up on me for a second time,” the prince hissed when Goten answered. “I’ll freakin’ tear your tail off the next time I see you!”

“Then it’s better not to see me, sir,” Goten said moodily, angry at himself and the prince. “I’m against violence. Especially when it’s committed against me.”

“Oh, shut up with your crap!”

Goten closed his mouth. He stared at the varicolored bottles. “I’m a bit confused,” he admitted to the other man. “And pissed off. And nervous. And afraid.”

“You’d better be!” the prince snapped at him impatiently, not really listening to the third-class’s confessions. “Don’t you dare hung up on me again or I’ll personally come and hunt you down!” he growled irritably. “Now listen carefully, you idiot! That Reyn guy is dangerous. Why do you think there are only four of your kind left? I’ll tell you why, Goten. It’s because you’ve killed each other off! There’s something wrong with how you perceive each other. It’s pure instinct, they claim. I’ve read the entire thing, but it doesn’t seem that they figured out what it is exactly that makes you do it. But the fact is that you will attack Reyn or he will attack you as soon as both of you power up over a hundred thousand or so. That’s a proven fact, Goten.”

“Ohmyfuckinggodmotherfuckingasshole,” Goten breathed out in a few seconds when the shock passed enough for him to be able to speak. “So that’s what it was! That sonovabitch!”

“What was?”

“Never mind. I have a question, sir.”

“I bet you do.”

“So why would they put us together on one ship, sir? That doesn’t make any sense! One of us would just kill the other. Why would they do that?”

The prince was silent for several seconds, then hummed musingly. “I figured they wanted to see how you reacted to each other, but when you put it that way… It really doesn’t make any sense. From what I’ve seen, they treasure all of you too much to just go and do that. Mmm…”

“Well, maybe they’ve finally gotten bored with us,” the third-class reasoned. “Or found someone else to toy with.”

“I seriously doubt that, Goten.”

Goten liked how the prince said his name. Soft and warm and with a hint of teasing. He closed his eyes, wishing for the prince to repeat it again. Realizing how silly he was being, Goten cleared his throat uncomfortably and opened his eyes again. 

“How is my father doing, sir?”

“He’s just fine. Last time I checked he was being sent to Bruminan Station. He’s completely recovered.”

Frowning, Goten studied a tall brown bottle on the top shelf. He had heard that name somewhere. It was very important, he knew. But what exactly was it about that name that made it stand out…

“Goten? Goten!”

Goten shook himself out of his trance, blinking. “Oh, sorry. I kind of…”

“Don’t ask if you don’t care!”

“You’re pretty irritable today, sir. Did something happen?”

He heard the prince sigh. “Every day, something happens. I wish I could be on that damn ship with you and not have a care in the world about all these… Argh! Do you know that my grandfather is trying to marry me off to some six-eyed tropical fish they call Princess of Redora? I’ve spent two hours arguing with him!”

“With our king, you mean?”

“Yeah, right, that freakin’ asshole!”

Goten’s eyes widened at the blasphemy, then he burst out laughing. “You sure you should be telling me this?”

The prince snorted. “Better you than anyone else.”

Goten’s grin disappeared slowly. The prince must be really tired to be sharing such personal things. Tired and incredibly busy with the empire affairs, but still miraculously finding time to concern himself with some third-class’s problems, to look out for him. A wave of gratefulness and warmth flowed over Goten. He wished he could thank the prince, but that didn’t really seem appropriate.

“Why are you so quiet?” the prince asked.

“And why are you?”

They kept silent for a while, then Goten said, “You know, I sorta know about those weekly reports Nohail sends to you.”

“Very good!” the prince said smoothly. “Then you can help him write them.”

Silence followed again.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Goten said in a moment, his fingers tapping on the counter.

“Yes, I am.”

The third-class sighed, accepting the inevitable. “He’s still got those swords you gave him. He treasures them a lot. We had fun fighting.”

“Don’t sugarcoat it. He’s nowhere near your league. Not with your speed.”

“That’s harsh.”

“But true.”

“Yeah,” Goten consented. “But the swords were pretty.”

The prince snickered. 

“I wish we could spar again,” Goten said, his voice dreamy. “Like we did on the base. That was so awesome!”

“It was,” the prince agreed. “We’ll do it again, next time we meet.”

Silently, Goten blinked at the varicolored bottles of alcohol on the shelf. He heaved a sigh. “Will that be before or after you tear my tail off?”

The prince was quiet for a few moments. “If this is ever over…” he started, his voice soft and somewhat shaky, weighed down by sheer emotion.

“That bad, huh?” Goten said, not allowing him to finish the sentence. “Sir, it is not wise to give a promise that you cannot keep.”

So Goten was back to honorifics. The way the third-class was trying to avoid everything was, to say the least, annoying.

“Why are you so certain that I won’t keep it?”

Goten rolled his eyes up to stare at the ceiling. “Let’s say, sir, that something tells me that if I ever see you again, it will either be in the afterlife or you’ll be married to that goldfish, or maybe to some other seafood.”

“And is that a problem?”

“Meeting in the afterlife? Well, the only problem with that is that there’s no proof that it exists, sir.”

“No, you idiot, the other one.”

Goten chuckled. “Not a problem in itself either. The problem will be your precious wife, who will have me executed the moment she sees me. I seriously doubt this would be good for my health, sir.” Goten let out a tortured groan. “And I can’t believe I just contemplated that. I must be going nuts.”

“I like it when you’re drunk.”

“Of course, you do, sir. Of course, you do.” 

“Let’s agree on one thing, Goten. If w-”

In his receiver, the third-class suddenly heard a series of something knocking against something. The prince cursed softly.

“That’s probably him again. With a new bride.”

“Showoff,” Goten accused.

“Hn. There’s not much to show off when they are so ugly.”

“Well, that probably depends on what standards you apply.”

The prince muttered something under his breath.

“So what will you do if His Majesty doesn’t back down?”

“I’ll just have to convince him the hard way.”

“Ah, you mean beat your standpoint into him?” Goten wondered, hardly managing to wrap his mind around the way he was discussing the affairs of the Royal Family. Was this even real? “Can you do that?”

“Well, that depends whether we spar using our ki or without it.”

“Seriously?” The third-class thought for a moment. “Your defense is lacking.”

“You haven’t even seen me at my full power.”

Goten chuckled at the prince’s objection. “It would still be lacking. And what is your power level, actually?”

“Umm…” the prince hummed reluctantly. “About a million.”

The third-class choked on his saliva and was caught in a coughing fit. It was only a minute later that he could think clearly again. His face red and his lungs still aching, he wiped at his stinging eyes. He glared at the counter, his lips stretching into a bitter grin. _‘Our power rivals, or sometimes exceeds, that of the members from Vegeta House.’_ Yeah, Reyn, right. Two hundred thousand didn’t exactly cut it. Neither did three hundred thousand, for that matter. Goten felt as if the gap between him and the prince had widened tenfold. There went his hopes to find some kind of leverage in this bizarre relationship. Why did he even brood on that? Why was he so stupid? 

“You’re thinking some kind of depressing crap again,” the prince said.

“How do you know?”

“You always do that.”

For the hundredth time this evening, Goten let out a long vibrating sigh. “I’m thinking that you’ll have to sell the palace to pay for this call.”

The prince chuckled. “Yeah, you aren’t exactly easy on the pocket.”

“All the reason to…” Goten trailed off uncertainly. To forget him? He didn’t really want the prince to forget him. To dump him? They weren’t even together in the first place. “Umm…” he drawled, lost. He was saved by the insistent knocking he could hear on the other end of the line. It sounded livid and impatient this time.

“Alright,” the prince said, “I’d better go or I might end up married to a lobster before I know it.”

“Yeah, it’s best you don’t. I’m afraid to even think about what your offspring would look like.”

When the prince hung up, for a few moments, Goten stood still, leaning on the counter before taking away the receiver. He idly prodded it a few times, then, with a thankful nod to the bartender, started making his way back to the table where his crew mates were.

“Damn, you were on it for half an hour!” Adriel exclaimed while Goten was taking his seat next to Reyn. “Who has that kind of money?”

It was said jokingly, but Goten easily identified the prying curiosity underneath. “I’m still not talking to you, pornfreak,” he pointed out.

“German Shepherd?” Reyn drawled, wondering why someone would call Goten that. “It’s a dog, isn’t it? I’ve seen one or two in the colonies.”

“Really? What kind of dog is it?” Jadenas asked.

“Who was that on the phone?” Reyn asked, watching Goten filling himself a glass of vodka.

Goten gave this some thought. “I think it was the dog’s owner,” he said, lowering the bottle back onto the table. He grinned at the way Reyn was looking at him, an uncomprehending look on his face. “Woof!” Goten barked, saluting the flight officer with his glass, his grin stretching over his face, but never reaching his eyes.

While the rest of the table was laughing, Reyn was giving Goten a searching look. He could feel unfriendly vibes coming from the younger male, even his scent was bordering on aggressive as well. There was also a great deal of confusion. Both combined, they made the worst blend possible. Goten was on the defensive. Anything he said could set the younger male off. What the hell had he been talking on the phone about?

Half an hour later found Goten moodily staring at the urinal in the toilets. His earlier elation at receiving the call had been quickly replaced by unease. He didn’t know what to do with himself. Then there was also the matter of Reyn lying to him. He knew why Reyn had lied. He would have probably lied as well. At least as long as there was no risk of them powering up over a hundred thousand. Being in a spaceship minimized the possibility of them summoning great amounts of ki, but there were still all kinds of emergencies. _Orion_ , for example. But then, Reyn hadn’t known anything about his dream beforehand. He had kept things from Reyn as well.

Goten went to wash his hands. He frowned at himself in a tiny mirror above the sink. Was he trying to justify Reyn’s reasoning or was he just anxious because of the possibility that the flight officer might have toyed with him? If the latter appeared to be right, Reyn had better pray. He was not going to be a part of any haughty schemes.

The third-class moved his hands from under the tap and the water shut off. Shaking the water off his hands, he turned to go and met face to face with the elite who had tried to pick on him earlier. Past his grinning face, Goten cast his eyes on three more elites behind him. Backup. All in full Saiyan armor, while the only thing he had was his useless scouter.

“Four against one?” Goten muttered, backing away into the washbasin. “That’s not really fair, is it?”

“You should’ve thought about that before flirting with our women, shithead,” the elite snarled.

The other elites behind him didn’t move, and Goten realized that they were here just to monitor the justice being served. They had probably intended to pick a fight with the entire crew of _Starcut_ , but by going alone to the toilets, he had given them the perfect opportunity to settle this quietly.

“Umm… I wasn’t flirting. In fact, I have a boyfriend.”

“Who the hell cares,” one of the elites snorted. “Just punch him a few and let’s go,” he said to the back of his companion.

Goten caught the elite’s fist and shifted sideways, powering up and kneeing him in the stomach, the elite’s armor bending like a piece of plastic. The man doubled over, hitting his chin against the washbasin. The third-class heard his teeth rattle. Goten grabbed him by the back of his head and lifted him, slamming him face-first into the tiny mirror above the washbasin just before the dazed elite started powering up as well. He let the unconscious body drop to the floor.

“Three to go,” Goten said with an anxious grin, flaring his ki even higher. 

TBC


	48. Part 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> A/N: **_Starcut’s_ crew members:**
> 
> 1\. Captain  
> 2\. Backup Captain - (Kandar)  
> 3\. Master Sergeant  
> 4\. Navigator - (Adriel)  
> 5\. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)  
> 6\. Programmer - (Rokunda)  
> 7\. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)  
> 8\. Arms Specialist – (Hazel)  
> 9\. Arms Specialist – (Mandro)  
> 10\. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)  
> 11\. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)  
> 12\. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)  
> 13\. Maintenance Technician – (Mirun)  
> 14\. Maintenance Technician – (Landan)  
> 15\. Doctor - (Tamahi)  
> 16\. Medic - (Yereli)  
> 17\. Head Cook  
> 18\. Cook  
> 19\. Soldier - (Edesha)  
> 20\. Goten

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 48

“Goten’s fighting in the toilets!” Adriel gasped out as soon as he was able to speak. He had run all the way from the toilets as soon as he had seen what was happening in there.

“Really?” Reyn asked sulkily. “Good for him.” He had been trying to figure out why Goten was so cold to him after his conversation on the phone. His attempts to make the younger male talk had been to no avail – all he had managed to do was to get himself drunk.

The rest of the crew shot to their feet and rushed for the toilets. Most of them were drunk, badly at that, but the urgency sobered them a little. They swayed, tripped, but kept their course.

“No!” Adriel shouted at Reyn. “You don’t understand! It’s four elites! Go and stop them!”

Reyn glared at him. “Why should I? Let them fight.”

The navigator let out a growl overflowing with annoyance. “You freakin’ idiot! Go and separate them before they kill Goten or any of those idiots who went to save him!”

Reyn gave him an indifferent look. “He has powered up, hasn’t he? Then he can deal with them on his own,” he muttered when Adriel nodded quickly. The navigator was giving him a baleful look, and Reyn shrugged. “He’ll just go ‘I can do this own my own! Don’t patronize me! I’m a big boy now’, and all that crap. Hate that bastard.”

“You can bitch and moan later. Now _do something_!” Adriel yelled, beside himself with anger. 

“Oh, fuck it,” Reyn said, standing up. He swayed lightly but stayed on his feet. 

When they reached the toilets, it was already over. The toilets were swarming with _Starcut’s_ crew; there was hardly a space left to put one’s foot. Three elites lay sprawled on the floor. The fourth was standing in the middle of the toilets, holding his hands up. Two broken washbasins were spraying fountains of water; the floor and Goten were dripping wet. The third-class was still glowing with powerful ki but, at the sight of Reyn, powered down.

“So, you know,” the flight officer said, stepping over the sprawled bodies on his way to Goten.

“So, I know,” Goten snarled at him.

Reyn’s answer was a soft drunken sigh. With the back of his hand, he motioned at the fourth elite, who stood motionless. “What about this one?”

“I don’t think he ever intended to fight me,” Goten said. In fact, the elite hadn’t moved a muscle since the very beginning of the brawl.

“I didn’t,” the elite confirmed solemnly. “Just get the hell out of here before they come round.”

“I don’t think you’re in any position to tell him what to do,” Reyn pointed out.

“Shut up,” Goten told the flight officer. “I can speak for myself.”

“Fuck you!” Reyn spat.

“Well, this is getting ridiculous,” Sildara said, moving away from the door and back into the hall. “Let’s scram before the local police come.”

“A good idea,” Goten agreed.

“It came a bit too late, though,” Adriel said at the sight of the yellow creatures filling the hall. “Damn, the bastards are fast! Oh, oh. They are coming right here.”

“Okay. Move away from that wall,” Goten said, motioning for the elite to stand aside. “Ki-shields on,” he commanded, at the same time launching a ki blast at the wall. An explosion shook the entire building.

“Are you freakin’ insane?” Monteira yelled amidst a cloud of white dust.

“Just drunk,” Adriel said instead of Goten. “Okay, I heard nothing, saw nothing,” he said, climbing over the rubble to the other side of the wall. “See you back on the ship.”

“What a scumbag,” Sildara said, already following his lover. “But I kinda agree with him.”

“Oh, one of those rare times,” Adriel said.

“What now?” Reyn asked when he, Goten, and the elite were the only ones left. They could already hear the police marching.

“I’ve got no idea,” Goten said. “But it’s no use running.” He pointed at the elite who was leaning against the wall near the hole with his forearms crossed. “He will tell them everything. And them as well,” he added with a glance at the three elites sprawled on the floor. “And why are you still here? You’re of no use to me anyway.”

“Well, I’d rather be of no use to you where I can see you than be of no use to you from far away.”

Goten rolled his eyes at the same time as the door to the toilets burst open.

“Okay, okay, I’ve got the situation under control!” Goten shouted as if talking into a scouter, manhandling a stunned Reyn to the wall face-first next to the spraying sinks. He ki-cuffed the flight officer and pushed a few buttons on his scouter, making it beep and seem as if he had ended a conversation. Then he pulled a colorful piece of paper out of his pocket and started waving it before the yellow faces. “I’m a National Security agent. This here,” he shook Reyn and then motioned at the destroyed toilets for emphasis, “is a very dangerous criminal. Make way, make way,” he commanded, pushing past the police. “The car is already waiting for us.”

Once they were back in the hall, Goten dispersed the ki-cuffs from Reyn’s wrists and shoved him forward, kicking at his behind. “Run, you idiot.”

The other third-class stumbled, then caught himself and turned around. Goten expected a punch to his face, but instead the flight officer burst out laughing. “Was that the flyer for their new beer you showed them?” he wondered amongst his giggles.

“Run, you motherfucking asshole!”

Reyn doubled over laughing.

“You fucking idiot!” Goten cursed when the door behind him opened and the Ardarians filed into the corridor. 

The Ardarians weren’t certain what to do with the young Saiyan male. The only conscious elite inside the bathroom had not explained anything, giving them a glare and motioning for them to go away. Somebody, however, was responsible for the chaos in the toilets.

“Oh, I’m with him,” Reyn said, pointing at Goten while the younger man was being ki-cuffed. “Don’t forget to take me into custody as well.”

The Ardarians gave each other a look, then shrugged. “Sir can follow us if he wants,” the one who seemed to hold the highest rank among them said.

“Great,” Reyn said, grinning.

ooOoOoOoo

Halfway to the detention center, Reyn started sobering up and his amusement started fading. Now, following Goten into his cell, he wondered what the hell he was doing there. There were about twenty other cells in this corridor, most of them empty. Two Ardarians were sharing a cell right next to the entrance, the other four were occupied by Namekians. Reyn wondered what they had been detained for; Namekians were usually very peaceful and obeyed the law even when they shouldn’t.

“Not too bad,” Goten said, looking around in the cell. There was a two-story bunk, a table with a TV set on it, a sink, and a toilet.

“I need to make a call,” Reyn said to the warden who was locking the cell.

The Ardarian nodded respectfully, entered the last two digits into the electronic lock and disappeared in search of a phone. Reyn took in the green glow of the thin power field surrounding the cell. He figured neither he nor Goten would have difficulty breaking through it. The problem was that they couldn’t do it at the same time or there still was a possibility that, instead of breaking the wall, they would attempt to kill each other.

“They didn’t even take our scouters off,” Goten said, flopping down onto the lower bunk, claiming it as his own.

“Common law on the colonies does not allow them to disarm a Saiyan,” Reyn explained. “That applies to scouters as well.”

“Can they arrest us at all?” Goten wondered.

“Usually they can’t. They need to get permission from the consulate first. And usually it has to be at least mass murder of innocent bystanders to get a Saiyan arrested on backwater colonies like these.”

“But I messed with elites, and messing with elites is bad anywhere,” Goten said.

“Yup. The consulate is quick to deal with cases like these. They will be sending in their investigator in half an hour or so after they receive the report.”

Goten gave the opposite wall a morose look. He didn’t even want to think about what was going to happen. He got into fights with elites frequently, but this was different from school. These were grown-ups, officers already, and there were four of them. He had been seen and he was going to be easily recognized and easily punished. He was also going to get Reyn and the entire crew of _Starcut_ into trouble.

“I’ve got a request,” Goten said.

“Hm?”

“Can I count on you to lend me a thousand credits or so?”

“You think they will make you pay for the damage in the toilets?” 

An unhappy grunt escaped Goten’s mouth. “Of course they will. They always do. And just when I finally started getting by!”

“Okay, I can lend you a few thousand if the need arises. I don’t think the repairs will cost that much, though.”

“Thanks.”

Footsteps echoed down the corridor and both of them turned their heads, waiting for the person to appear in their field of vision. It was the warden.

“You can make your call, sir,” he told Reyn.

The flight officer went forward to the glowing wall. The Ardarian gave Goten a mistrustful look, but quickly entered the code to let Reyn out. He immediately closed off the cell again when Reyn was in the corridor.

Fifteen minutes passed and Goten started wondering whether Reyn was coming back at all. He had no business here. Even if he had previously told Reyn to leave him to deal with his mess on his own, now Goten felt uncertain and a bit lonely.

Finally, half an hour after he had gone to make his call, Reyn returned. He strode up to the cell with a wide grin on his face, followed by a pallid looking Ardarian.

“What took you so long?” Goten asked while the warden was entering the key code. The wink and the smile Reyn gave him made Goten realize that his relief at seeing the flight officer must have showed on his face. Goten scolded himself mentally. These things were why Reyn babied him.

“Oh, I paid a visit to our Human friend.”

“Huh? Seriously?” Goten grinned, forgetting all about his inferiority issues. “Awesome! High five!” he chuckled, slapping his palm against the glowing wall.

The warden tried to steady his shaking hand when he accidentally pushed the wrong number into the keypad. He had not expected Reyn to be able to launch a blast past the power field. He had requested to see a Human detainee in the other wing of the building and, since the older Saiyan had just waltzed into the detention center on his own and was not accused of anything, he had agreed. The Saiyan powered up in an instant, blasted a part of the back wall next to the Human, then powered down just as quickly with a promise to find the Human anywhere and anytime if he didn’t withdraw his charges. The Human had pissed himself. And it was no wonder – not even the greatest elites were able to penetrate the power wall.

“Hey, hey!” Reyn said, alarmed at the sight of Goten powering up in an attempt to breach the power wall with his hand. “Don’t do that!”

“But I think I can…”

“Yeah, you can, but stop powering up! Do you want to kill yourself?”

Goten gave him a morose look and powered down. “So now let’s go back to the topic of why you didn’t tell me about powering up over a hundred thousand.”

“Are you still drunk or something?” Reyn grunted in disbelief. The green power field disappeared and he walked into the cell.

Goten glared at him. “I probably am! Who cares! I thought that we could use the time we have, since we’ll probably have a lot of it.”

Reyn met that with a stoic face but with a foreboding feeling inside. This was going to get ugly.

Goten wanted to tell the warden that he didn’t need to bother locking them up since they could just walk in and out of the cell anyway, but if he mentioned that, the next thing they knew, they’d probably be in ki-cuffs.

“So about that hundred thousand…” Goten repeated when the green glow reappeared. He tapped at his scouter to turn the translating device off. He doubted anyone was interested in what Reyn or he had to say, but it was better safe than sorry.

Reyn sighed, turned off his scouter altogether, and moved forward to join the younger man on the lower bunk. “Well,” he started while the Ardarian’s footsteps were echoing away, “at first, of course, I wanted to have an advantage over you, since you seemed to be completely oblivious about why we clash with each other so frequently. Later… I guess I just wanted to keep you to myself. I mean, there’s still no guarantee that you won’t bolt even now.”

And that was it. Quietly, Reyn was giving him an expectant look. Goten didn’t know what precisely he had been expecting, but this short explanation wasn’t exactly it.

“And here naïve me believed that you were fucking around with me just to get my attention.”

Reyn chuckled. “Oh, there was that, too.”

“So, basically, what you’re saying is that you didn’t tell me because you believed that it would give you more time to attack me when one of us was stupid enough to power up to a dangerous level.”

“No, that is what you’re saying. It doesn’t work that way. _Both_ of us have to power up. What happens after powering up is unconscious. You have as much chance to be the first to attack as to be attacked. I suppose I was just too naïve to expect we would not need to power up that high on _Starcut_.”

“You were an idiot if you really expected that,” Goten growled. “Think _Orion_.”

“There were no enemies on _Orion_ , and I would have not powered up near you.”

“Yeah,” Goten snorted, “just like you didn’t power up today. Are you an idiot? Why the hell did you power up?!”

Reyn blushed thick red in embarrassment. “Umm… Well, I believed you were in danger.”

“You’re an idiot. Powering up at the same time as me to rescue me? No, seriously... Thank you for not killing me after having ‘rescued’ me. And if there had _been_ enemies on _Orion_ as well, one of us might have been dead more than a week ago!”

“Yes, I’m an idiot. I know I should’ve told you. I’m sorry.”

The way Reyn readily agreed with him and apologized gave Goten a feeling of superiority. It helped to disperse some of his irritation but, in turn, made Goten painfully aware of the fact that he would probably always compete with Reyn. He wasn’t certain if it was good thing, especially when he knew that it was more than a friendly competition – it was probably on a very instinctive level.

“Yes, you should’ve told me,” Goten said with a sigh. “But I understand why you didn’t.”

“Well, as said, I was reluctant at first, and later I just didn’t know how you’d react.”

“Yes, I got that. What I _don’t_ get is why they put us together in such a closed space. Before, they seemed to want to protect me all the time. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Scientists,” Reyn said with a roll of his eyes, as if that explained everything.

“Maybe they just want you to get rid of me,” Goten ventured.

Reyn shook his head. “No. Kandar said there’s nothing of the sort in their plans.”

“Kandar. You mean the backup captain? Why does he know what National Security's plans are?”

The flight officer suddenly looked sheepish. “Um. You mean you don’t know? He’s the one who reports to NS.”

“Oh my motherfucking god!” Goten exhaled, his fingers diving into his hair in stress. It suddenly appeared that, for every step he took, there were two people to report it. This was just… He groaned. “So that’s why he was interested in fucking around with me.”

“Not really. He was just annoyed that you didn’t take him seriously.”

With a flop, Goten stretched out on the bunk, his legs dangling sideways. Reyn watched him silently for a few seconds, then averted his eyes when Goten looked at him.

“So why do we attack each other once we power up over a hundred thousand?”

“I think it’s pretty clear.”

“Territory? Dominance? Females?”

“Probably all of that.”

Goten’s brow furrowed. “This sounds like what happens when an untrained group of males goes into Oozaru form.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly how it is. A peculiar thing, though, is that, unlike Oozaru form, usually this doesn’t work on relatives. If you and your father powered up together, you would not react much.”

“Define ‘not much’.”

“Well, it usually depends on the individuals themselves. If you don’t like each other, then, after powering up, you will like each other even less. It may lead to a brawl, but usually there’s no intention of killing each other. Just your common dominance fight.”

“But once the males are unrelated, they attack each other to kill.”

Reyn nodded. “Yes. I don’t know how to stop it. No one does. Nothing works except one of us keeping below the dangerous power level.”

“Then why didn’t we kill each other?”

The flight officer shrugged. “I don’t know. You were just above a hundred. I was at about a hundred fifty. I really don’t understand why we didn’t attack each other. And I can understand even less how you managed to force yourself to power down while my ki exceeded yours. I know you aren’t really competitive, but this is... If Kandar had seen that, he would have started typing away his report right there on the street.”

“But you didn’t attack me either.”

Reyn nodded. “Yeah, which is…” he trailed off. Goten’s eyes had a hard look in them, making the flight officer fidget with his fingers. “I have killed two of our kind,” he admitted finally. “That was a long time ago and both were your common accidents where we weren’t aware of the other’s presence and powered up at the same time.”

“Oh, that’s lovely,” Goten spat. “And I will be the third. You know, fuck you, really.”

“We are on the same fucking ship anyway!” Reyn snorted. “It’s not that we can avoid each other! And the knowledge of what happens after powering up would have probably given me only a fraction of a second anyway! Actually, back there you were the first to…”

“Don’t you start talking shit! Now you’re good to talk when nothing happened!”

“Arrgh! Same shit again! I already apologized for not telling you! I can’t do anything else about it! In truth, it doesn’t even matter if you know it or not! It doesn’t make any fucking difference! I would not attack you or anyone else of our kind intentionally!”

“Yeah. You’d just pound them to death accidentally. And what about me? Did you fuck me just to get some kind of special thrill? Knowing I have no idea about all this shit?” 

The flight officer’s eyes blazed and, for a fraction of a second, Goten was certain Reyn would hit him. Then the moment passed.

“Screw you!” Reyn spat, standing up and starting to climb to the upper bunk; if Goten didn’t want to listen, there was nothing he could do.

Goten wanted to tell him that he had already done that, but managed to hold the words back. Angrily, he listened to Reyn sitting down on the top bunk. Then Reyn set on pulling his boots off. Goten kicked his boots off too and stretched out on his back. He understood all of what Reyn was saying. The problem was that Reyn was more powerful than him. If it ever came down to a ki-fight between them, Reyn would kill him. That had been one of the reasons why Reyn hadn’t warned him. He might have tried to warn him not to power up if it was the other way around, or if they were at least of equal power. 

Silence settled amongst the cells. Goten didn’t know what other detainees made of their conversation. Hopefully, to them, it had just sounded like a lovers’ spat. Then Goten thought that maybe it really was just that – a lovers’ spat. Except that he wanted to strangle Reyn. He felt like laughing.

“Don’t you go hysterical on me,” Reyn said at the sound of suppressed giggles. “Goten, se-”

“Fuck you.”

“No, really y-”

“Shut up!” Goten yelled, kicking the boards above him. “Shut the fuck up!”

“Fine! Fine! Just calm down!”

For several moments, only Goten’s rash breathing was heard in the cell. It quieted gradually.

“If there’s something else I need to know, you’d better spill it all out now,” Goten said in a few minutes. 

Reyn was quiet for several moments and Goten thought that maybe he had already fallen asleep. 

“No, there isn’t anything,” Reyn said finally.

The pause made Goten suspicious, but maybe it was natural to give it some thought before answering. “Fine,” Goten said.

“So we are okay now?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t feel like strangling you anymore.”

“That’s definitely an improvement. So can I join you now?”

“Join me where?”

“On your bunk, of course. Unless you want to climb up here.”

Goten sighed. “It’s tiny, Reyn.” 

“So that’s a ‘no’?”

“Well, okay, fine.”

With an inward chuckle, Reyn started climbing down. Goten really didn’t hold grudges. That didn’t mean he was not going to remember. Next time something like this happened, he and Goten were as good as done. It was very likely that it would come to trading blows as well. Since it didn’t happen the first time, Reyn doubted it would ever go too far between them, even if the two of them powered up over the limit. No matter how strange it was, it seemed that the whole thing worked a bit differently when it concerned Goten.

Goten moved closer to the wall to let the flight officer in. After some shuffling about, they finally managed to settle down by lying on their sides.

“Who was that on the phone?” Reyn asked. He hesitated a long time before voicing the question. He felt he had no right to ask anything after what he had just pulled, but it was either now or never. He had promised there were no secrets anymore, and Goten was about to fall asleep and the chance would be lost.

“Mnm?” Goten mumbled drowsily. “The elite…told you about… Dog… Stupid… asshole… Goldfish… With carrot and celery garnish…”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Reyn asked, his apprehension growing. If the elite was one of Goten’s hypothetical boyfriends, he was much more real than Reyn had expected. No sane elite would try to contact a third-class on the other side of the universe. And then…obviously he had been the one to tell Goten about the powering up limit as well. It was disconcerting to have him access this kind of information.

Despite the unusual surroundings and cramped bunk, Goten slept well. At some point, he felt something touching his stomach, under his jacket. Sleepily, he shifted away, trying to roll onto his other side. That went better than his fuzzy mind had expected it to happen in the narrow bunk. The touch returned, though. Now the hands were caressing his back.

“Goddamnit, Reyn,” Goten muttered irritably, pulling away from him even further, “I want to sleep.”

The persistent hands returned. This time one of them settled on his crotch. Goten ignored it. He was successful for about a minute, but soon all the rubbing and kneading made him harden to the point where he could no longer disregard it.

“What the hell are you doing?” Goten grunted, opening his eyes. “We are in a detention center with some five or six other people around and you suddenly decide it’s the best time to fu-?” he trailed off in confusion. There was something bright red in front of him. A huge sea of blood. 

Goten started, sitting up suddenly and looking around wide-eyed. It was not a sea of blood; it was a huge red carpet, stretching from one end of the enormous hall to the other. Reyn tried to kiss him and, absently, Goten pushed the older man’s face away. He looked up at the countless rows of seats lining the lavish hall. Knowing what he would see behind him, Goten turned his head. Right. A platform with a tribune and a row of armchairs behind it. He knew the place. What was it called again? Brune-something?

Reyn touched him again, and, not even looking at him, Goten slapped at his hand. His mouth fell open in a silent gasp when Reyn suddenly took hold of his tail. His back arching, he turned his head to tell the flight officer to stop it, but just stayed openmouthed when his eyes met the so-familiar blue ones.

“Uh,” Goten stuttered dumbly, staring. The first thing that came to his mind was that the prince’s hair wasn’t so short anymore.

The prince chuckled at the younger man’s stunned face. Using the opportunity, and Goten’s open mouth, he leaned in to capture the third-class’s lower lip with his. Goten blinked and tried to move away, but the prince’s arm wrapped around his shoulders to keep him in place. The third-class’s breath caught when the other man’s mouth covered his. He thought about resisting at first, then realized that he had already lost his chance to resist over a month ago. That was just as well.

“Wh-why are you…you here?” Goten asked between their kisses. “I don’t…don’t think you’re supposed to…to be here.”

The prince raised his head, breaking the kiss. “And why can’t I be?” he asked with a grin. He ran his hand along Goten’s tail, making the younger man’s back arch again and a soft hiss slip from behind his clenched teeth.

“What…what the hell…you doing?” Goten managed to grunt out. His eyes nearly fell shut when the prince ruffled over the fur. He wasn’t certain whether it felt good or painful. “Let g-go.”

“You forgot to add ‘sir’,” the prince pointed out.

“Let go, you asshole.”

The prince’s lavender eyebrows rose. “Now, that’s no way to talk to your superior officer.” He leaned in with a chuckle. “A punishment is in order.”

“Superior officer mmhm…my ass,” Goten muttered between kisses again. His arms wrapped around the prince’s shoulders of their own accord. The older man’s right hand slid under his jacket to caress his stomach and Goten didn’t even try to bite back a soft pleasurable grunt. He wished this would never end.

“Did you miss me?” the prince asked, his lips leaving a trail of kisses along the side of Goten’s neck.

Goten swallowed loudly. “Who would miss you, you…” The prince’s fingers started playing with the very tip of his tail and he forgot what he had intended to say. The touch was somehow bordering between disagreeable and pleasant. It was simply too intense. His whole body was shivering.

“What are you doing?”

Goten froze at the voice, his eyes opened slowly, looking past the prince’s shoulder. “Uh…” he grunted at the sight of his father heading towards him and the prince. His first panicky thought was to shove the prince off himself and try to think of a damn good explanation for this. One look at the purple-haired man, though, revealed that he had changed back into Reyn. Goten panicked even more. He started begging all gods he knew that Reyn wouldn’t suddenly decide to turn into Gohan. 

His father would be overjoyed.

“Umm…” Goten drawled awkwardly when Kakarott stopped next to him and Reyn. Both of them were sitting on the carpet. The other Saiyan was absently playing with the tip of his tail and Goten could feel that his nipples were rock-hard; his jacket felt rough against them.

“Stop playing around,” his father said. “We have work to do.”

Goten blushed fiercely. “I can’t really get rid of him.” He hoped that Kakarott hadn’t seen the prince. Or, if he had, hadn’t recognized him. That was a slim chance, though, since seasoned soldiers were supposed to know what their royalty looked like.

Kakarott took a good look at Reyn. Sexual fantasies often invaded these dreams. He had learned to deal with them pretty quickly but, since Goten was new to this, this erotic abomination was going to follow them around for quite some time.

“Do you want me to dispose of him?” Kakarott asked.

“Oh gods, yes.”

Goten’s eyes widened slightly when his father reached out to touch Reyn on his head. The flight officer disappeared with a soft popping sound.

“Is he someone you know?” Kakarott asked conversationally while his son was getting to his feet. “Your boyfriend, maybe?”

Red-faced, Goten buttoned a few buttons on his jacket, then brushed over it with his hands to smooth it out. He was still somewhat hard. “Umm…” He didn’t really know what Reyn was to him exactly. They weren’t boyfriends, but they weren’t exactly sex buddies either. “Umm… My current partner. Probably,” he added uncertainly. Goten saw his father raise his eyebrows, but no comment came. Goten decided to explain: “Well, we work on the same ship and…”

“Doesn’t really matter,” Kakarott said, cutting him off. He turned around and, with his hand, motioned for Goten to follow him. “Just make sure that he doesn’t know about these dreams.”

“Umm… A little bit too late for that,” Goten said tentatively, starting to briskly walk behind him. He tensed when his father’s head whipped around to give him an angry look.

“You’ve been only seeing these dreams for… How long exactly?” Kakarott snapped at him. “And you can’t keep your mouth shut, can you?”

“Weeeelll,” Goten mumbled, feeling unbelievably stupid, “the dreams were the reason I saved him, so I kinda…”

“Oh, gods!” Kakarott snorted in disbelief. He pushed the heavy white doors open to reveal a huge wide corridor. Red carpet covered the floor here as well. Big, square windows let in bright light from the outside. There was another pair of white doors at the end of the corridor.

“Well, I had to tell someone!” Goten snapped back at Kakarott, falling into step next to him. “Maybe if you had told me about them and all that other crap in advance, I wouldn’t have felt like bashing my head against a wall in frustration! And I wouldn’t have tried to kill myself either!”

For a moment, Kakarott looked astonished. “Kill yourself?” he asked, alarm clear in his voice.

“I mean power up so high that I nearly blew up myself into bits!”

“Oh, that.”

Goten opened his mouth to say more about the appalling injustice he had experienced, but Kakarott looked so relieved that he contented himself with offering his father a glare. There was nothing to be relieved about! He closed his mouth without saying anything and followed Kakarott along the corridor.

“Where are we going?”

“I think it would be wise to look around. The assembly is going to take place in a week, and I am still two days away from the station. I was trying to figure out where the attack is going to come from and, from what we’ve seen, I’ve reached the conclusion that it is going to be an Imperial Star Destroyer.”

Goten pursed his lips. “What exactly are we talking about? I don’t really follow you.”

Kakarott turned to give him a searching look. “Do you remember the station exploding?”

“What station?”

Kakarott’s eyebrows rose. “I see. Let me ask you, then. How far away are you from Bruminan Station?”

“Uhh…” Goten drawled. There was something dangerous in his father’s eyes, as if he was expecting a certain answer. “Umm… That depends... Where exactly is this Bruminan Station?”

“Oh, gods. You don’t remember anything at all, do you?”

“Umm… No?”

“And you haven’t even started moving in this direction?”

“Umm… No?”

“Where are you now?”

“Err… On Meia Colony.”

Kakarott’s face brightened. “That’s not far away. Board any ship heading this way and come here immediately. It should take you only three to four days to reach it.”

Goten stared at him incredulously. “I can’t just go off whenever and wherever I want! They will send a military tribunal after me!”

Kakarott snorted, amused. “That’s even better. Let them tag along. Then maybe someone will start doing their damn job and protect the royal family.”

“They will sentence me to death!” 

“Yeah, that’s very likely,” Kakarott agreed, opening the doors. “You save their asses and they sentence you to death. As per usual.”

“Have you eaten something strange?” Goten muttered, walking into yet another corridor just as wide and long. His father, however, often talked making no sense. “Okay,” Goten said, starting to summarize it all in his head. “So, this is Bruminan Station and it’s going to explode in a week during an assembly? Fine,” he said when his father nodded.

“It’s not fine. Prince Vegeta is going to be here,” Kakarott said. “I don’t particularly like the man, but his death will cause disarray and panic in the empire; this will complicate the war to an impossible degree. Besides, I like King Vegeta even less. It would be good for the prince to finally take over the reins.”

This was what Kakarott always said when Goten would ask him what he thought of the Saiyan Royalty. He had never liked any of them but, when asked why, had never elaborated on his opinion.

“We are talking about the crown prince here, right?”

“What? Ah, right. I keep forgetting there is a third one. No, as far as I know, the youngster isn’t coming.”

It was strange to hear his father talk about his prince and shaii so dismissively. Youngster… Well, from his father’s point of view, he was. It was best, though, that Kakarott never shared his thoughts with outsiders.

“Listen,” Goten asked, “can we even do anything if it’s an Imperial Star Destroyer?” 

“I’ve checked and it seems they do have some autonomous defense system right here in the palace.”

“Like laser cannons?”

“Yeah. The problem is, we have no idea what ship we need to aim them at.”

Goten nodded. “Right. Before and during the assembly, there will probably be about a hundred various ships in orbit.”

“Yes. So if we ignore the small fries, there will still be some twenty ships that pack enough power to destroy the entire station.”

Goten huffed. “Okay, even if we somehow manage to identify it, how do you think we can use their defense system? Nobody will allow us!”

Kakarott snorted. “Nobody will ask them. If anyone gets in your way, you just blast them. Our main priority is the Saiyan Prince. Anything else comes second.”

Goten blinked at the back of his father’s head. The part about the Saiyan Prince being their priority was absolutely true, but was Kakarott always so reckless during missions? It was no wonder he returned from his last assignment with a huge hole in his side and a couple of ribs missing, not to mention his broken leg. It was a miracle he was still alive.

“In the worst case scenario,” Goten said, “we’ll just have to take down all the ships. It’s either that or we’ll have the prince killed.”

Kakarott turned to give him a thoughtful look. In a moment, he shook his head uncertainly. “Too many useless deaths.”

“The prince is our priority, is he not?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Whatever,” Goten said dismissively. He suddenly felt that he didn’t even care anymore. This didn’t feel real anyway.

They finally reached a metal door. Noting a panel with a blinking screen that was asking for the entrance code, Goten gave his father a questioning look. What now? Instinctively, he stepped back when his father powered up abruptly. Without his scouter, Goten couldn’t tell how high Kakarott had powered up, but it must have been a lot since he easily punched two holes through the steel door, hooked his fingers on the other side and, with one tug, ripped the door out of the wall. Tossing the useless metal aside, he stepped inside.

“Is that a good thing to do?” Goten wondered, following him. He found himself in a room with about a dozen terminals and just about as many screens lining the walls. Five of them were on and were showing images of the surrounding area, but his eyes were immediately attracted by a couple of flashing lights at the opposite end of the room. Otherwise, there was not a living soul inside.

“It’s a reality that hasn’t happened yet. It will probably never happen either, since it is only one of many. And if it does happen… It’s just a door.”

“Hmm… How does it actually work?” Goten asked, looking around the room, his attention mostly on what the screens were showing. “I mean, why do we see these…mmm…dreams at all?”

“That’s a long story and we don’t have time for that. Check that screen,” Kakarott said, pointing with his hand. “Besides, even if I told you now, you’ll forget most of it after you wake up. Ask me when we meet in real time.”

“Alright,” Goten said, walking over to the screen. He pressed in the usual code, trying to unlock the terminal underneath it, but the screen threw up an error. “I don’t think I can help you out much. I don’t really understand anything about defense systems. If you tell me which button to push, I can do that, but when it comes to operating a terminal on my own, I am absolutely useless.”

“And here I expected them to teach you something in that officers’ school…”

“Well, they did. But I only spent six months there.”

Goten tried a few more times, but no code he entered worked and he gave up. Sitting on one of the desks, he watched his father fiddle with the main terminal. It was obvious Kakarott wasn’t having much luck with it either.

“You’ll just have to threaten someone into giving you access,” Goten said finally.

Kakarott shrugged. “No matter, I will have to come here while they are entering their passwords.”

Goten was surprised; his dreams were totally random. “Can you do that?”

“Sometimes. If I try hard enough.”

“Hmm… You know…” Goten trailed off with a frown when he heard someone call his name. The voice was faraway, soft, but he had definitely heard it. He turned around to stare at the doorway with the missing door.

“What?”

“I think someone has just called me.”

Kakarott listened for a few moments, then shrugged. The voice came again, louder this time, but Goten could see that his father couldn’t hear it.

“Hey, you two!”

Goten started and opened his eyes. For a few seconds, he just stared at something blue in front of him, not certain what he was seeing or what was going on. 

TBC


	49. Part 49

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 49

“Hey, you two!”

Goten started and opened his eyes. For a few seconds he just stared in front of him, not certain what he was seeing or what was going on. 

“Hey! Wake up!”

Reyn grunted in his sleep, and Goten realized he had been staring at the flight officer’s back, at the blue jacket he was wearing. Goten raised his head to stare past the glowing field of the power wall. There was a Saiyan behind it. Goten blinked at few times to completely shake off the remnants of his dream. It was the same elite Saiyan who had just observed him and his companions fight it out in the toilets.

Yawning, Goten put his head back onto the pillow. “What do you want?”

“You’re free to go. Wake your man up and get the hell out of here.”

Goten rubbed at his face. “Ugh.” He felt tired and sleepy. The dream was already siphoning out of his mind, but he still found it hard to recreate the reality around him. “What do you mean we’re free to go?”

“Just what I said. Get up and go back to your ship. I hear _Kareli_ is leaving in two hours.”

Goten elbowed Reyn in the back, making the other man grunt in pain. “What the hell?” he mumbled, turning to face Goten.

“He says we are free to go.”

Reyn’s sleepy eyes blinked wide open. “Who says?”

Goten stretched his arm out to point at the power wall. “Him.”

Reyn turned around and sat up. It took him a few seconds to remember where he had seen the elite Saiyan. “So we are free to go?”

The elite nodded. He turned to look behind him at the warden, who had approached him.

“This is an obvious trap,” Goten said, not even bothering to conceal from the elite that he knew. He turned on his scouter's translating device so that he could understand what the elite and the Ardarian were talking about.

“Well, of course,” Reyn mumbled. “But aren’t you interested in how big a trap it is?”

“Not the least bit. I’d rather sleep some more.”

“It’s not a trap,” the elite said. He pulled out a few documents from under his armor plate. “Here, the documents proving your release.”

“Approved and signed,” the warden confirmed, entering the key code into the electronic lock. “There are no charges against you and the other side has agreed to pay for the damage.”

“Incredible,” Goten chuckled. “We’re on a roll! Can I also ask for new boots, since you’re so generous?”

“Your brother was never so loudmouthed,” the elite said with a snort. He entered the cell when the green field surrounding it disappeared.

Goten sat up so fast that he nearly pushed Reyn out of the bunk. “What do you know about my brother?”

“Quite a lot, considering we’d been lovers for two years right until he died.” He motioned for Goten to stand up. “I don’t particularly care for your friend,” he said, pointing at Reyn, “but I think I owe it to Gohan to get you out of here.”

From his bunk, Goten stared up at the elite, utterly gobsmacked. He had not been aware of Gohan ever mentioning a lover. In fact, he had been certain that he had never had a lover. 

“You and…” Goten trailed off, pointing at the elite with his finger. The man was an elite in every aspect. He couldn’t quite grasp it. At that moment, something short-circuited in his brain, the dream suddenly vividly warping all his senses. Goten tried to shake it off in an attempt to fully absorb the new information, but it didn’t work. Instead, it made it even worse, making him feel as if there was an overload in his brain.

“Yeah, me and him. Now move your ass.”

Goten’s eyes concentrated on Reyn’s when the other third-class gently shook him by his shoulders. “You okay?”

“I’m not okay!” Goten snapped at him. “This, this…” he gasped out, pointing at the elite. “This… This!”

“Draman Hedara,” the elite introduced himself. He turned to Reyn. “Can you make him move?”

The flight officer touched the side of Goten’s head, but the younger male hardly reacted to him. His unfocused eyes kept blinking in confusion. He had already seen Goten respond like this.

“I think he’s in shock.”

“Well, I can see that much.”

“Is there a reason to hurry?” Reyn asked.

“Not really, but my companions might change their minds in my absence. It was a pain in the ass to talk them into withdrawing their charges. It’s best you disappear from here as fast as possible.”

“I see.” Reyn turned to Goten. “Listen, we need to get out of here.” He stumbled when the younger male pushed him aside. He was just in time to wedge himself between Goten and Draman before the other third-class could grab the elite.

“You freakin’ liar!” Goten hissed at Draman from above Reyn’s shoulder.

The elite raised his hands and stepped back. “I don’t care what you believe. I don’t think we’ll ever see each other again. Just get the hell out of here.”

Goten growled in fury and the elite took one more step back. “You are his kind too, right?” he asked Reyn, just in case Goten itched to get his hands on him. He had seen in the toilets what the kid was capable of and the prospect of broken bones was not something he was looking forward to.

“Yeah, but I won’t be able to hold him down if this gets serious.”

The elite gave him an uncomprehending look, but Reyn didn’t feel like explaining. Goten’s body felt hot against his, and he was still growling, his tail lashing out behind him. Goten didn’t reek of violence, but rather of grief and confusion. He didn’t quite understand why Goten was reacting to Draman like this. The man was an elite and Goten had real issues with elites, but was this really such a big deal considering Draman had known that Gohan had been a part of the project? Most Saiyans tended to take partners of similar strength and power. It wasn’t normal between a third-class and an elite, but that was what had probably happened between Gohan and Draman as well.

“He was just fourteen at the time!” Goten spat.

So this was where part of the problem lay. Reyn groaned inwardly.

“Fifteen,” Draman corrected Goten. “Well, barely. Listen, you’d better not start yapping about it. He came to me willingly.”

Reyn turned his head to give the elite an incredulous look. “I think you _do_ want him to rearrange your face…”

Draman frowned at the flight officer. “It’s not as if I want to dig all of this up again. It just happened.”

Reyn rolled his eyes. _Everything_ just happened. Everything but a third-class and an elite. Reyn tugged at Goten’s arms and was both relieved and surprised when the younger male allowed himself to be led.

“How did he die?”

Goten’s voice now was just above a whisper, and Reyn gritted his teeth. “Oh, c’mon,” he muttered in disbelief, wiping at Goten’s suddenly wet cheeks. “What are you doing?” There was something uncanny about Goten’s tears.

“An accident during training.”

“Liar,” Goten growled. He tried to push Reyn away, but the older man just tightened his grip on him and continued to lead him out of the cell. 

“Did he… Did he blow himself up?” Goten asked in a moment.

“Yeah.”

Goten was silent while they passed the rest of the cells and until they reached the corridor leading out of the detention center. The three elites were standing close to the exit. Reyn’s step faltered but Draman nudged him forward.

“It’s alright, I told them to wait here. We are leaving for Earth in a few minutes.”

“Sir,” the three elites saluted when Draman came closer. 

“At ease. Follow me,” Draman said, walking past them to the door. Just before opening it, he stopped and turned back to look at a still dazed Goten. “It’s not really how I imagined our meeting. Not that I ever though we’d meet. Still, for all that it's worth – I’m sorry for failing to protect him,” he said, bowing his head.

“So someone did kill him!”

The elite raised his head. There was a twitch on his lips. “I promised him not to involve you. It’s best you just forget it.”

“Now, listen here,” Reyn snapped at Draman, “how do you…”

“You bastard! Y- Ghah!” 

Goten bounced sideways when the elite nearest to him struck him in the face. The third-class’s head conked against the wall so hard that stars exploded in his vision. The next thing the elite knew, Reyn was bearing down on him, then everything went dark.

Panting in rage, Reyn stared at Draman, who had just kicked one of his companions right through the wall and into the office behind it. Reyn let the third elite fall down to the ground with both of his arms broken. Draman wasn’t a threat and the flight officer quickly bent down to check on Goten. He heard a soft beep, then Draman called for an ambulance. Soon people would start gathering.

Goten tried to sit up, but everything was spinning. Then he felt someone touching him, but the touch was careful, making him feel at ease.

“How is he?” Draman asked.

“Bleeding a little,” Reyn said, after having checked the bump on Goten’s head. “Doesn’t seem like anything serious though. It’s probably more shock than anything.” 

“Yeah, Gohan did tell me about that strange fixation of his.”

Reyn raised his head to look at the elite. “Fixation?”

“I’m not certain, but from what Gohan told me, it seems that Goten here has quite a bit of a brother complex.”

“But isn’t it normal? He told me that he was mostly raised by his brother.”

The elite shrugged. “It doesn’t matter now.”

“You know, he will come after you,” Reyn said, cradling Goten’s head so that now it was on his lap. He thought about moving the other third-class to where he could lay him down. “You can’t just drop a bomb like that and leave.”

The elite sighed. “I guess not.” He tapped at the side of his scouter. “Shaii Hedara speaking. Delay our flight for two hours. Contact the Terran forces on Kalmera Base. No, nothing serious. Roland, Medrun, and Orein got into a brawl with the locals. As per usual. Out.”

“A shaii?” Reyn muttered, amazed. “Really, what were you doing with a fifteen year old third-class?”

Draman shot him a look. “The same freakin’ thing you’re doing with him,” he said, motioning with his head at Goten. “You think a few years make that much of a difference?”

Reyn laughed. “Don’t get all defensive on me. I don’t give a damn about your relationship with Gohan.”

ooOoOoOoo

The leather sofa creaked when Goten shifted, and Reyn turned to look at him. The other third-class was still asleep, his face was pale, but he looked somewhat better than before. An Ardarian doctor had taken a look at him but, except for saying that the wound on his head was just a scratch, couldn’t tell much. He suggested sending Goten to the medical center where he could rest, but Reyn had to refuse the offer. Instead, he chose one of the empty offices with a sofa. Oddly enough, Goten drifted to sleep as soon as his body was laid out in a horizontal position.

Reyn wished the other third-class would finally wake up. It had hardly been an hour since Goten fell asleep, but Kareli was leaving in about an hour. The flight officer took a look at Draman, who was sitting at the other end of the office and typing away on one of the terminals he had found. He was probably issuing orders to his men onboard. Reyn gave him a closer look. He hadn’t noticed before, but something about Draman indicated that the man was much older than him. Hell, he was probably twice as old as he and Goten put together. It was not really possible to tell his age from his face – he looked about thirty, with a wide forehead and big dark eyes. His thin lips and small nose looked somewhat unusual for such a broad face. Draman’s long hair reached his waist, but wasn’t as spiky and bushy as most Saiyans’. Instead, it was rather thick and wavy. The man was not someone Reyn would call handsome, but he had a certain appeal as well.

Draman sent the message he had been typing for the last five minutes and logged out. With his chair, he swiveled around to look at the two other Saiyans in the room. Reyn was sitting next to the sleeping Goten at the end of the sofa, his fingers threading through the younger man’s spiky hair absently, his brooding gaze set on the opposite wall. Draman wondered if Reyn was aware of what he was doing.

“How long have you been together?”

Reyn turned his head to face him. “Mmm? Oh. Not for long. Why?”

“Just asking.” Draman noticed that Reyn became aware that he was playing with Goten’s hair. His cheeks tinged with light color and, awkwardly, he removed his hand. Draman chuckled. “That’s sweet.”

“Fuck you,” Reyn muttered, embarrassed. “Why did you tell him about his brother? Didn’t you promise you wouldn’t?”

“That’s so, but… It’s not really fair that he doesn’t know, is it?”

“I guess. So what happened?”

“I will tell that once he comes around.”

Reyn leaned back into the sofa. He doubted Goten was going to wake up for that on his own. He would either have to wake him up or just carry him to the shuttle right before their flight. He had contacted Starcut and told them the situation right after the doctor had taken a look at Goten. The captain hadn’t said much, but Reyn could tell that he was worried.

“He’s rather different than I imagined,” Draman said after a minute of silence. “Gohan was much more… Hmm… Mature? Serious?”

Reyn nearly laughed out loud. “We are talking about a fifteen-year-old here, right?” he wondered with a snigger.

Draman rolled his eyes. “You know, when he died, he was only two years younger than Goten is now.”

The flight officer thought for a moment, then shrugged. He really didn’t care about Draman’s relationship with Goten’s brother, and he cared what Draman thought about his and Goten’s relationship even less.

“He’s got a sharp tongue, doesn’t he?”

Reyn shrugged again. “Sometimes. He’s pretty docile most of the time.”

“Is he? He didn’t look it.”

“You wouldn’t look it either if four elites threatened to beat the crap out of you and then you got locked up in a cell and then suddenly your dead brother’s lover appeared claiming your brother was killed. Did I mention that the lover is an elite?”

Draman chuckled. “And you’re pretty protective of him, aren’t you?”

“Is that so surprising? Maybe Gohan wouldn’t have died if you had been as well?”

Draman’s eyes narrowed at the flight officer, but he stayed quiet. That had been a low blow, but it showed that Reyn had lost his patience with his comments. He would never allow a mere third-class to speak to him like that, but the problem with Gohan’s kind was that the intimidation always worked the other way around. The power they possessed… Actually, until now, besides Gohan, he had only met one other third-class involved in the project. Every meeting showed that they were dangerous. And, a few hours ago, Goten proved that by beating up three elites singlehandedly. He had not even broken a sweat.

“I don’t think he will wake up,” Draman said in a few more minutes.

Reyn looked at Goten’s still form next to him. “He won’t,” he agreed. Shifting sideways, he shook Goten by his shoulders.

“It’s probably best he rested,” Draman said.

“Well, sure, but once he wakes up, he will be pissed I let him sleep.” Hoping that it wasn’t one of those long-term sleeps Goten sometimes fell into, Reyn slapped the other third-class on his face. “Hey! Goten, wake up.” He had to smack Goten a few more times before the other third-class started stirring.

Goten’s bleary eyes set on Reyn, a spark of recognition appeared in them, then they closed again. The flight officer shook the younger male a few more times to completely rouse him. Goten sat up, leaning into the back of the sofa heavily. He was still out of it, looking around the office, confusion evident in his eyes. They widened at the sight of the elite Saiyan at one of the desks. He rubbed his face with his hands, then lowered them to his lap.

“Draman, was it?” he muttered. “Was it you who taught Gohan sword fight?” he asked when the elite nodded.

Both Reyn and Draman gave him surprised looks. Was that really what Goten wanted to ask? 

“Umm… No,” Draman denied. “I was never interested in swords. In fact, it was my friend who noticed the talent in your brother and took up training him; he was a lecturer at both Yasan and Liutek Schools. He constantly talked about this awesome student of his and, naturally, I went to check him out. Needless to say that I was impressed. We sparred that time and… Well, it was how it all started.”

“And how did he die?” Goten asked. He shook his head when Draman opened his mouth. “The truth, please. I can’t stomach any more lies right now.”

The elite was silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh. “I don’t think I need to say that there were many who were against our relationship. We tried to be discreet, but people have eyes; you can’t really hide it. First, there were threats. When that didn’t work, a few of them cornered Gohan in the showers. Gohan beat the crap out of them.” He gave Goten a regretful smile. “It was calm for some time and we thought it was over. They got him during full moon training when he had a ki wristband on.”

“I see…” Goten felt somehow detached. Something in his head still wasn’t working properly. He rubbed at his eyes, trying to concentrate. The thing that was on his mind now was that he had to get to Bruminan Station. He stared at the elite thoughtfully. It suddenly came to him that he was in an identical situation to the one his brother had been in. Only that his was worse, much worse – his elite was the damn prince of the whole Saiyan nation. 

“Uhh…” Draman drawled when Goten started giggling mindlessly. “Does he do that a lot?” he asked Reyn worriedly.

“Yeah,” the flight officer said with a nod, “every time someone says his brother was killed because of some selfish elite asshole.”

Instead of the expected anger, Reyn saw guilt appear on Draman’s face. “Yeah,” he said with an uneasy sigh, “I often wish I had never come to see him train that time.” He fell silent and started fidgeting with his fingers. “We…we practically broke up after that attack on him in the showers. He was very stubborn, though. I wish I had just left back then. But you see…” Draman’s voice broke and he tapped his fingers on the desk awkwardly. “You see,” he continued after clearing his throat, “I was worried to leave since I had no idea what they would think of next. I had mistakenly presumed my presence would… Oh, hell. Doesn’t really matter now.”

Goten watched him quietly, then asked the question that had been bothering him for a very long time: “Is he really dead?”

Draman looked surprised. “Why are you asking that? Of course he is. You’ve seen the body, haven’t you?”

Unconsciously, Goten tugged at the upper button of his uniform. “The problem is that I don’t remember. I remember opening the box, but… All I remember is the stench. I was never able to remember if I had seen the face. Sometimes I think it was someone else.”

Draman shook his head. Denial was perfectly familiar to him, but denying things didn’t change the facts. “He’s dead, Goten,” he said. He lifted his arms. “I held his dead body in these arms.” He lowered his hands back to his lap. “If you still weren’t certain, you can put your mind at ease.”

Goten stared at the elite for a few moments, then turned away to look out the window. It was dark already. Absently, he wondered what time it was. He was somehow devoid of emotion. In truth, he had always known that Gohan was dead. There was nothing shocking or soothing about the final fact of his death. 

Maybe he should feel angry with Draman, just like he sometimes felt angry with the prince, but he didn’t feel either anger or hate. What Draman was talking about…it was so very familiar. His brother had loved this man.

“Yeah,” Goten said softly, “it doesn’t really matter now. What did you do to those who killed him?”

“I don’t really know who they were exactly. I found a few I thought were responsible that same day, but the problem was that everyone else believed Gohan had deserved it. I got as far as rearranging their faces, but it was practically me against the entire school community. I was transferred the very next morning.” He gave a bitter laugh. “I was also promoted a few weeks later.”

“Figures,” Goten muttered. “So they are still walking around, unpunished?”

Draman shook his head. “No, they are dead. All of them. Probably even those who just stood and watched him die. I think it was your father who saw to that.”

Speechless, Goten stared at him. “How… Why do you think so?”

“He found me two days after Gohan’s death. He was pissed with me, of course. I was certain he would take my head off. But, except for questioning me about the circumstances of Gohan’s death, he…” Draman shrugged. “A few more days later, the people involved started dying like flies. I really don’t know if it was him, but I’ve always believed so.”

By now, the incredulous look on Goten’s face had grown into astonishment. Were they really talking about his father? The man who… Goten’s thought trailed off. Did he really know what kind of a man his father was? He had spent most of his time with Gohan, Kakarott mostly away on various missions. Then one thing became painfully clear to Goten – if something like this happened to him, his father would doubtlessly avenge him. There was no reason to think otherwise. Even if Kakarott rarely showed his affection, he knew his father loved him, just as he had loved Gohan. They were his children.

“Are you sure your father would approve of me?” Reyn asked in a concerned voice when he saw that Goten’s eyes suddenly became watery.

Covering his eyes with his palms, Goten chuckled. “You’d better not piss me off. Or power up anywhere near him at the same time. That would certainly ruin the family reunion.”

There was not really much else to say. Draman felt awkward. He had done what he had intended to do. He didn’t want to stay here longer than necessary. Meeting Goten had brought back all the memories, all the guilt and regret. Even after all these years, he tried not to think about it. There was nothing he could change.

Goten sat quietly, staring at his hands on his lap. What he felt was far from peace, though. It was finally over, but he wished he hadn't met Draman. It all was so clear and so messed up at the same time. And then he didn’t know if what Draman had said was the truth. He could be lying, although to what purpose was difficult to come up with.

And even that didn’t matter now. Nothing of that mattered now. His brother was dead, and he had an empire to save. Goten felt like laughing again, but got a grip on himself; he had no time for hysterics.

“Thank you for telling me,” Goten said finally. “You said you were in a hurry; if there’s nothing else left to say, you should probably go.” He didn’t blame Draman for what happened, but it was hard on him to see his face.

“How much time do we have till our shuttle takes off?” Goten asked Reyn when Draman left.

“About forty minutes.”

“Ah, shit,” Goten cursed, standing up quickly. His head started spinning and he had to grab at the backrest for support.

“Hey,” Reyn grunted, steadying him. “What are you doing?”

“There’s no time for questions,” Goten muttered, massaging his right temple with his fingers. “I can’t ask you to believe me, but I’ll be saving Prince Vegeta on Bruminan Station. My father will be there too. Are you with me?”

Reyn was staring at him, his eyes wide.

“I’ve just had the same dream about the explosion,” Goten explained in more detail. “I’ve also talked to my father – he insists I come as soon as possible.”

Reyn was still looking at him incredulously, then he chuckled and his face smoothed out. “Saving the prince? Should be fun. Count me in.”

“You’re fucked up in the head,” Goten muttered, freeing himself from the flight officer. He pushed himself off the sofa and trudged towards the terminal Draman had been using. It was still on, so that would save him some time trying to get it working.

Ranvera’s phone number was just where he had put it – in the left pocket of his trousers. Goten tossed it onto the desk in front of him and got into the seat. He clicked the common phone icon and started entering the number. Once he was done, he was asked to enter the number of his credit card.

Reyn had walked over to stand by his side and was now listening to the crackling noise and static while the call was being transferred to various stations. Finally, there was one more click and a series of demanding beeps started.

“Mrrhlo?”

Ranvera sounded as if he was still asleep. Goten frowned at the computer screen. What bad luck.

“It’s me – Goten.” 

“Mhmh? Goten?” Now Ranvera’s voice was much livelier. “And I thought you didn’t want to have anything to do with me!”

“Rokunda never mentioned you, so I had no idea you tried to contact me. Anyway, that’s not important. I have a request. You are the only one who can help me, too.”

There was silence on the other end for some time, then he heard Ranvera sigh. “It’s serious, isn’t it? It always is with you.”

“You can get court-martialed for this.”

Ranvera choked. “I would expect nothing less from you...” he squeaked out after he had gotten a grip on himself.

“Will you do it?”

“Tell me what you need first.”

“I need to get to Bruminan Station in five or six days at the latest. In other words, today or tomorrow, I need to board a ship heading that way.”

Ranvera caught on quickly. “And you need permission for that.”

“No. I need an order telling me and Reyn Dueri to board one of the spaceships stationed on Meia Colony and an order for it to deliver us to Bruminan Station.”

Silence settled again. 

“Shit, Goten. What the hell have you gotten yourself into?”

“Nothing. Yet. But, believe me, if I don’t get to Bruminan Station, the world, as you know it, will end.”

Ranvera burst out laughing. “That serious, is it?” His laughter died out quickly though. “Okay, I can do that, but the orders must come from somewhere higher up. Do you know anyone I can use?”

Goten hadn’t thought about this. Nobody would check at this stage – they would just board a ship but, if suspecting something, the crew might make a few phone calls.

“Uhh…” Goten grunted, rubbing his forehead fervently. “As much as I don’t want to do this… Make it seem as if he gave the orders.”

“He who?”

Goten closed his eyes in defeat. “Our former shaii.”

There was a pause again, then Ranvera cleared his throat. Goten could tell that he wanted to ask whether he was out of his freaking mind, but his friend decided to skip that. “You sure?”

“Yes. I have no other option. And, if worse comes to worst, he will confirm he gave those orders.” _He would probably kill me later, though_ , Goten thought.

Goten could only guess what thoughts were whirling in Ranvera’s head now. He cringed.

“Then why not ask him directly if you’re so certain?”

The question was perfectly logical, but the idea seemed so absurd to Goten that he shook his head vehemently. “No, no, that’s impossible.”

“Alright,” Ranvera said after a moment. “I’ll check what ship I can put you on. You should receive the orders in half an hour. Be ready.”

“Thanks.”

Ranvera chuckled. “A simple thanks won’t cut it.”

“What would, then?”

“I’ll let you know later. Mmm…”

“What?”

“You aren’t alone in this mess, are you? Is that Reyn guy with you?”

Goten grinned. “Yeah, he’s standing right next to me. And I have you, too.”

“Always a flirt. Okay, then. Stay safe.”

“Wait.”

“Mm?”

“Can you do me one more favor?”

Ranvera muttered something unintelligible under his breath, which Goten could easily guess was something similar to ‘I can’t freaking believe this’. “Yeah, sure, shoot away. It probably can’t be any worse than what I am about to do anyway.”

Goten laughed softly. “I’d like to get my hands on my brother’s profile. The copy from National Security, that is.”

“Huh. I didn't know you have a brother.”

“Had. He’s dead. Gohan Bardock.”

“Umm… Okay. Where should I send it to? As far as I remember, you don’t have any account.”

Goten thought for a moment. “To Reyn Dueri’s email. It should be listed somewhere in the database. I’ll get it from there.”

“You seem to be pretty tight with this buddy. Do you trust him?”

Grinning, Goten stole a look at Reyn. “More or less. And don’t worry, as soon as I print it out, I’ll delete it.”

Ranvera chuckled. “It will take more than that to remove all traces, but I will take care of that.”

“Thanks. Really.”

Ranvera laughed. “Oh, I will get my thanks, don’t you worry, sweetheart.”

Goten chuckled. Reyn would probably be against anything Ranvera had in mind, but he wasn’t about to say that to Ranvera – he would be much more motivated if he believed he had a chance of getting into his pants. That was just how the universe worked.

“We should use this time to get our things from _Starcut_ ,” Goten said after he had ended the call. “I don’t know when we will be leaving, but we probably won’t go back to it. Or have you changed your mind?”

Reyn shook his head. “No, I haven’t. I’ll go and get them. You wait for the call.”

“Thanks.”

The flight officer turned to go. He didn’t buy the tale about some mysterious and influential shaii, but as long as National Security existed, it would prevent either him or Goten from being punished too severely. Goten’s slippery friend, however, had better watch out.

Goten sat in the chair in front of the terminal, waiting. All of this felt surreal. He was crawling into a shithole. He was already up to his ears in it. Well, it was not as if he could do anything about it. He wasn’t certain about taking Reyn with him, but he was glad the other man had agreed – he might need some serious manpower. It was dangerous for them to power up at the same time, but if they managed to pull it off back then, they would probably manage to do it again.

Fifteen minutes later, Goten started in his seat when beeping sounds started coming from the terminal; he had nearly fallen asleep. He pressed the icon to accept the call. 

“Go ahead.”

“You’re not going to like this,” Ranvera got down to the point. “There are only two ships heading in the general direction of the Earth. It’s yours and another one called _Mantanko_. _Mantanko_ is leaving in about half an hour and it is flying right past Bruminan Station. It would only take them about three to four hours to change their course to drop you off.”

“That’s perfect! And what’s the problem with it?”

“The problem is that there are ten elites on board.”

Goten’s eyes crossed at the thought of himself spending at least an hour in a closed space with ten elites. “Why so many?” he groaned.

“They are being deployed to Earth to defend it from a possible attack by the Ice-jins.”

Goten was silent for a moment. “It’s bad,” he said finally. “The war is really bad, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Ranvera said softly. “Reports of defeated fleets and overtaken colonies keep coming in daily. To tell you the truth, I don’t believe we stand a chance anymore.” He sighed. “Never mind that, nothing will change with us blabbering about it. So which ship do you choose?”

Goten took a moment to think. Of course he’d prefer _Starcut_ , but the problem was that there were too many snitches – the orders would be checked and rechecked ten times before he even managed to do anything. The prince and National Security would find everything out in no time, and he would have some serious explaining to do. 

“Get us onto _Mantanko_ , and send a message to _Starcut_ that we are deployed elsewhere. Don’t mention where, though.”

“Under the shaii’s orders again?”

Staring at the screen with unseeing eyes, the third-class nodded resignedly. “Yeah.” He found it both amusing and uncomfortable that Ranvera avoided mentioning the prince’s name. 

“The ship is at Dock 5. You need to head there right away.”

“Alright. Thanks, really. For everything.”

“Well, I hope it works, whatever you want to do.”

Goten nodded at the screen. “Yeah, it’s best it does.”

ooOoOoOoo

It took Goten and Reyn a few more minutes than planned to find _Mantanko_. When they had finally found it, its engines were already roaring, everything and everyone cleared out of its path. They ran up the still lowered ramp, passed the launch area, and entered the code Ranvera had provided into the door. It slid open to let them into a spacious cargo hold area. Goten wasn’t familiar with the layout, so he relied on Reyn. No words were said the entire time they walked down the lengthy corridors. Reyn was probably nervous, maybe angry, and Goten didn’t know what to say.

“Let me do the talking, alright?” Reyn muttered just before entering the code into the door separating them from the cockpit.

Goten agreed with a nod. The flight officer had much more experience with various ships and their crews than him. He took Reyn’s backpack from him.

“I’ll just be your faithful delivery boy.”

“Don’t you start.”

“I’m just kidding.”

“It’s hard to tell with you sometimes.”

“Just like with you.”

“Let’s postpone this crap for later,” Reyn whispered when the door opened to reveal the captain’s bridge. Goten had warned him about the elites, but his eyes still went wide at the sight of six of them casually chatting in a circle next to the main screen. There were a few second-class officers sitting in their workplaces, getting ready for the take off.

“Good day, sirs,” Reyn greeted in an unusually cheerful voice. “I’m Reyn Dueri. This…”

“Goten?”

“Golden boy?”

Goten blinked at both Draman and Almanda, who were staring at him in utter astonishment. But of course, he should have expected to see them here. He couldn’t help grinning at them stupidly. “Hello. And here I am again.”

“What are you doing here?” Almanda asked. “I thought you were on _Starcut_?”

“Weeeell,” Goten drawled. “We received orders to join _Mantanko_.”

“That so?” one of the other four elites muttered, leaning down to one of the terminals. “Who the hell are they?” he asked, his fingers flying over the keyboard. “Huh,” he said suddenly. “Goten Bardock and Reyn Dueri, right? They have indeed been transferred here, just a couple of minutes ago. We have additional orders to help them get safely to Bruminan Station.”

Draman stared Goten up and down, then turned back to the elite at the terminal. He had hoped to the gods he would never meet Goten again. “How long will the detour take?”

“Only about four hours, sir,” the elite answered. “We can use a spare flight officer, but….” He raised his head to give Goten a confused look. “What’s your occupation?”

“Umm…” Goten saluted him flashing an incredibly bright smile. “I’m just an errand boy. Very good at being ordered around and peeling potatoes, sir!”

Almanda started chuckling both at Goten’s overly earnest face and at the uncertain elites staring at him. What Goten had said was a complete and utter lie, and some of her crewmates had already discovered that. She turned to her present companions. “He will be a terrific addition to us, believe me. I’ve known him for over half a year.”

“He has already done a terrific job on Roland, Medrun, and Orein,” Draman grunted out with a snicker. He gave Goten and Reyn a suspicious look, then just turned away. “See them to one of the empty cabins, Almanda. We’re taking off in two minutes. Belt your asses in.”

The exchange was as good as over and Goten’s attention went to the rest of the crew. The officers were in their workplaces, but their eyes were glued to him and Reyn. There was interest and surprise in them. They were taken aback by their sudden appearance. Reyn was a flight officer, but Goten was an entirely different matter. He was way too young to even be considered an officer of any sorts. Besides, he bore no officer stripes on his blue uniform.

Once the door closed behind their backs, Almanda threw her arm over Goten’s shoulders. “You’ve got some explaining to do, golden boy.”

“Don’t you get tired of calling me that? And stop touching me all the time – you’ll get me into trouble again.”

“What trouble? You’ll just beat the crap out of them as usual. Or is it your boyfriend who is troubled?” she asked, eying Reyn. The flight officer was ignoring her completely.

Goten sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me they were your crewmates?”

“Did it matter?”

Goten thought a moment. “No, not really.”

Almanda nodded. “Yup.”

She led them to their cabin. It was intended for four people and was quite spacious. Goten only glanced at it before putting his and Reyn’s luggage into the wardrobe at the end of the cabin. Then he sat down into one of the four chairs and belted himself to it. He exhaled loudly.

“Well, that went much better than I expected,” he said.

“You can say that again,” Almanda said, belting herself to another chair.

Reyn shrugged. He looked around in the cabin, then seated himself in the chair opposite to Goten’s. “You seem to have friends in high places,” he muttered softly.

Almanda sniggered. “You’ve got no idea.”

“Shut up,” Goten mumbled. It was best Reyn knew nothing of the prince.

The elite stole a look at Reyn. “Was this Ranvera who arranged everything?” she asked.

Goten nodded. “Yeah.” 

“Why did you come here?”

Goten grinned. “I will have to kill you if I tell you.”

“No, Goten dearest, it’s _me_ who will kill _you_ if you don’t tell me.”

Goten shook his head, chuckling. “You won’t believe me anyway.”

“So you told Ranvera but not me,” Almanda said, frowning. “That’s pissing me off beyond belief!”

“Nah, I didn’t tell him either. I just told him I’m saving the world.”

“That’s a load of crap.”

It suddenly occurred to Goten that there was no way Ranvera would not read Gohan’s profile after downloading it. He groaned softly – now Ranvera would know. Once done with Gohan's profile, Ranvera would also take a look at his and his father’s. He looked at the terminal on the desk. It was one of the newest ones on the market, with those incredibly realistic projecting screens. Luxury. He wondered if Ranvera had already sent Gohan’s profile to Reyn’s account. 

Goten’s further musings were cut off by the screech of the microphones above the door and the countdown from ten began. This was it. He was really doing this.

TBC


	50. Part 50

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings. 

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 50

“This is the canteen,” Almanda said, pointing at the door for Goten and Reyn, who were following her. “Breakfast is at eight, lunch at two, dinner at seven.”

“Uh. What time is it now?” Goten asked. He had seen an electronic clock above the door in his newly acquired cabin, but he hadn’t paid any attention to the time.

“Four in the morning,” Reyn said. “These colonies do mess up one’s sense of time, don’t they?”

Goten nodded in agreement. “Will we stay awake or should we go to sleep?”

“Go to sleep,” Reyn said in a clear-cut tone. He was fine, but he worried about Goten, who had acted rather bizarre after hearing that Draman had been Gohan’s lover. Not to mention him having had one of those dreams, and then having an elite bang his head against a wall. He suspected that Goten’s current mental state was not too stable.

Almanda stopped and turned around to look at them. “Not before you explain what shit you got yourselves into,” she demanded.

“What’s it to you?”

The female gave Reyn a level stare. The older man, just like Goten, didn’t seem to be respectful towards the elite class. He was treating her like she was his equal. She would have already given him a free, but painful, lecture on how to behave around her or any other elite, but he was Goten’s friend and she wasn’t certain how to react.

“Believe it or not,” she said reaching out to pat Goten on his head, “I owe this little bastard.”

“Yeah. She broke my tail once,” Goten informed Reyn.

Almanda flinched. “Don’t even mention that. And that was not exactly what I meant.”

“She broke your tail?” Reyn wondered with evident horror in his voice. “Why?”

“That’s ancient history,” the elite said sternly before Goten could open his mouth. “But you’re starting to piss me off too.” She gave Reyn’s tail a meaningful stare, and saw the plain brown tip twitch in response. After raising her head, however, she saw that the flight officer wasn’t sure how he should take it. He was obviously perplexed, surprised by the threat, and was giving her an uncertain look. Almanda found the expression on his face confusing.

Goten slapped himself on the forehead; there was some serious miscommunication going on. She obviously thought that Reyn was a mere second-class and she could easily order him around. He had to talk to Almanda and warn her not to threaten Reyn. The flight officer, on the other hand, didn’t know how to react to Almanda at all. Reyn had really been tolerant up until now, since, despite the fact that Almanda was an elite, she was also a female. However, if Almanda insisted on customary formalities, Reyn was going to snap in no time.

“What was that for?” Almanda wondered, staring at Goten’s reddish forehead.

Goten pointed at Reyn. “He...” he started resignedly; if he had to say it eventually, why not now? “He,” Goten repeated, still pointing in the general direction of where Reyn was standing, “is just like me; actually even stronger. He can easily flatten you or any other of your elite friends to the ground.”

Almanda blinked at Goten, then turned to stare at Reyn. It suddenly became clear to her, the flight officer’s peculiar reaction to her attempt at intimidating him. “Ah. And here I wondered why you chose him over Kyon…”

“Oh, gods!” Goten exclaimed, slapping himself on the forehead again. “It’s not that at all!”

“Put a bit more effort into it and you’ll knock yourself out,” Reyn remarked drily, annoyed by Goten shooting his mouth off.

“Fuck you!” Goten snapped at the flight officer.

Reyn gave him a bitter look. “Already arranged.” He turned to Almanda. “Listen, we are seriously sleep deprived. There will be enough time to continue this insanity after a good eight-hours or so of sleep.”

Almanda looked at Goten, who nodded. “No matter how much I’d like to argue with him, he’s right. A lot’s happened and I really don’t feel that well.”

Frowning, the elite opened her mouth with an intention to protest, but the look on Reyn’s face made her close it again. The look wasn’t exactly threatening; it was more of a warning and a request at once. His hand was already hovering over Goten’s shoulder and, once Almanda nodded, landed there. He hardly touched Goten but, annoyed by the attempt to guide him, the younger man shook it off and stomped away.

“That’s the wrong direction, you moron,” the flight officer spat.

With a snort, Goten turned sharply and headed back.

“Did you have an argument?” Almanda wondered while Goten was marching past her.

“No, that’s how he always is,” Reyn grunted. “Even more so when he’s tired.”

“I’m not!”

“You are.”

“I’m not!”

Reyn’s patience snapped like a string, making him growl. “Shut up and go to sleep!”

Goten glared at the flight officer challengingly, but then just snorted and strode away. Almanda stared at his back until it disappeared around the bend. Then she looked at Reyn, who was obviously waiting for the younger male to cool off before joining him. Goten had always had strong authority issues, but he was clearly overdoing it now. He was practically rejecting any concern his partner expressed towards him; it was natural that Reyn was pissed off. Goten probably realized that as well, or was going to in a few minutes.

“He’ll get lost,” Almanda said.

“He will,” Reyn agreed. He let out a long sigh then, in a few more seconds, followed the other third-class.

When he reached their cabin, Goten was nowhere to be seen, and it took Reyn ten minutes to find him wandering _Mantanko’s_ corridors. During that time, Goten had already been joined by four second-class officers who had offered their assistance in his search. Not without annoyance, Reyn realized that Goten was going to be just as popular on _Mantanko_ as he had been on _Starcut_. There was just something about Goten that attracted all types of busybodies. 

“They were just trying to help me find our room,” Goten said once they were inside their cabin. Reyn looked annoyed, and the younger male wasn’t certain what it was about. Regretting he had opened his mouth at all, Goten blushed lightly when Reyn’s eyebrows rose at his words. They had not tried to define their relationship, and the flight officer had never spoken to him about anything concerning that topic. Yet, the younger male could clearly remember Reyn telling him that he was the possessive type. Regarding that and the fact that Reyn had joined him on this spontaneous and erratic quest without hesitation, he felt he owed an explanation to the other man. Whether Reyn expected it of him or not.

“I really appreciate the clarification,” Reyn said, sitting down on his bed. He started pulling his boots off. “That’s what you think, though,” he could not help adding.

Goten rolled his eyes. “Well, of course, they were curious as to who had joined the crew.”

“Yes, yes.”

Goten didn’t even need Reyn say that they were also checking him out and gauging their chances with him. He knew that himself. But wasn’t that only natural? And really, did Reyn think him _that_ naïve? Well, of course he did.

With a tired sigh, Goten flopped onto the bed opposite Reyn’s and started taking his uniform off. The air in the cabin was stale, but Reyn had turned on the air conditioning system and it was clearing out by the minute. It also smelled of metal and unwashed feet, just like on _Starcut_. These smells were probably permanent, a trademark of all spaceships. The bedding was not slept in, but it hadn’t been used for a long time and had acquired that particular tinge of mustiness too.

“We have a problem.”

Goten raised his head to look at Reyn’s back. Shirtless, only in his underwear, the flight officer was squatting down at the end of the cabin, staring at something in the wardrobe.

“What is it?”

“Come and take a look.”

Alarmed, Goten slid off the bed and walked up to the other Saiyan. He looked past Reyn’s head, inside the wardrobe. Two glittering eyes stared back at him from the dark depths of his suitcase. Slowly, Goten sat down on the cold metallic floor.

“Didn’t you feel anything moving inside when you took it?” he asked.

Reyn made a rather intricate gesture with his right hand, then turned his head to the side. “Umm… Well, yeah. But I gave it a few good shakes and it stopped.” The flight officer turned his head to the side after his eyes met Goten’s incredulous face. “Well, I was kinda….in a hurry.”

Goten withheld the comments he badly wanted to share with his friend and concentrated back on Mr. Elite. What were they going to do with the animal? They couldn’t send it back and, in all probability, they would not be allowed to keep it either. Monteira was probably already going nuts looking for his pet. Nevertheless, he couldn’t contact the gunnery sergeant either since that would give away his current location.

“Well, we’ll keep him,” Goten decided.

“That’s kind of obvious,” Reyn said. It was not like they could throw the animal into open space. “What was he doing in your suitcase anyway?”

Goten gave the cat a look. He grinned. “Was probably trying to shit on my clothes. Ain’t life a bitch, huh?” The cat stared back at him quietly. 

“What does he eat?”

“I’m more interested in his other end,” Goten said. “I’m not cleaning up after him.”

“Hey, neither am I!”

“Well, you brought him here,” Goten pointed out.

“But he’s in your suitcase!”

Goten gave the other third-class a look.

“Well, I suppose we can take turns,” Reyn conceded.

Once that was settled, they turned to the black creature again. Goten figured that the cat was in some kind of shock. He reached into his suitcase to take his clothes out but, with a furious hiss, followed by a series of spitting, the animal brandished his claws at once. He was not going to give up his comfortable and soft lair without a fight. It was also probably the only place he felt safe.

“Well, fine,” Goten said, pulling his hand away. “But if you crap on them, you’re going to be sent to the nearest sun via Goten Express.”

Reyn rolled his eyes and stood up. “That would be too much work. Just drown him in the toilets.”

Goten stood up as well and returned to his bed. He took off his scouter and stored it in a small drawer in the metal cupboard at the end of his bed. Reyn called for the lights to go out, and the younger male slipped under the blankets. He was so exhausted that he expected to fall asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. Nothing of the sort happened, though. Hours passed and he was still awake. At some point, the cat came out of his sanctuary and Goten could hear him softly padding to and fro in the cabin. Some time later, Mr. Elite headed back to the wardrobe and settled down in his suitcase again. 

Goten kept his eyes closed and drifted in and out of near sleep, but would suddenly rouse with an anxious jolt. He moved about in the bed to try and find a more comfortable position that would finally allow him to fall asleep, but his approaching sleep was disturbed every time he jolted. 

Goten was rolling onto his other side one more time when he heard Reyn curse softly. The older man’s bed creaked and footsteps echoed in the cabin. Goten turned around to look at him in the darkness. The mattress on his bed dipped beneath Reyn's weight. 

“What?”

“Your bed is squeaking as if you're skinning someone alive,” Reyn complained.

“Uh. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Reyn said, his right hand slipping under the younger male’s covers.

“We can switch beds. Maybe yours is… What are you doing?” Goten asked, blinking when the flight officer’s hand smoothed his chest. 

“Something that should help you fall asleep after,” Reyn said, leaning in closer to kiss Goten.

The kiss was unhurried, gentle, and Goten found himself answering in the same manner. They kept it slow and soft for several minutes, then Reyn’s hand slid down into the younger man’s underwear. Molding his palm around the rousing length, he swallowed Goten’s soft sigh.

“Everything’s going to be alright,” Reyn said between the unhurried kisses he kept giving Goten. “You’re incredibly lucky,” he continued, his palm starting to move up and down the younger male’s shaft slowly. “Just think about it: out of hundreds of thousands ships, you managed to find one with two elite Saiyans who would probably protect you with their lives. If that’s not luck, I don’t know what is. And you’ve also got the cat,” he added with a chuckle.

Goten grinned and shook his head. “The eight other elites, though, will try to kill me. That’s…” he started saying, but was cut off by Reyn’s tongue in his mouth. He let out a soft sigh when the other man’s mouth slid down to graze at his throat.

“If they are smart, they won’t. They would not want to go against their shaii’s orders. Besides, opposing the only elite female they have onboard would make them uncomfortable. As long as you don’t fuck her, that is.”

Goten’s eyes blinked open in surprise. “Me and Almanda? What are you saying? There’s no way we…”

Reyn chuckled at his reaction. “Oh?” he hummed, flicking his thumb over the damp head of the shaft he held in his hand. He felt the younger male buck against him. “Are you really that naïve? Well, never mind, then.”

Maybe he really was naïve after all. It was not as if he hadn’t thought about Almanda. Of course he had. Wasn’t that natural? But it was out of the question and an occasional thought was as far as he was ever going to get. Reyn talked as if there was something to consider. There wasn’t. Was there?

“It’s nonsense you’re saying,” Goten muttered.

Reyn said nothing to that, and it meant the topic was as good as over. Goten closed his eyes again, enjoying the sensations. The languid pleasure he felt was growing more exciting, the warmth from his lower body spreading all over him. His breathing rate had sped up as well.

Reyn pushed the blanket aside. He gave Goten’s stomach a few teasing licks, then lowered his head to where the other man really ached. An involuntary grunt slid past Goten’s lips when the heat of the flight officer’s mouth enveloped him. He had not expected Reyn to give him oral and it was a pleasant surprise. It also made sense – it was going to be less messy.

The flight officer kept a steady, unhurried pace. Soon, it wasn't enough. Goten demanded more with a firm grip on Reyn’s hair. The other man pried his hand out of his hair and lowered it to his side. Goten uttered a protest, but didn’t attempt to make Reyn go faster again. Then the older man shifted and Goten felt his hand slip between his thighs. He grunted when a finger slid into him. It didn’t go deep into him, slipping out nearly as soon as it entered. Then it slid back in.

“Mmm…”

It was only a fingertip, yet Goten was amazed by how much it aroused him. It rubbed inside him, then around his entrance. Unconsciously, Goten spread his thighs wider, wanting more, though Reyn continued to use only the tip of his finger. It wasn't long before Goten came. A strangled gasp left his mouth through gritted teeth while his toes curled. Gripping at the sheets, he spurted into the older man’s mouth.

“That was good,” Goten mumbled once he could breathe again. He felt Reyn’s finger slipping out of him. It had felt really good.

“Glad you liked it,” the flight officer said, climbing off the bed with the intention of removing his underwear. “How about returning the favor?” There was no answer and in a few seconds Reyn realized that Goten had fallen asleep. “Freakin’ bastard.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten could hear pieces of conversation transpiring around him, but he was still half-asleep and could hardly register the meaning of the flowing words. His body felt heavy and clumsy, eyelids leaden. He snuggled deeper into the covers, unknowingly drawing the two people’s eyes towards himself. Voices washed over him again.

“He doesn’t seem ill or anything…”

Reyn shrugged. “Well, it doesn’t look like one of those ‘winter slumbers’ of his either. He’s probably just exhausted; these past few days were really difficult for him.”

“Maybe I should call the doctor? He’s been sleeping for fourteen hours straight after all… And it doesn’t seem like he is going to wake up any time soon.”

Reyn’s gaze left Goten’s covered back to concentrate on Almanda. Her eyes met his and he shrugged again. “If you think it’s necessary; it certainly won’t harm him to be checked out.”

Both of them turned to Goten when he sighed softly. The sigh was sleepy, content. Almanda glanced at Reyn. Without Goten’s conscious presence, the man was quite different, somehow more pacific. She had spent about fifteen minutes conversing with him and had yet to hear the annoyance and sarcasm in his voice which seemed to be constantly present when Goten was around.

“He has problems with accepting others’ leadership,” Almanda said. “He finds it irritating and, most importantly, challenging. He used to get into trouble on the base all the time. Elites, second-classes, officers, you name it.” 

Reyn was giving her a perplexed look but, in a few seconds, nodded. “Yes. I’d have never figured he’d be so dominant concerning that. He doesn’t give that impression.”

“He also easily takes the lead over others if the opportunity arises,” Almanda warned him.

The flight officer thought for a moment, then nodded again. He didn’t quite agree with that, though. He had seen Goten take initiative, but usually it went the other way around – people followed Goten of their own. Just like he had. There was just something about Goten that made people trust him.

“He’s a fine lad,” Reyn said.

The elite shrugged. “I didn’t say he wasn’t. He just has issues with…”

“Stop… Stop talking about me…”

Almanda and Reyn turned to Goten. Goten was facing them, his sleepy eyes opening and closing, obviously trying to stay focused and failing.

“Are you alright?” Reyn asked, approaching his bed. “Does anything hurt?”

“‘m fine. Sleepy. Bathroom.”

It took them about thirty minutes to get to the bathroom and to return. Almanda spent her time waiting in one of the chairs. The cabin still smelled of sex and she felt awkward sitting there, waiting for them to return. They owed her an explanation though. She had tried asking Reyn and he told her that they were saving the universe. He mentioned something about rainbow unicorns when she asked what enemy they were saving it from. At that point, Almanda realized that there was absolutely no point in trying to make him talk.

When the two men returned to the cabin, Goten looked and sounded much livelier. “It was your fault!” he said as soon as he crossed the threshold.

Reyn rolled his eyes. “What do you mean my fault? You were the one holding it!”

Almanda noted that both of them looked amused. “What happened?” she asked.

“He pissed all over the wall.”

Goten glared at him. “That’s because you made me laugh!”

Almanda snorted. “Lovely.” She watched Goten walk over to his bed and sit down. He looked rested.

“Will you be sleeping again?” Reyn asked when the other third-class lay down on his side.

Goten shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. Just…”

“Then let’s have dinner. It’s about time.”

At the mention of food, Goten perked up.

“Hey, hey,” Almanda called when the two eager men headed for the door again, “aren’t you forgetting something?” She frowned when Goten gave her a tortured look. Why couldn’t she refuse this little prick? “Fine!” she growled. “Just go and have your damn dinner!” It was not as if Goten could avoid her forever; _Mantanko_ wasn’t a very large ship and Goten was going to be around for five days.

The canteen was busy with chewing and slurping men. There were about thirty of them. Some crewmen were conversing, but mostly the room was filled with the sound of scraping and the clanging of metallic and tempered plastic bowls. The noise ceased gradually at the sight of Reyn and Goten entering the canteen. When they reached the counter, there was hardly a sound heard.

While Reyn was ladling cabbage soup into his plastic bowl, Goten took the opportunity to study the crew. There were five elites seated at the door – the best place in the canteen, where the smells of burned oil and cabbage weren’t so pungent. Two of the elites were those who Goten had fought in the toilets back on Meia Colony. He noted that one’s arm was thickly bandaged, and the other had a tight wrapping around the lower part of his head to hold his jaw in place. Goten could not remember having broken anyone’s arms, and the third elite was missing altogether. 

It was obvious that, while he had been sleeping, some information exchange had taken place. It was not only the elites that were glaring his way. All the second-classes were staring at him as well. Goten had not expected the elites to talk so readily about getting beat up by a second-class.

“I’m screwed,” Goten muttered when they were sitting down at one of the two free tables next to the counter.

“Mm?” Reyn wondered, arranging his plates in front of him. He looked at Goten, then cast his eyes around the canteen. “Oh,” he said. “It’s not you. It’s me. I forgot to tell you, but about two years ago I punched their captain out.” He gave Goten a sheepish grin. “Just happened.”

An answering grin appeared on Goten’s face. “The captain _and_ a few others, right?”

“Umm… I think it was three or four second-classes, too.”

“Yup, I figured it was something like that when Sildara told you to stay out of trouble. Such a small world.”

Reyn shoveled a spoonful of cabbage soup into his mouth. If not for _Starcut’s_ crew occasionally reminding him of the incident, he would have forgotten it completely, for he had been drunk out of his head and two years was plenty of time to forget. Now all of it had returned. He had been using the showers when he saw a few familiar faces. From then on, word spread throughout _Mantanko_ like wildfire. He had also exchanged none too friendly looks with the captain in one of the corridors. It was really true that the past, sooner or later, came to bite one in the ass.

“So they hate you, huh?” Goten muttered around his spoon.

Reyn shook his head. “Not everyone.”

“Hmm… What was the fight about?”

Embarrassed, the flight officer squirmed in his seat. “You see, I was really, really drunk. I don’t think the captain was much more sober either. I think he flirted, and I probably flirted back, and then he had latched onto me as if there was no tomorrow.”

Goten started chortling. “He was coming on to you?” Somehow he found it hard to imagine and that resulted in a new bout of sniggering.

Considering whether it was worth discussing, the flight officer swallowed some more soup. He lowered his spoon into the bowl and stirred the soup idly. “I think it got to the point where he got mad with me, or maybe it was the other way round. In any case, I punched him out cold. And then some of his crew joined in.”

The other third-class shook his head. “This sounds pretty bad.”

The flight officer shrugged and lifted a spoonful to his mouth. “Not really. I paid a huge fine for damaging the property but that was it. Later, from one of his own men, I heard that this happened pretty much every time he set foot in a bar. I also heard he gives a hard time to his crewmen as well.”

“Sexual harassment, you mean? Ah,” he continued when Reyn nodded, “and then you appeared and taught him a lesson?”

“Well, a few men have greeted me quite warmly, so it seems that some of them do think that way.”

“Didn’t he recognize you? Back there, on the captain’s bridge?”

Reyn chuckled. “Both of us were drunk at that time. I didn’t recognize him either. Oh, I used to wear my hair long, too.”

Goten gave Reyn a once-over. The flight officer wasn’t someone who would catch other people’s eyes. His looks were average. Just as Goten had told Almanda, he believed that the two of them were quite fitting in that sense. He wondered, not for the first time, what Reyn looked like with his hair long.

“So has anyone tried anything yet?”

Reyn pushed his empty bowl away. “No,” he said, his attention already on the cutlets on another plate. 

Goten chuckled. The flight officer didn’t exactly look like someone you wanted to mess around with. Were it him in Reyn’s place, there would have already been at least five attempts to beat him up. He watched Reyn methodically annihilating his cutlets. 

“Never mind that. Do you feel alright?”

Goten’s spoon thumped on his bowl a few times uneasily. “I’m fine. Probably.” He stared at his soup mournfully. “I do like escaping reality, don’t I?”

Reyn gave him a look then, with a shrug, continued chewing. “Everyone has their weaknesses.”

Grunting, Goten averted his eyes to the metallic ceiling. “What’s yours, then?”

“You,” Reyn said promptly, herding the salad to the left side of his plate. “Listen, it’s no wonder you lost it; there was just too much going on. It just happens sometimes. Nonetheless, I hope to all gods that you won’t fall asleep while we’ll be saving…the prince?” He still had a hard time believing that was really what Goten had meant.

Ignoring the short pause, Goten hummed softly. “Yeah, me too.” He finished his soup and took up his cutlets as well. “So I’m your weakness, huh?” he asked with a grin.

“I am already regretting I told you.”

Goten chuckled. “But don’t they say that I should be your strength?”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.”

Goten scratched the back of his head nervously. “It seems to me you’re unhappy that you went with me on this suicidal mission…?”

Reyn poked his salad with his fork. “I’d rather you had asked me instead of concluding on your own. I’m _not unhappy_. Actually, I’d have been pissed if you had just gone off on your own. I’d have followed you. And then probably beaten the crap out of you.”

Goten flushed red and concentrated on his half-eaten cutlets which had suddenly become the most interesting things in the canteen. “Uh,” he muttered, not certain how to take it. The longer he stared at the cutlets, the more flushed his face became.

The flight officer’s eyebrows rose at the sight. “What’s with that reaction? I think I made it pretty clear I was in for a long-term game.”

Goten nodded dumbly at his cutlets. And so it appeared that he was the only one who didn’t know how to define their relationship. He was being unfair to Reyn, just as he had been unfair to Kyon and Ranvera. And there was also that damn purple-haired bastard with his scary confessions. He had to say something now to Reyn – either confirm or deny or lead him on, anything, but he had to speak up.

“Umm… I like you too…” he whispered, red to the roots of his hair, still staring at his plate.

Reyn choked on his cutlet and spat half of it back onto his plate. Roaring with laughter, he beat the table with his hand, drawing the attention of the surrounding tables. “That was hilarious!” he squeaked, coughing. 

“Well, what do you expect?” Goten grunted at him defiantly. “You totally had me at a loss there!”

It took some time for Reyn to stop laughing and the other third-class’s pouting face didn’t make it any easier. “Sorry, sorry,” he managed finally. “It’s just that you sound like one of those movies Jadenas watches.”

Wishing that all of this would somehow resolve itself without giving him such a major headache, Goten stabbed his cutlet with a vengeance. “You mean the ones where everyone shouts and cries a lot since they all want the same woman, and later they find their lost babies and then it appears that they are all relatives?”

“Yeah, yeah, those ones.”

Silently, Goten stuffed the rest of the cutlet into his mouth. 

Goten was drinking his tea when the corner of his eye caught a disturbing sight. He lowered the tin mug to the table. “Incoming, on your left,” he warned.

Reyn turned his head to meet the steady gaze of a second-class officer he vaguely knew as Taran-something. There were two more second-classes following him.

“Good evening.”

Both third-classes nodded in answer. 

“We haven’t had an opportunity to talk yet,” Taran-something said. “I’m Turen Erdogan.” He looked at Reyn. “A flight officer, just like yourself. This is Onar Rasid and Miran Toryeri,” he introduced his companions. “Have you settled in?” he asked once Goten and Reyn gave their names in return. 

“More or less,” Reyn answered while Goten was still thinking how he should define his mostly unconscious stay on this ship.

“Wonderful,” Turen said enthusiastically. “I was just thinking of inviting you two for a friendly spar. To bond with the crew, so to speak.” Now Goten was offering him a bright innocent smile and he found himself giving a confused look to the youngster. What the hell was wrong with him?

Both third-classes glanced at each other, their eyes held, and then Goten offered Turen a friendly smile again. “Actually, the two of us intended to spar after dinner anyway, so we’d be glad if you joined us,” Goten said.

The second-classes gave the younger male a few unsure looks, but his answer seemed to satisfy them and, with a few nods, they returned to their table. Goten and Reyn continued sipping their drinks silently.

Goten sighed dreamily. “Doesn’t this feel nostalgic?”

Reyn’s eyebrows rose. “You mean back then when you smashed my face into your soup?”

“From my point of view it was when you tried to harass me.”

“It’s strange how people see things differently. All I remember is my broken nose.”

“Reyn, sunshine, you deserved it.”

The flight officer chuckled both at the nickname and the way Goten said it. Goten pushed his mug aside. “So what do we actually do?” he asked.

Reyn shrugged. “Well, me and you spar. If, after that, there’s still anyone left who wants to try us out… Well…why not?”

Goten offered him a skeptical look. He could think of a ton of “why-nots”.

As soon as they left their seats, more than half of the canteen got to their feet as well. Goten could feel eyes boring into his back while he was carrying his empty dishes to the counter. When he and Reyn were walking through the door, the rest of the crew stood up. By the time Goten and Reyn reached the training hall, they were already followed by a crowd of about thirty people. There were some more people inside and they stood aside to let Goten and Reyn pass.

From the middle of the hall, stretching, Goten gave Reyn a morose look. Public shows annoyed him. He took his scouter off and looked around for a safe place to store it, but before he could head towards a small opening in the crowd, one of the crewmen held his hand out. Seeing how Reyn had just tossed his scouter to a random onlooker, Goten handed over his.

“Five thousand,” Reyn said from across the hall.

“Fine,” Goten muttered, powering up and moving into his fighting position. His ki surged high, went down, spiked a few times, then stayed at what he thought was approximately five thousand. The third-class heard someone clear his throat behind him and lowered his ki a notch.

Reyn gave Goten an amused look. The younger male was still awful when it came to measuring ki. He could hear astonished whispers picking up in the hall. Goten had powered up to twelve thousand. Deciding it would be easier than trying to get Goten to power down to about five thousand, he raised his ki to match Goten’s. It wasn’t surprising that the other third-class was so bad at measuring his own ki. He had only recently become able to summon such a great amount of it, far more than he was used to. This could escalate into a problem, however, and Goten needed to learn to control himself better. 

Goten’s tortured look just made the older man shrug in response and he motioned for Goten to come at him. The younger male rose a little above the floor and flew straight at him. Reyn skidded sideways, making the younger male chase him. Avoiding the kick aimed at his back, Reyn whirled around once Goten passed him and then kneed the younger male in the upper back so hard that he whooshed into the crowd of onlookers. Muttering under his breath, Goten extricated himself from two cursing officers. That would teach them. Goten turned around to find Reyn grinning at him. 

The younger male went at the flight officer again and this time Reyn faced him. He blocked Goten’s punch, but was too late to stop Goten’s left fist and was tossed backwards. The younger male was instantly upon Reyn again, kicking him in the stomach, making him crash into the wall behind him.

Reyn grimaced. Powering up to twelve thousand had been a mistake. Their hits were too powerful, the training hall too small, and they didn’t even have enough time to summon more ki to stop themselves from being flung into the walls. He grunted and jumped sideways just before Goten’s foot embedded itself into the wall he had been standing by an instant ago. Goten turned around in the air and his other leg shot out at Reyn’s face. The flight officer blocked it easily, grabbed him by his ankle, and flung the younger male away from him. After doing so, he wondered why he chose that instead of banging Goten against the wall a few times.

Goten’s ki flashed to stop his fall in midair and he righted himself again. The expression he wore on his face was that of annoyance and Reyn set off to put things right. In a few seconds, his fists collided with the younger man’s nose, then his left eye. He turned sideways and kicked at Goten’s head again, making him stagger. Planting both of his hands on the floor, he kicked out at the younger man’s chest, tossing him backwards. Before he could catch up to Goten, though, the lad had flash-stepped away from him. For a few seconds he flitted around the training hall, taking his time to recover, then appeared in front of Reyn. The flight officer blinked out of view, reappearing behind Goten, but instead of the back of the younger male’s head, his fist found only air. The next thing he knew was Goten’s foot smashing into his face. Goten disappeared again, but this time Reyn managed to block his hit. The power, though, made him skid backwards over the floor. He rolled over, got to his feet, and was just in time to flash-step away from the kick Goten aimed at his stomach. 

Since they had never powered up over ten thousand, neither of them had used flash-step in their previous spars. Now it was obvious that the younger male was incredibly good at it. He would appear right in front of him or right behind him, making it difficult for Reyn to avoid him. Not to mention that the flight officer found himself incapable of carrying out any serious attacks since Goten just kept flash-stepping away.

Reyn yelped loudly when Goten’s elbow connected with the side of his face, snapping his head to the right. A kick to his stomach followed, flinging him backwards. Goten turned in midair, his other leg shooting out to catch him beneath the chin. Goten’s body turned again and a series of similar kicks followed, ending with his right leg whooshing above Reyn’s head and brought down with such power that the flight officer hit the floor face-first. Reyn flash-stepped away before Goten could kick at him again, but the younger male followed him easily, his knee connecting with his chin again.

It took Goten a bit of time to realize that Reyn was not able to land a hit on him. The flight officer could not catch up to him. That confused Goten and he could see that Reyn was no less confused. The flight officer was giving him a lost look as if wondering how he was supposed to fight him when he could not put a scratch on him.

“Not bad,” someone from the onlookers said and Goten turned his head to see an elite pushing himself off the wall and coming closer. He was immediately joined by two more elites.

Goten and Reyn turned to them. They watched the three men power up, then met each other’s eyes. Reyn didn’t even try to appear concerned while Goten was wondering how bad things would get if the whole crew witnessed them beating up three elites. He figured it would get really, really bad. Questions would be asked, phone calls would be made, and they would be exposed at once. _Starcut_ or any other ship would be sent to intercept them and… He actually had no idea what would be done to them, but it obviously didn’t include anything pleasant.

“I really don’t want to fight you, sirs,” he said to the elites. He raised his hands in a giving up motion to be more convincing.

One of the elites laughed. “Well, of course you don’t.” His eyebrows rose threateningly. “But we do.”

“Do you now?” a threatening voice questioned in a low growl and everyone turned to see the shaii walking through the hall. He was followed by the burly elite female. “Thirsty for a fight? That’s awesome!” he said. “You can always count on me.”

Almanda raised her hand. “On me as well.” She gave the three hesitating elites a look torn between amused and disgusted. “Don’t tell me you expect these second-classes to put up a decent fight?”

“She’s absolutely right, sirs!” Goten agreed enthusiastically. “We’d never match your skill or power! We’re absolutely useless!” From the comments on _Starcut_ , Goten knew his and Reyn’s fights looked spectacular, but since the two of them were pretty well-matched, their fights could sometimes give the misleading impression of being fought half-heartedly.

Reyn’s eyes rolled up to stare at the ceiling. “Yeah, just what he says,” he said. His eyes slid away from the ceiling and he caught the captain amidst the onlookers. The man’s face told him that he was going to have his rematch sooner or later anyway. That was fine with Reyn.

TBC


	51. Part 51

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 51

Not without admiration, Goten watched Almanda’s foot connect with the elite’s face. The man landed on the floor with a loud thud and a painful grunt. Despite being a female, Almanda almost matched the heavily built man in size and was no less muscled. If at first the elite male was trying to be both cautious and courteous to Almanda, he had realized in no time that he had to face her seriously.

Goten turned to look at Reyn, who was also following the fight. His face reflected a surprised interest, just like the faces of most of the crewmen in the training hall. Draman and the other two elites were watching the duel as well, waiting for their turn. Reyn winced sympathetically when Almanda’s foot made contact with the other elite’s crotch. It was fortunate that the man was wearing full Saiyan armor. Still, the man’s eyes crossed in alarm as he felt the protective metal bend inward, and then the female’s fist flew into his field of vision.

“I’d not want to spar with her,” Reyn muttered. “She’s rather…sadistic.”

“I don’t think anyone would,” Goten agreed. “Despite the fact that the man is at least twenty years her senior, she doesn’t seem to be having difficulties facing him.”

The flight officer shivered at Amanda’s second unsuccessful attempt to crush the elite male’s family jewels. Then she grabbed a fistful of his long mane and punched him in the face with all her might. Reyn moved aside when the elite male flew past him and into the wall; this was the main reason Reyn liked to keep his hair short.

The spar was soon over and Goten quickly made himself scarce. On his way to his cabin, he was quickly joined by Reyn and, just as they stepped through the door, Almanda appeared from behind a corner. Wordlessly, she crossed the corridor and entered the cabin after them. She let the door close behind them.

Goten gave her a slightly nervous look. “Really, I can’t thank you enough for taking those idiots off our backs.” She must have noticed everyone heading for the training hall and asked around to find out what was up, then hurried to inform Draman. The shaii appeared to be sensible enough and followed the female to the hall to stop the fighting.

“Those are elites you’re talking about,” Almanda warned Goten. Touching her rapidly swelling jaw with her fingers, she looked around and sat down in one of the chairs. She had been surprised by how quickly Draman had reacted. The shaii had almost run to the hall. 

“Doesn’t make it any better,” Reyn muttered, walking further into the cabin and seating himself on his bed. 

Almanda tensed at first, then just shrugged. “I suppose not.” She turned to Goten. “So, golden boy, I’d like to hear the reason you’re here on this ship.”

“Oooo…” Goten drawled, thinking frantically. He had been dreading this question since the very moment he'd woken up. “Ahh… We eloped,” he said finally, a little breathless. “We eloped!” he repeated more convincingly, content with the idea. “The captain was against me and Reyn creating a pack, so we eloped!”

Angry, the elite shook her fist at him, while Reyn unsuccessfully tried to stifle a burst of laughter. “You seriously think I’d believe that bullshit?” Almanda wondered. She very nearly punched Goten for the look of absolute innocence on his face.

“We received orders to join _Mantanko_ ,” Reyn said, taking pity on her. “They need more people on Bruminan Station, that’s all. You do know about the conference that is going to be held there?”

“Of course. Who doesn’t? And I also know it was not “they”. It was Ranvera who sent you two here, so cut the crap.”

Reyn looked at Goten and shrugged. It was not his place to tell her anything. Goten was the one who had to decide how much, if anything, to tell.

“The hell is that?” Almanda grunted in alarm suddenly, jumping to her feet. A ki ball formed in her palm.

Goten’s eyes followed her left hand that was pointing at the half-open wardrobe. Two glistening eyes were seen from deep within.

“Oh, that’s a cat,” he said dismissively.

“What’s a cat?” the elite asked, ready to launch the ki ball at the wardrobe.

“You can power down. It’s a harmless pet,” Reyn explained. “We took it with us accidentally.”

“No, you took it with us accidentally,” Goten corrected him.

“Well, yeah,” Reyn agreed.

Almanda extinguished her ki and walked to the wardrobe. She opened the door all the way to reveal a strange black creature sitting in a suitcase.

“It’s not ours,” Goten said quickly while the elite was inspecting the animal. “Belongs to the gunnery sergeant on _Starcut_.”

“How did it get here?”

“Well, it probably snuck onto _Kareli_ , then crawled into my suitcase. Or maybe someone just put him there. A prank, so to speak.”

Reyn cleared his throat when she reached out for the animal. “It’s probably best you don’t touch it.”

She turned to him. “Not so harmless, is it?”

“The claws are sharp,” Goten explained. “And it doesn’t particularly like being touched.”

“Well, neither do I,” Almanda said, moving away from the wardrobe, “so we’ll get along just fine.” Her jaw was starting to burn more and she looked around the cabin for something cool. She settled on a tin mug she saw on the desk near Reyn’s bed. Pressing it to her chin, she returned to the chair.

“Well?”

Goten scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “You see, you will never believe me, so I’d rather just leave it as it is.”

With her thumb, Almanda pointed at Reyn. “But your honey here, he believes you, doesn’t he?”

Goten gave Reyn a long searching look, then turned back to the elite. “Actually, I think he’s here just to make sure I don’t get myself killed stupidly. Believing… well, that’s another matter.”

The flight officer shrugged. It was just as Goten said. He had believed Goten. He’d had no doubts a day ago when Goten told him they were going to save the prince. As the hours passed, though, he found himself more and more uncertain about the credibility of Goten’s dreams. There had been strange coincidences, sure, but those were just dreams. How accurate could they be?

“Weeeell,” Goten drawled. “I have received information that there’s going to be an attempt on the Crown Prince.”

Almanda grinned at him. “Really?” Gradually, her grin started to fade as she took in the serious expression on Goten’s and Reyn’s faces. “You’ve gotta be shitting me…”

“Not really,” Goten said. “They intend to destroy the entire station.”

Almanda was staring at him, confusion and disbelief written all over her face. She looked at Reyn, but the flight officer answered her questioning eyes with an offhand shrug. She turned back to Goten.

“How do you know? Ranvera? But why would he…?”

“No, Ranvera doesn’t know anything. I just asked him to transfer us.”

“And he agreed?” She rolled her eyes when Goten nodded. “Alright, but who then?” Almanda tensed suddenly. “Ooo… Him? Seriously?”

Goten shook his head vehemently before she could utter another word. “No way. And why would he send us,” he pointed at himself than Reyn, “if he knew?”

“Hmm…” Almanda hummed. She rolled the mug over her chin, but it had already warmed up and was offering no further comfort. Irritated, she started banging it against the armrest. “Right. So who, then?”

“Let it be a secret,” Goten said. 

“Stop that,” Reyn told her after a few particularly loud bangs.

Almanda lowered the mug into her lap. “Well, okay, let’s leave it for now. Who is the enemy and how are they going to do it? And do you have any plan on how to prevent it?”

Reyn and Goten met each other’s eyes. Goten averted his eyes first. He blushed lightly. “Well, we didn’t really have time to discuss that. I just know that, in all probability, it will be an Imperial Destroyer and that they are planning to blow up the entire station.”

The elite stared at him for a few moments, then shook herself out of her stupor. “An Imperial Destroyer? One of our own ships?”

Goten nodded. “They’ll probably hijack one. Or…bribe maybe. I don’t know.”

“So how do you plan on finding that destroyer?” she asked, addressing the question to both third-classes.

Reyn gave Goten a questioning look. “I have no idea how we can find one particular destroyer amongst all of them,” the flight officer said. “I’m sure there will be many. In the worst-case scenario, we will have to blow up all of them using the station’s defense system.”

Goten nodded. This was what he had suggested to his father. He could see that neither Reyn nor Almanda were happy about the idea either, but at this moment, there were no other options they could choose from. They had to get there first and see the situation with their own eyes.

“You do realize that, even if you somehow manage to take down all the ships, you’ll still end up dead?” the elite asked them. “If no one knows why you did it, you won’t leave the station alive. They’ll hunt you down.”

“Umm… One thing at a time,” Goten said.

“Are you really sure?” Reyn asked him.

“Listen, I didn’t drag you here,” Goten snapped at the flight officer. “You came of your own volition. You can just stay on this ship and go to Earth with them. I’m sure you’ll somehow manage to get back to _Starcut_.”

“Yeah, I could,” Reyn said. “But I don’t plan to, so you could at least answer a few of my questions.” 

Tiredly, Goten rubbed his forehead. “Am I sure? No, I’m not,” he admitted with a sigh. “I’m going in somewhat blindly. I will only be certain when I see my father there.”

“Your father?” Almanda asked, surprised. “He will be there as well?”

“Yeah, he should be.”

Reyn nodded. “Alright. We will still have a day or so after we arrive at the station.” He hoped that, by that time, Goten would have had a few more of those strange dreams of his. He also hoped that this was not all of the information Goten had, and that he just didn’t want to say anything while the elite was in the cabin. If neither of those two expectations were true, their future looked bleak.

“All of this is so vague…” Almanda said, getting up from the chair. She placed the mug back on the desk and went to the door. “I’ll think about it.”

“It’s better you don’t,” Goten said. “I’m sure this won’t end well.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, seamstress.”

For a few seconds, Reyn stared at the door that had closed behind her. “Seamstress?” he asked Goten.

“I’m awful at needlework,” Goten enlightened him. “My sergeant used to call me that all the time.”

“Ah.” He waited for Goten to add something to his earlier explanations, but nothing came. “Is there anything else you can tell me about that attack on the station?” 

Goten gave the flight officer a guilty look. “Not really. But when I think about it, I believe my father told me that he would have the codes for their defense system when we get there.”

“Oh! That’s good news!”

“I will tell you more if I remember or find out any further information, but I’m afraid this going to be a one-way suicide mission.”

Reyn laughed softly. “Well, if we really take down all the ships, and manage to escape the royal family, _and_ find a spare ship at one of the docks… I’m certain your father will have one ready for us. After that… I don’t think anyone could stop us.”

Goten was staring at him without blinking. “But we’d become outlaws, hunted throughout the entire Saiyan Empire and its allied nations.”

“Well, it’s better than to be dead or have our prince killed, right? Besides, with this war, we’ll be forgotten sooner or later. We could also pass for battle survivors. Well, I’m sure we will come up with a plan.”

“We will need to destroy the station’s defense system after using it so that they can’t take us down while we’re doing the runner.”

Reyn grinned at him. “Of course.”

Goten was suddenly faint with relief. All this time he had tried to avoid giving thought to the consequences of his short but fatal quest. He knew that it had to be done and that was it. The anxiety and hidden panic had been there, though. He had a way out now. He doubted it would work, but now he had hope.

“We’ll have to kill hundreds of people to be able to escape,” Goten said finally. “A lot of Saiyans too.”

Reyn nodded. “That’s right. But think about this: if you can prevent the prince’s death this time, maybe you can influence events in some other way next time.” He laughed softly. “You’re a national treasure now. Maybe even more important than the prince we’ll be saving. Only that no one knows it.”

“You don’t even believe these dreams,” Goten pointed out, not without bitterness.

“I wouldn’t say I don’t believe them. I have my doubts, but so far they’ve proven themselves to be genuine.”

The younger male was still pouting and Reyn shrugged. He stood up and walked over to Goten’s bed to seat himself next to the other man. “Listen, I don’t particularly believe your dreams, but I believe in you. You did save me and the other men’s lives back then. I have no reason to disbelieve you.”

Goten sighed. Well, that was to be expected – he wasn’t even certain about those dreams himself after all. “I’d rather you believed in your luck,” he said. “This is gonna be one heck of a bloodbath.”

“Goten, it’s simple – _the prince_ has to survive and _you_ have to survive. That’s all. Well, yeah, your father and myself too,” he added after the younger man’s level stare. “Your father sees those dreams as well, right? And you’ll probably need me to pilot a ship when we escape.”

Goten was frowning again, and Reyn laughed. “Well, maybe I can be useful for something more interesting than piloting a ship.”

“Yeah, like mopping the floor,” Goten muttered at the suggestive proposition.

“You call that interesting? You certainly lack imagination.”

Chuckling, Goten turned his body towards Reyn. “Well, at least you have enough for the both of us,” he said, smoothing his hands over the older man’s shoulders and leaning in to bring their mouths together. Reyn’s lips met his eagerly, his own hands sliding over to Goten’s nape and waist. 

The younger man was relieved, much calmer now, and it showed. Reyn could feel Goten’s body melting under his touch. Reyn ran his hands down his sides and to the other third-class’s hips. His fingers slid under Goten’s shirt to caress his sides and back. The younger male’s shirt was still buttoned and he couldn’t reach far inside without the risk of tearing it. He broke the kiss and lowered his head to nuzzle the side of Goten’s neck. The younger man voiced his appreciation with a soft moan. It turned into a gasp as Reyn unexpectedly gripped Goten by the hips and lifted him. He suddenly found himself straddling the flight officer. While Reyn’s hands were kneading his rump with relish, Goten’s own fingers dove for the older man’s belt. He had unbuckled it and was about to unbutton Reyn's trousers when, with a soft ping, the door opened.

The second-class who had just entered took a good look at the two frozen figures on the bed, staring at him with questioning faces. “Don’t mind me, go on,” he said. “I’m just a messenger. I’m not sure which one of you is Reyn but… Ah, it’s you,” he said when the flight officer pulled his hand out from under Goten’s shirt to raise it in indication. “So yeah, the captain will be waiting for you in the training hall in about an hour. Now the good news. We are having a very important conference in the meeting hall, also in about an hour. Don’t forget to bring your own drinks.”

“Will there be any elites?”

The second-class shook his head in disbelief at Goten. “Of course not. What are you thinking?”

“Thinking that I’d like to avoid trouble, if possible.”

“No trouble at all. Some would be overjoyed if you joined.”

“I bet,” Reyn muttered.

The second-class chuckled, his attention going to the flight officer. “Well, you aren’t exactly invited, but if you come, then you come. And it’s best that you don’t allow your boy,” with his chin, he indicated Goten, “to go to the hall alone.”

Goten raised his eyebrows at the man. “I’m actually pretty capable of taking care of myself.”

“Yeah, sure. I’m just saying that there might be many wishing to take care of you as well.”

“Nothing ever changes,” Reyn chuckled softly, squeezing Goten’s behind for emphasis. He nodded at the second-class. “Yeah, thanks for the news.”

“No problem. You should also take him,” the man motioned at Goten, “when you go to meet the captain. Just to make sure you have backup.”

When the door closed behind the second-class, Goten and Reyn looked at each other. “So our little rendezvous is called off for now…” Goten muttered. That was a pity – he had really been getting into it. Plus, there was also the promise of Reyn being on the bottom the next time they had sex.

Reyn squeezed the younger man’s buttocks a few more times then, regretfully, let go. Goten slid off his lap and sat down a little further away from the flight officer. He watched Reyn buckle his belt then, leaving the older man sitting on his bed, he stood up and went to the wardrobe to check on the cat.

“Have you fed it?”

“Yeah. I fed him your meals when you slept through breakfast and lunch. Well, minus the salad. Seems he doesn’t like salad.”

“Clever thing.”

Once Goten approached the wardrobe and took a more careful look inside it, he saw a metal bowl of food at the back wall of the wardrobe. It was still half-full, a piece of steak and some boiled vegetables visible. The cat was staring at him quietly.

“What about his toilet?” Goten asked, inspecting the wardrobe. It didn’t stink, though, if one didn’t pay attention to Mr. Elite’s usual smell. After raising his head, Goten spotted a few magazines on the shelves above.

“Well, he asked to be let out, then returned in about two hours.”

Incredulous, Goten turned to Reyn. “You let him out?”

“Well, what was I supposed to do? He kept making noise. I considered frying him, but then took pity on Monteira.”

The younger male shook his head and concentrated back on the magazines on the shelves. “Since he returned alive and with his hair still on, I suppose no one noticed him.” That was hard to believe, though. Goten rummaged about on the lowest shelf, then tossed one of the magazines across the cabin for Reyn to catch. The rest of the magazines featured photographs of various home interiors and he held not the slightest interest in that. He doubted Reyn or any other Saiyan in general would ever be interested in that either. Shortly, Goten wondered about the previous owner of the cabin. He inspected the remaining shelves, but finding nothing more of interest, returned to his bed and sat down next to his friend.

Absently, Reyn was flipping through the pages of the magazine. In about the middle, his eyes set on a female’s busty chest, then slid down the page to her crotch. He turned the magazine sideways to inspect it closer. 

“Why is it that you get invited to a party and I get invited to a duel?” he asked Goten finally.

“Must be my face.”

“I say your ass would be a more valid guess.”

“Ooo!” Goten sang in appreciation after catching a glimpse of the photo in the magazine. “Such awesome tits!”

“Yeah,” Reyn agreed. “I’m trying to figure out what species this is.”

Goten took a closer look. “No idea. So will you come to the party, too?”

Reyn flipped the magazine to another page to reveal a burly Saiyan male having intercourse with some kind of a large bluish animal. The flight officer shuddered and closed the magazine to check its cover. It said “Daily Delights” in big orange letters and had a three-eyed creature looking out of it in what was obviously meant to be a seductive manner. Reyn gave the creature an apathetic look and tossed the magazine back to Goten; maybe the younger male would find it more appealing. 

“Well, of course. Gods only know what they would do to your naïve and unsupervised self,” he spat sarcastically. There was probably no point in telling Goten he didn’t want him to go to that party at all. It hadn’t worked the last time, it was not going to work this time; the younger male would just brush him off. No matter how annoyed he felt, he could not forbid Goten from attending these kinds of gatherings. It was very likely, though, that in a few years Goten would lose interest in them on his own. If they were going to last that long.

Goten pursed his lips at the three-eyed creature on the cover. He shook his head. “That’s not fair. You get to kick ass and then attend a party!”

Reyn rolled his eyes.

“So do you want me to go with you to the training hall?”

“No,” Reyn said, shaking his head. “I will deal with them on my own. There’s no need for you to get involved.”

“Well, I sorta am already,” Goten pointed out.

“You know, if it’s really a trap and there are many of them, I’ll need to power up quite high. Thinking about trying not to kill you while I am fighting them is something I’d like to avoid.”

Nodding, Goten hummed softly. The older man was right. In that case, he would only be a nuisance. For a few minutes, he leafed through the journal in silence, then pushed it off his lap and lay down diagonally across the bed, his legs hanging over the edge.

“You need to learn to control your power better,” Reyn said.

“Yeah,” Goten agreed. “Will you help me out?”

“Sure.”

This was very simple training, something all Saiyan children started learning as soon as they were taught how to summon their ki. Reyn doubted it would take Goten more than a few days to get the hang of his newly acquired power. As long as he didn’t power up too high.

Both of them turned to the wardrobe as scratching sounds came from it. The cat finally left his sanctuary and slipped through the slightly ajar door. He stared at the two Saiyans on the bed while his tail swished about in a few twitching motions. Were it a Saiyan’s tail, Goten would have thought the cat was very happy to see them. However, it was obvious that a cat’s tail had to be read differently.

Using the opportunity, Goten got up and went to take a look at the contents of his suitcase. Since he had originally planned to go back to _Starcut_ , he hadn’t packed all his things. One uniform was missing and he had no spare change of socks or underwear. The boots he had been issued at Hataro Officer School had been worn, but they had been sturdy and comfortable. It was a pity he hadn’t packed them. Spare boots, clean socks and underwear, though, always came second when one had an empire to save. Besides, he had other things to worry about. Pushing his Hataro Officer School uniform aside, he dug out the recipe book. He’d had his doubts when taking it, thinking himself a fool for even considering it, but now he was unbelievably glad he had ignored his common sense. Thinking, Goten stared at the book.

The prince… After what was going to happen on Bruminan Station, the man would probably think he had betrayed him. Using his name to get to the station, then destroying all allied ships, assassinating many of the renowned guests and allies, maybe even attempting and failing to kill Prince Vegeta himself. 

That silly inscription was probably the only memento he would have left from the prince. Next time they met, if ever, they would very likely be enemies.

Goten covered the cookbook with the uniform again. That’s how it was and it was best not to think about it. The khaki uniform was coated in short black hair, and the entire suitcase reeked of the cat. He thought about removing his uniform, but then he would need to relocate the cookbook as well. That might result in him forgetting where he put it, which, in turn, might lead to him forgetting to take it when he left _Mantanko_.

Goten’s head turned in the direction of the door when the cat meowed. The black abomination wanted out. He was sitting at the door, staring at it stubbornly. The two Saiyans met each other’s eyes. The cat meowed again, louder this time. The third demanding call sounded as if someone was skinning Mr. Elite alive, which was what Reyn wanted to do to him at that moment.

“Any suggestions?” the flight officer asked.

“Not really,” Goten said, moving away from the wardrobe. He walked to the door and let the cat out. Mr. Elite waltzed through it and into the empty corridor. For all the demanding noise the cat had made, he sure was taking his time. 

Quietly, not meeting anyone along the way, Goten followed the cat through a few corridors. Mr. Elite’s final destination appeared to be the toilets. The cat had obviously found the room by the smell. Goten followed the cat inside. He watched Mr. Elite climb on top of one of the open holes. Watching the cat going about his business was not interesting at all, so Goten left him alone. As soon as he left the bathroom, Goten saw one of the three men who had approached Reyn and him in the canteen with the request to spar walking towards him.

“How are you doing?” Onar asked.

Goten smiled brightly. “Very good, thank you.” That damn cat had better be done fast.

“You two are quite a pair, huh?”

“Err…”

“Will you come to the meeting?” the man asked, winking.

“Umm…yeah.”

“Nice, nice,” Onar said, clapping Goten on his shoulder. He turned to the toilets.

The third-class moved out of the way. Apprehensively, he waited for a sign that Mr. Elite had been discovered. Two minutes later, though, the man left the toilets, gave him a puzzled look seeing him still standing there, and walked away. Wondering how the cat had managed to stay unnoticed, Goten opened the door. Not managing to immediately locate Mr. Elite, he walked further into the room. He checked all the cubicles, but the cat was nowhere to be seen. Confused, Goten turned on his scouter and scanned the toilets. Nothing. He turned off the thermo scanner and stood motionless, thinking. In a few seconds, he raised his head to look at the corner near the entrance and a soft curse slipped past his lips. The vent.

ooOoOoOoo

It had taken Reyn a total of five minutes to deal with the captain. The man had come alone and it hadn’t been a trap. They fought, Reyn won, and that was it. The only problem was that the captain had invited him for a drink after that. Thinking that it would be rude and silly to refuse this sign of truce, Reyn had agreed. The captain had led him to his cabin where they were soon joined by two more second-classes.

Now, sitting on the floor and absently nursing his drink, Reyn wondered what exactly he was doing here. His mind quickly supplied him with the answer that he was playing cards, and winning at that. Any income was good. His mind was also quick to inform him that he wasn’t having a bad time either, and that the other three men were quite entertaining. Further into the game and their liquor supplies, though, the captain started flirting with him again. The other two second-classes started dropping hints too, and it became obvious that, if he wasn’t interested in a foursome, it was about time to depart. 

Wondering what exactly the captain found so appealing about him, Reyn reached the meeting hall, where Goten’s party was supposed to be happening. Already, through the closed door, the flight officer was able to tell that it was indeed taking place. Reyn looked at the key code and just pressed the pass button. The metallic door slid open. A little surprised that it had worked, he entered the hall. Reyn’s right foot froze in midair at the sight in front of him, the clamor and laughter tuning out. Including Goten, there were six people in the room. There were quite a few open bottles on the desks and around them and the hall strongly reeked of booze. Most people were sitting around one desk, except Goten, who was lying on the floor in quite an awkward position. There was a man half-sitting, half-leaning over him. The third-class’s belt was undone. There was probably more going on, but Reyn was not able to see much else because the back of the guy leaning over Goten was blocking his view.

The second-classes were questioningly eying the flight officer. One was still telling a story to his buddies about someone he had unexpectedly met on Meia Colony. Goten burst out laughing.

Just as the messenger had said, he should have not allowed Goten to go alone. Now, seeing the third-class’s confused and flushed face, the arms that the younger male held out for him, he thought about just leaving Goten where he was. He turned to go, made a few steps back towards the door, then turned around. In a few swift strides, he was at Goten’s side.

“Get off,” the flight officer said to the second-class, whose hand, as now he could clearly see, was in Goten’s underwear.

The man turned to look at him. “What? You want a piece of him too?”

Reyn lifted the man by his shoulder and shoved him away from the other third-class. The man toppled sideways, hitting his elbow against the leg of a nearby desk.

“Hey!” he howled in pain and surprise. “What are you doing, you shitface!”

Reyn grabbed Goten by his upper arm and tugged him upwards. “Come, you freaking idiot.”

The younger male giggled stupidly and hung suspended above the floor. “I don’t…th-think I can walk.” 

Reyn suddenly leaned in and Goten saw stars when he was backhanded across the face.

“How about now?” Reyn hissed at him.

“What the fuck are y-”

Reyn’s eyes shot to the second-classes. All of them were standing now. One was summoning his ki. “Don’t you interfere!” he growled. “And if you ever touch him again, I’ll fucking kill you.”

“The fuck you’re…”

The second-class who had been previously helping himself to Goten swung his fist at Reyn’s face, and the flight officer snapped. Powering up, he dropped Goten, and shot forward. He grabbed the second-class by his neck, slammed his head sideways into the wall, then took a better hold and smashed him into it face-first. He tossed the groaning, half-conscious man to the floor. The second-class’s nose was bent and crooked, blood gushing all over his face.

“Hey, chill out,” one the second-classes at the desk said, holding his hands up. “We didn’t know he was yours. Nothing happened, okay?”

“Fuck you, gods damn it!” Reyn growled at him. In a few strides, he was back at Goten’s side. The third-class was trying to stand up and was miserably failing. He was on all fours now, his trousers still undone, almost falling down his hips. His belt was hanging out, and his underwear was visible. Goten was hard. Reyn felt like hitting the younger man again, but he just grabbed him by his waist and swung him over his shoulder. Letting out a few colorful curses, he turned to the door and punched the pass button.

He carried Goten all the way to their cabin, then tossed him onto his bed. The entire time he was being carried, the younger male had been giggling stupidly and trying to get off his shoulder. Or maybe he just wanted more friction. At that point, Reyn couldn’t care less.

“Ouch,” Goten complained when his back hit the mattress. He pouted and reached out for the flight officer. The other man seemed to be badly pissed off and Goten’s brain failed to comprehend why. He didn’t want Reyn to be pissed off with him. He wanted Reyn to be fucking him. His pout deepened when the older male shook his hands off angrily and went to his desk to pour some water into his mug.

“Here, you idiot. Drink it,” Reyn said, giving the mug to Goten. The other third-class gave the mug an apathetic look, but after a threatening glare, took it. Or tried to. Reyn was just in time to grab it before Goten could spill it all over his bed. Goten flopped onto his back again. He looked somewhat confused that his limbs didn’t listen to him, but then his face cleared again. He was more interested in his swollen nether regions.

“Come here,” Reyn grunted, lifting Goten’s upper back. With his other hand, he pressed the mug to the other man’s mouth. Watching him drink, his anger started dissipating. He had no idea what they had made Goten drink or eat, but it didn’t seem serious. Drinking a lot of water should flush it out of his system pretty soon. 

Freaking idiot.

ooOoOoOoo

When Goten woke up, it was completely dark. Only his sense of smell told him that he was in his and Reyn’s cabin, on his bed. He felt dizzy and sluggish, and, most importantly, sick. He rolled out of bed and staggered over to where he thought the door was located. Not wanting to wake Reyn up, he didn’t call for the lights. That resulted in him hitting his toe on the metal leg of the unused bed. He let out a string of curses and called for the lights.

“You okay?”

Cradling his left foot, Goten turned to Reyn.

“Feeling sick?” Reyn deduced at the sight of the other third-class’s ghastly pale face. “Let me help you get to the toilets,” he said, getting out of bed. There was a look of urgency written all over the younger man’s face and Reyn didn’t bother putting his clothes on either. Hooking his hands under Goten’s armpits, he lifted the other man and started making it towards the door. Just as he had guessed, Goten was barely able to walk.

While Goten was kneeling in front of one of the toilet bowls, getting rid of whatever junk he had been made to eat or drink at that party, Reyn decided to use the opportunity to take care of his business as well. Later, leaning against the wall, he just stood and watched the other third-class’s heaving back.

The spasms were over in about ten minutes and Goten pushed himself off the floor. He swayed dangerously, his numb legs folding out from under him again. His head barely missed the toilet bowl, him managing to push himself away from it with his hands. That movement, though, made him topple over onto his back. He heard Reyn curse softly behind him, and he reclined his head to look at him. The older man was barefooted, only in his underwear, and was now walking towards him. He didn’t quite understand what was wrong with that picture, but Goten’s abused gut was telling him that he had done something wrong.

“I’m sorry,” Goten muttered. 

“Feeling better?” Reyn asked, helping him to stand up. He doubted the younger male understood what exactly he was apologizing for. He still looked out of it.

“A little.”

Goten let himself be maneuvered towards the sink where he rinsed his mouth and drank at least a liter of water. 

“So do you remember anything?” Reyn asked on their way back to the cabin.

Goten’s face acquired a painfully confused look while he was doing his best to glue the pieces in his head together. “Well, hardly anything,” he admitted. “Not really. Just that I…” He blushed fiercely, not finishing. “Did I actually do anything with them?”

“No, but I did think about leaving you there. Just to teach you a lesson.”

Goten was silent for a few seconds and Reyn turned his head to see him drowsing. He was barely moving his feet. This conversation was best had after Goten had fully recovered. He apparently still didn’t quite understand what had happened. Reyn was also very interested in which of the second-classes had prepared the mix.

As soon as Reyn put Goten to bed, he fell asleep. The flight officer followed his example.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten’s eyes blinked open. Still in a pleasant daze, he stared in front of him, then woke up completely. There was a heavy body upon his back. His wrists were pinned to the bed above his head. With a strangled gasp, he flexed his arms, but hardly managed to raise them an inch.

“Awake?”

Goten recognized the voice instantly, his sense of smell coming second. His panic gave way to surprise. “What are you doing?” he asked, his voice still shaky. He tried to free his hands again, but with no success. “Release me.”

“No.”

“What…” Goten trailed off at the feeling of thick bluntness pressing against his backside. It barely paused before forcing its way into him. “Mhgah!” Goten could feel himself spasming around the foreign object, but, to his surprise, there was hardly any pain. “What the hell are you doing?” he hissed, trying to free his hands again. Had he been lubricated in his sleep? His face flushed red at the thought of having slept through that.

Above him, Reyn chuckled. “One would think you’d have figured it out by this time.” Slowly, he transferred the rest of his weight to Goten’s back, moving now his free left hand above Goten’s head. When he loosened his hold on the younger male’s wrists, Goten immediately tried to shake him off. Instead, Reyn grabbed his left wrist with his left hand and pressed it back to the bedding next to Goten’s head.

Reyn could tell that the younger male was unsure about both the situation and his position. “Calm down,” he said, pressing a kiss to Goten’s nape. “It doesn’t hurt, does it?”

Goten exhaled the breath he had been holding in. “No, but…”

“It’s fine, then. Relax.”

“…”

The flight officer chuckled. “Can I move now?” 

Still not quite certain, Goten stared in front of him then, finally, the muscles in his upper back relaxed, his body sinking into the bedding. “Fine,” he muttered.

Reyn rocked his hips against Goten’s backside, making the younger male grunt at the friction inside him. The restrained position didn’t allow Goten any movement and he didn’t feel comfortable about it. It didn’t feel bad either, though. This position prevented Reyn from pushing deep into him and the cock inside him didn’t feel so demanding. Reyn wasn’t wearing a condom again, which also made it better.

“That’s it. Just relax.”

Goten lowered his head back to the pillow. Reyn was going slowly, teasing at first, but Goten’s thoughts became muddled almost instantly, his senses turning hazy. Only a few thrusts later, he was as hard as a rock, sweat starting to bead up on his brow. He would have felt surprised about how strongly he was responding, but any sense he had left was quickly pumped out by the cock inside him. Trying to keep quiet, he muffled his gasps with the pillow, breathing through his nose. Before long, he started lacking air and turned his head to the side, panting. The cock inside him felt fantastic. He tried to lift his hips but that didn’t work, so instead, he spread his legs even more.

“You like being fucked like this?”

Goten groaned wordlessly, this time not even trying to muffle the sound. He came a few seconds later. The orgasm was so intense that he saw white for a few seconds. Dazed, he panted to get his breath back. Still inside him but not moving, Reyn was kissing his back and shoulders. Goten wondered if the other man had come as well, then realized that he was still hard. His hands were still pinned at the sides of his head and it was obvious that the flight officer was waiting for his muscles to relax.

“You can let me go. I’m not going to escape.”

Reyn let out a breathless chuckle. “Liar.”

Goten rubbed his cheek against the pillow. “Damn you.” He sighed. “And, actually, it was your turn to be on the bottom.”

Feeling the restriction around him lessening, Reyn rocked his hips against Goten’s, making the younger man squirm underneath him.

“Ugh! It’s… Ghrm! Stop it!” 

“Why? It’s fine, isn’t it?”

“It’s not fine!” Goten grunted. “It’s… Just stop it!” It felt so uncomfortable and intense that tears pricked his eyes. He shuddered and shivered every time the other man brushed over his prostate. “Reyn…” he groaned. “Stop it! Change the angle at least!” He felt the other man shift above him and it suddenly became much better, even pleasant.

Feeling the tension bleed out of the body underneath him, Reyn increased his pace. Goten responded by lifting his hips a little to give him more access. Awhile later, he changed the angle again. The younger man grunted, his fingers curling and body tensing, but this time he didn’t protest. After a few more thrusts, he started half-mutedly moaning his pleasure. 

A minute passed and, testing, Reyn let go of the younger man’s wrists. Lost in his pleasure, Goten didn’t even seem to notice. His fingers curled tighter around the sheets while his hips pushed against Reyn’s demandingly. He was moaning with almost every thrust now, this time not even trying to still his voice. He was close again, even though they had barely started. Reyn soon felt the other man’s body seize up, the muscles around him clenching, trapping him effectively. And then he was coming too, the pressure being both painful and gratifying beyond belief.

Goten unclamped his teeth from the pillow. He hadn’t even noticed that he had sunk them into the material. His head swimming, he just concentrated on panting and stayed completely still for a few minutes. Carefully, Reyn pulled out. The puckered hole twitched, but the younger male didn’t react otherwise. He should have probably used a condom this time, but he hadn’t felt like it. Exhausted, Reyn slumped into the bedding next to his partner. Goten turned his head to him to give him a blank look. He had just come twice in a row without his cock even being touched and he couldn’t quite grasp that.

The overall numbness in Goten’s body passed much later. He felt sleepy, but his jaw and face started stinging, his back and hips felt as if he had been run over by some kind of large vehicle, and his ass was sore. He was feeling cold too, the sweat on his skin cooling. He shifted around, digging himself deeper into the bedding. He was sticky everywhere. The sheets underneath him were a wet mess as well, but he couldn’t be bothered at the moment.

“Still awake?”

Goten hummed something incomprehensible in answer and continued trying to get the covers onto himself. With Reyn’s help, he was finally successful and settled down tiredly.

“What the hell was that for?” he muttered, almost asleep already.

Surprised, Reyn blinked at the other man’s back. It hadn’t been a punishment. Not exactly, at least. He had just been somewhat annoyed and worried by Goten’s carelessness. He had also been horny as hell, and he knew Goten felt the same, so he thought it would be a waste to pass up the opportunity. A little bit of teasing and roughness to heighten their sensations was fine, was it not? He realized now, though, that he should have expected Goten to take it the wrong way. He did most of the time, after all.

“It was not a punishment. It felt good, didn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Goten agreed. “But I get to do you three times in a row now.”

Reyn couldn’t help chuckling.

TBC


	52. Part 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: A huge thanks goes to my friend White_Youkai for inspiring me over and over and for the idea on the “Mauuuuu” part in this chapter. You’re awesome!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings. 

 

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 52

They slept through breakfast and only woke up around noon when Almanda came to check on them. She called for the lights, took one look at the two sleepy Saiyans blinking at her from Goten’s bed, and left the cabin.

“What did she want?” Goten asked, thinking that he must have missed something.

“I don’t know, probably just to check on us; it’s twelve already.”

Yawning, Goten looked at the clock above the door. True enough. He relaxed back into the bedding. It was cramped, but Reyn felt warm and nice at his side. 

“Oh, gods, Goten!” Reyn grimaced at a long pronounced fart that suddenly erupted from under the covers.

“You sure have the nerve to be complaining after fucking me twice in a row,” Goten chuckled. He watched the other man leave his bed.

“How do you feel?” Reyn asked when he was a safe distance from the stench. Goten wanted to offer him a smart-ass comment, but then just shrugged. “I’m fine.”

Reyn, who was pulling his trousers on, gave him a probing look. There was a faint bruise on Goten’s right cheekbone and he felt somewhat guilty. “Do you remember what happened to you during the party?”

“What party?” Goten asked. Then he frowned as random memory flashes of himself in the meeting hall sprang up. “Oh. Oooooh… Ooooh… And what exactly happened during it?” he asked, his voice bordering between panicky and exasperated.

Reyn rolled his eyes. Just as he had suspected. “They drugged you. I don’t know what they gave you, but some of it was a muscle relaxant too. You weren’t able to walk and I literally carried you out of there.”

“I will kill them,” Goten said cheerfully. He was already groping around his bed, fishing for his clothes. “Did they do anything to me?”

“Well, if a hand in your underwear counts as ‘anything’…”

“They are soooo dead.”

Reyn watched the younger male dressing hurriedly. It didn’t particularly concern him anymore. He’d had it out with the guy who had tried to get into his man’s pants and that was more or less it. They would stay away now. However, he had nothing against Goten going over there and beating some sense into them all over again. Hell, he was going to encourage it.

“Do you remember their faces, though?”

Goten’s hands, that had been working on his buttons, froze. “I do,” he said. “But I don’t think I remember the ones who might have joined after.”

“There were five of them when I entered the room.”

“One missing. Then you’ll have to come with me and show me the other.”

“That’s all well and good, but you should take a shower first.”

Goten knew that. He felt sticky and itchy and he could tell he reeked of sex. The entire cabin reeked of it. “I don’t have anything to change into. I only have my old uniform from the officer school.”

“You can use my spares,” Reyn said. He had already been relocated out of the blue a few times and knew to prepare for all transmutations of fortune. He had packed most of what he had acquired during his five-year service on _Starcut_.

Goten watched Reyn ransack the wardrobe and pull out a spare set of clothes for him. He had to do quite a lot of washing – his bed sheets didn’t feel pleasant either.

“…uuuuuuu…. ooooooouuuu…”

Confused, Goten averted his eyes from the clothes Reyn had sorted out for him. “Did you hear that?” he asked.

“Hear what?”

“This strange s-”

“…uuuuu…”

The sound was louder now, somehow closer. Reyn raised his head and looked around in the cabin. “The hell’s that?”

Goten listened, waiting for the sound to repeat, but it didn’t. Deciding that maybe it was something in the pipes, they took their clothes and left for the showers. On their way, the sound repeated again. This time it seemed as if it was coming from all sides at once, loud and booming.

“Maybe the air supply system is malfunctioning,” Reyn said, rather concerned. Usually these types of failures didn’t end well. Suffocating to death wasn’t on his bucket list.

“…eooouuuuu…”

With a soft groan, Goten shook his head quickly. “The only thing that is malfunctioning is that stupid cat.”

“Huh? Ooh, shit.” Reyn’s eyes scanned the vent openings in the corridor. There were at least five of them and all of them were covered with grids. “How do we get it out of there?”

Goten turned his thermo scanner on. “I don’t even know where it is. The echo is…”

“...eoooouuuu…”

“If it’s hungry, we can just pull off the grid in our cabin and lure it out with some meat or something,” Reyn suggested. 

Then both of them looked at each other and rushed back to their cabin. They tossed their clothes on the floor and ran out again. People were already gathering in the corridors, drawn out by the weird noise. When the third-classes reached the canteen, five Saiyans were already there, trying to understand where the sounds were coming from. The noise was the loudest here.

“Get them out of here,” Goten said to Reyn. He could already tell that Mr. Elite’s aim was the large pot above the stove. A few meters away from it, above one of the sinks, he could already see two black paws sticking out, trying to get through the grid.

“And how do you imagine I do that?” Reyn hissed at him.

“Meooooowwwwww… Mauuuuuuu…”

“The hell if I know, tell them it’s an evil spirit or something!” Then Goten’s eyes caught one second-class who, as he remembered, had been chummy with him yesterday. His eyes crossed in anger. “You!” he pointed. “You were there too! And you! Oh my god, and you!” he pointed again. “I’m going to kill you all!” he growled, already sprinting towards the men.

They were grinning at him right until the point when one of them sailed across the canteen and hit the wall. Then the smiles slipped. Reyn wasn’t able to tell how much Goten had powered up, but it was a lot. The flight officer watched the second-classes scurrying towards the door with Goten in tow. There was one he didn’t remember seeing yesterday at all but, caught in the massive panic, he was running together with the others. The door whooshed open and they spilled through it, climbing over each other. They ran past a wide-eyed Almanda and down the corridor. He couldn’t even understand what Goten was yelling about anymore. Something about someone’s hand in someone’s underwear.

“Umm…” Almanda drawled, entering the canteen, “I probably don’t even want to know what that’s about.” She took a look at Reyn, who had pushed one of the tables to the wall and was standing on top of it. “Oh, you found it already. I thought I’d tell you your pet was running loose.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Reyn said, pulling the grid out with one tug. “I’m not sure I can get it leave the vents though. It moved away from me.”

“Mmm… Maybe if you leave it open and move away, it will jump down. You should probably put out a bowl of food, too.”

ooOoOoOoo

The captain was still typing something on his terminal and Reyn hoped it was not a report of today’s incident. Despite the incident in the past and flirting around, Indaira Kardan did strike him as at least a half-sensible man. Reyn took a look around the meeting hall. There was not a sign of yesterday’s lively party. Everything had been cleaned, the bottles removed. A very faint smell of alcohol still lingered in the hall, but one wasn’t able to tell where exactly it was coming from. It was possible that it was clinging to one of the present people’s clothes.

With a soft sigh, the captain finally leaned away from the terminal, drawing the other eight Saiyans’ attention to himself. He cast one last look at the screen of his terminal, logged out, and concentrated on the people standing in front of his desk. They made quite a long row. Two from his crew stood there with their noses plastered, two had sizable bruises all over their faces, one’s ear was still bleeding, and the last one’s uniform was torn into shreds.

Musing, the captain averted his eyes to the newcomers. Goten was obviously uneasy, giving him a sheepish look mixed with anger. Reyn… The flight officer looked positively bored, and this somewhat irritated Indaira. One way or another, there was always trouble where Reyn showed up. It was insane how much power the man had. He had tried to do a little investigation on Reyn two years ago, but came up with nothing.

“So, who will enlighten me?”

Reyn’s hand rose. The captain rolled his eyes. Figures. 

“Alright, Dueri, go ahead. And make it short.”

“I punched that one, sir,” Reyn pointed, “because he was forcing himself on Goten.”

The captain waited for a few seconds, then realized that, since Reyn wasn’t talkative in general, telling him to keep it short had been a mistake.

“Punched?” Indaira grunted, staring at the aforementioned second-class’s face. “I’d rather say you ran him over with a tank.”

“He was being very annoying, sir.”

The captain glared at the flight officer. Reyn met his eyes calmly, and even offered a small grin. Any other time, Indaira would have been happy about Reyn flirting with him, however, in this particular situation, he felt like punching the flight officer.

“Is he telling the truth?”

His men shifted, hummed, then a few of them nodded their heads, even the victim himself. The captain was impressed. Usually you couldn’t get them to admit to anything. 

“Alright,” Indaira said. “But from what I see,” he motioned at the row of crewmen in front of him, “it doesn’t seem that Goten would have needed your help. I find it hard to believe, but…”

“They drugged me, sir,” Goten said. “Yesterday, that is.”

The captain blinked in surprise. “Oh. I see.” It was all perfectly clear now. “Well, still, you can’t go around the ship beating up my men. I’m certain I don’t need to remind you that all of us have to act according to protocol. I’m afraid I’ll have to report you two.” He could see that his men were shifting uneasily, uncertain about the situation. Goten was suddenly pale. Reyn…. Reyn was grinning.

“Oh, c’mon,” Reyn chuckled at the obvious bluff. “The protocol does not allow going around drinking all the time either. I am even more certain it has also something to say about arranging fights between the crew members, not to mention drugging them. Reporting this would be more damning for you than for us.”

The captain gave the flight officer a long searching stare. “Was it you two who got into trouble with Draman and his men on the colony? Beat up three elites, that is?”

“Um, it was actually their own fault, sir,” Goten said, his big eyes wide with innocence. “I never did anything.”

Reyn shrugged at the captains questioning gaze. “Just as he says. Probably. I don’t really remember much; I was drunk. It was already over when I got there.”

The captain measured Goten from head to toe, then leaned back into his chair with a sigh. He didn’t understand what was going on. He knew Reyn was a capable fighter, much more than that. The youngster, though… What was the deal with the kid? There was just no way he would be able to defeat three elites no matter what the gossip going around _Mantanko_ implied. Even if Goten and Reyn joined their forces, it was still impossible. 

All men in the hall watched the captain scratching his chin absently. The officer seemed to be at a loss as to what to do with all of them. It was obvious he didn’t want to get tangled up with anything. Reporting the incident was out of the question indeed. Aside from the current incident, there was also the fighting in the training hall. And that had involved not only his men but Draman’s too, and he didn’t want to have anything to do with the shaii. He had been ordered to transport Draman and his party to Earth and that was what he wanted to do – the sooner he dropped them off, the better. Draman didn’t give off the impression of someone who would want to deal with some silly reports. Despite the fact that three of his men got beaten up, the shaii seemed to like Goten. This could turn out really nasty if a shaii backed them up. 

The captain motioned at his injured men. “So what do you suggest?”

“A metallic cupboard broke off in the kitchen,” Reyn proposed.

“Sir?”

The captain looked at the young man who was standing at the very end of the row, the furthest from the terminal. “Yes?”

“I didn’t even take part in that party, sir.”

Goten’s eyes met Reyn’s and the flight officer nodded. “Yeah, he wasn’t there. I did tell you there were five of them, not six.” 

“Ah, shit,” Goten muttered. He inspected the second-class’s face closer, and was relieved to see that he had gotten off rather lightly – there was a large bruise under his left eye, but it didn’t seem like there were any other injuries. “I’m really sorry. I don’t quite remember the faces from yesterday. I’ll compensate you somehow.”

The situation was resolving itself a little, and the captain quietly watched Goten promise fifty credits to his victim. It didn’t seem he cared about the others, though. If anything, he seemed to be itching to get his hands on them again.

“Listen,” Reyn said to the captain as he could see that the man didn’t seem to be appeased, “if you still want us punished, just give us kitchen duty. That way everyone will be happy.”

“Oh gods, Reyn,” Goten groaned, “are you freaking serious? I’m sick of kitchens already!”

The flight officer shrugged.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten was in the training hall, warming up, going through a simple kata. Reyn stood nearby, watching him with a somewhat displeased look on his face. He thought that the other third-class was overdoing it. True, practicing to summon certain amounts of ki at Goten’s age and level of ability was a very simple task. However, with the recent excitement of being drugged, having an exhausting sex session, chasing after the second-classes, and performing kitchen duty, Goten was obviously tired. Pointing that out, however, hadn’t made Goten reconsider. Well, perhaps he was right too – they were running out of time, and, once on Bruminan Station, they would need all the advantages they could get.

“That’s ten thousand, not five thousand,” Reyn said at Goten’s inquiring look.

The younger male cursed and cut his ki in what he thought was half. He saw Reyn nod.

“Get it to ten thousand again. Good, that’s about right. Now twenty thousand. Thirty.” Reyn’s scouter started beeping softly and he turned the sound off. “That’s fifty, not thirty. Give me thirty. Sixty now. Now five again. Goddamit, Goten, can’t you at least tell the difference between five and twenty? It should feel absolutely different!”

“Feels about the same,” Goten mumbled, annoyed. He powered down.

“Yeah, that’s six now. Get it a notch down.”

They went at it for a little more than an hour, then two second-classes entered the training hall, and they decided that was enough for today. Goten had much better control over his ki already. It was still far from perfect and Goten would have preferred to continue the session, but that would have meant him flaunting his ki around these second-classes.

Goten powered down completely and Reyn turned his scouter off. They headed for the exit but, after taking a few steps forward, Goten swayed slightly then suddenly squatted down. Obviously, he still found it hard to keep his balance and ended up sitting down.

“Hey, hey,” Reyn said, walking over to him. “What happened?” He was even more alarmed when Goten’s head rose and he saw his unfocused eyes and pallid face.

“Is he alright?” one of the second-classes asked, approaching as well.

“Don’t think so,” Reyn said. He squatted down and pressed his palm to the younger man’s forehead. His body temperature seemed to be alright.

“…‘s fine,” Goten muttered, “just light-headed.”

“I did tell you not to push yourself,” Reyn reproached. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Goten mumbled. “Just let me rest a bit.”

Reyn wasn’t certain what this was about exactly, or what he could do, thus he ended up in a sitting position too. He tugged Goten closer so that the other man could lean back against him. The two second-classes went about their business and soon started sparring. 

“Getting better?” Reyn asked in a few minutes.

Goten nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be fine in a moment.”

Indeed, soon Goten’s face regained its color and he looked much better. There was a faint bruise under his right eye. Due to the fact that he healed much faster than usual, it was almost gone already, just a little yellowish, but Reyn still felt a pang of guilt. 

“I’m sorry about this,” he said, touching the bruised cheekbone. “I kinda lost it back there.”

“Mmm? What are you talking about?”

“This,” the flight officer said, circling the yellowish area with his fingers.

“So it was you? I thought one of those second-classes hit me.” 

“Nah, it was me.”

Goten turned his head to give him a curious look. After they had become intimate, Reyn hadn’t ever raised a hand against him. They got on each other’s nerves quite frequently, but it never went past shouting. And, frankly, he loved sex with Reyn. Despite always trying to dominate him, Reyn was surprisingly considerate. Certainly, he had no one he could compare him to, but it had only been with Reyn’s effort and encouragement that they had gotten where they were now.

“Why?”

“That’s a stupid question.”

Goten stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded. He turned away and leaned his head against the flight officer’s shoulder again. It really was a stupid question. Reyn had been jealous and angry. As for the reason why he admitted to having hit him… The feeling of guilt was only a part of it. Reyn wanted him to draw some kind of conclusion and be more responsible.

“I’m sorry.”

Reyn nodded. “Yeah, me too.”

“Well, aren’t we sweet?” Goten said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, makes me sick.”

Goten rubbed the back of his head against the older man’s shoulder. “You know, I’m really glad you went with me,” he admitted. 

“I know.”

“You are a bastard, really.”

Reyn laughed. “Yeah.”

ooOoOoOoo

There were twenty emails in Reyn’s inbox. Three of them were from _Starcut’s_ crew asking where he and Goten had disappeared to. One was from his father, and he opened it to read. The flight officer skipped past boring descriptions of his latest experiment, read the news on the war, replied with a short “thank you” message, set it to be sent in a week, and closed the message. Two other emails were from a nameless guy, but were under the subject of “The Project”. All the others were junk which offered to increase his muscle mass two or three times and enlarge his penis at least ten times. Wondering whether he would look attractive walking around with it wrapped around his neck, Reyn deleted the spam and opened the latest letter from the nameless guy.

“What are you reading?”

With a start, Reyn turned to see Goten behind his back, drying his hair with a towel, just fresh out of the shower. The younger man was wearing the uniform he had borrowed from him. Since they were about the same size, it fit him perfectly.

“I will return it when mine dries,” Goten said, misunderstanding the gaze. He motioned behind him at the cabin where he had randomly hung out his clothes and the bed sheet. They were still dripping wet since he hadn’t been able to figure out how to use the dryer.

“It doesn’t really matter,” Reyn said, turning away. “You can keep wearing it. That guy, Ranvera, you have two letters from him.”

“Why are you reading them, though?” Goten asked.

“They just happen to be in my inbox.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “So what does he say?”

Reyn left the chair with a soft sigh. “Sit. I think you need to read this yourself.” He took the damp towel from Goten when he seated himself in front of the terminal.

The first letter Ranvera sent contained only an attached file with Gohan’s profile. It consisted of about a hundred pages. The second letter, which had only been received today, was a short message confirming that, just as expected, Ranvera had read through Gohan’s profile. Not certain how he felt about it, Goten stared at the words on the screen. He turned his head when Reyn brushed over his hair with the towel.

“They sure have a lot of free time in NS…” Reyn drawled. “For all his genius, this guy is an idiot, isn’t he?”

Wordlessly, Goten turned away to read the short message one more time. 

_Goten,_

_After reading the file, I understood many things, like where your extraordinary strength came from and your peculiar behavior. It’s good you asked me to look for it or I’d have never known. I feel quite awkward now and want you to forgive me for being so insistent. I made a total fool of myself._

_Ranvera_

“He’s angry,” Goten summed up.

Reyn shook his head. “I think he’s more confused than angry. Give him some time. Some find it hard to believe they can fall for lower classes so easily.”

Goten gave Reyn a questioning look. “I don’t think that’s the case. He never really…”

“I’ve had this happen to me a few times. They usually run after learning the truth. I did stay friends with some, but most try to distance themselves.”

“Kinda sucks,” Goten said, closing the letter. He opened the other one with the attached file.

“Don’t let it get to you. Not everyone reacts like this.”

Goten nodded. “Yeah, I know, but I’ve been really lucky so far…”

Reyn wiped the droplets off the other third-class’s nape. Goten’s hair was getting long and he wondered if it had finally grown back to its original length. It did look interesting, like permanent bed hair, which was quite attractive.

“Well, works for me – one less hypothetical boyfriend of yours to worry about.”

Goten chuckled. “I’m afraid this one wasn’t included on the list.”

“Are you freaking kidding me?” Reyn snorted, dropping the towel on Goten’s head. He watched the younger male getting more comfortable in the chair, preparing to read the hundred pages of records on his brother. “Are you certain you need to read it?” the flight officer asked with a gentle squeeze on Goten’s shoulder. “I don’t think Draman lied. You know what happened, and this is just observational data. It will only make you feel bad.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Goten muttered. “I want to read it.”

“Alright.”

Reyn looked around the cabin, then saw a free spot and went to hang the towel on the open wardrobe door to dry. He dimmed the lights and started undressing. Meanwhile, Mr. Elite chose to leave the wardrobe. The flight officer watched the cat marching around the cabin, inspecting the changes and sniffing at the wet clothes.

When Reyn woke up six hours later, he found Goten asleep in front of the terminal with his face on the soft plastic keyboard. He could hear rhythmic breathing, an occasional shiver running through Goten’s body as he tried to squeeze himself deeper into the chair and, at the same time, the desk surface. He was obviously freezing.

The flight officer approached the hunched figure and peered over Goten’s shoulder at the screen. The document was open to page 87. He must have stayed awake until an hour or so ago. Reyn nudged Goten’s arm to wake him up. The younger male only reacted when he kept repeatedly doing that. 

“Ugh… What?” Goten groaned, raising his head, leaving puddles of drool on the keyboard. There were rows of key imprints on his face. 

“We gotta go to the kitchen.”

“Noo…” Goten moaned, wiping the drool off his cheek. “Five more minutes? Two? One, at least!”

“Were it in my power, the only place you’d go would be your bed. Now hurry up.”

“It’s your fault,” Goten complained, closing the document. “You were the one to suggest kitchen duty.”

“That was just to appease him and it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Goten climbed off the chair. “He still has the hots for you,” he stated accusingly, rubbing at his puffy eyes.

“Yeah, it’s quite a mystery.”

“You don’t even try to deny it…” Goten drawled, walking to the door.

“Should I?”

“Not really. Gods, I’m so sleepy!”

“Did you find out something new?” Reyn asked, locking it behind them.

“Absolutely nothing. It’s only routine school power level check-ups, urine and blood samples, a few incidents with his schoolmates. Absolutely nothing,” Goten repeated. “Ah,” he said suddenly, remembering, “I wanted to ask you one thing. Do you get headaches? Like really, really bad migraines from time to time?”

“Huh? Migraines?” Reyn wondered. “Not really. Probably had a few headaches in my lifetime, but I think those… Why do you ask?”

“It’s common in my family. And Gohan too; there are many records of him getting admitted to the medical bay. And there are some strange brain wave patterns to go with that too. So I was wondering if it’s a common occurrence.”

“No, not really. I haven’t heard of it, at least. Do you have migraines as well?”

“Umm, yes. But recently they have somehow become much rarer. I used to just black out from simply overexerting myself. I still get dizzy quite frequently, though.”

“Oh. So that’s what it was.”

Goten nodded. “Yeah, on _Starcut_ too. But I don’t have headaches anymore.”

“Mm… Maybe you just grew out of it. But don’t you think it’s connected to those dreams you have? Your father has them too, and then your brother must have had them too. So those headaches… Or maybe all of you just have a brain tumor and are hallucinating.”

“That’s not even funny.”

They visited the toilets first, then headed for the kitchen. When they got there, two cooks were already inside, the clang of pots marking the start of preparations. This time, they were making scrambled eggs with meat and salad. Goten was quickly put to chopping the meat. This type of breakfast was easy to prepare and he was already looking forward to returning to his bunk. He was trying hard not to fall asleep, the methodical crack of an eggshell against a pan making him start over and over. He had to laugh when Reyn dropped one of them to the floor, the gigantic egg splashing over his boots, the floor, and three cupboards.

“The hell are you laughing at?”

When Goten started dozing and nearly took one of his fingers off, Reyn sent him to the sink to wash vegetables. They were finally done, breakfast came and went, and then they were stuck washing the dishes.

“Mmmhmm…” Almanda hummed, entering the kitchen. “He’s about to drown.”

“Huh? Who?” Reyn asked, turning to her, a towel in his hands. He brushed over a plate he was holding and put it on the rack.

“Goten,” the elite said, pointing at the third-class’s back.

“Ugh, goddamn,” Reyn grunted, springing to the sink and pulling Goten’s head out of it. There was foam on his face and hair, the third-class blinking at him sleepily. “You aren’t taking this seriously at all,” Reyn accused him.

“I am,” Goten protested, wiping at his face with his palms. Then he noticed the towel in the other man’s hands and took it. “It’s just that…”

“So, you’re really in for kitchen duty,” Almanda said. “I thought he was joking.”

Goten lowered the towel from his face and gave her a morose look. “I must be cursed. It’s the same every freaking time!”

“You complain too much,” Almanda said. “You can get away with anything and you still complain.” She leaned against one of the tables. She met Goten’s eyes. “I’ve been thinking about this rescue mission of yours. I don’t think I want to get entangled into something so obscure; I have my orders. And you don’t even know for certain, right?”

Goten nodded. “I did tell you not to worry about it. Besides, I’ll need you to take care of Mr. Elite.”

“Hell, no. You’re not dumping that creature on me!”

“Please? Pretty please? It’s just that I don’t think I’ll ever have a chance to return him to Monteira. Could you do this little favor for me?”

The elite was glaring at him stubbornly then, gradually, her face acquired an expression of defeat. “Oh, very well, damn you!”

Goten grinned at her thankfully. “He eats everything minus salad. He even goes to the toilets on his own. Just make sure he doesn’t climb into any vents.”

The elite gave him an apathetic look. “I’ll fry him if he annoys me.”

Goten clapped Almanda on her shoulder. “Thanks, you’re awesome!” With an obvious intention to say something, the elite turned her head to look at the hand on her shoulder. It took Goten a few seconds to realize why she never voiced anything. She was looking at the red marks on his wrist. He lowered his hand back to his side, his face flushing red. Almanda’s eyes concentrated on his burning face. 

“Is he mistreating you?”

Reyn’s eyebrows rose at that. Well, she was an elite and, just like all of them, was used to shooting her mouth off just like that, disregarding the fact that he was standing right there.

“And what if I am?”

Goten didn’t think he had ever been more embarrassed in his entire life. The challenging tone Reyn had used had obviously ticked Almanda off, and now she was staring at the flight officer as if she were contemplating ripping his head off with her bare hands. Were they about to get into a fight over him? Freaking hell…

“Reyn, stop it, you idiot,” Goten groaned. “Gods, Almanda, we just played around and…and…” he fell silent, his face now almost ready to combust from heat.

“You like it rough?”

“Arghhhhh!” Goten yelled, waving around with his hands, accidentally knocking a few mugs off the table next to him. All of them flinched when they clattered to the ground, making a horrendous metallic noise. “Can we not talk about it? Pleaaaaase?”

Reyn was still glaring at the female. “What freaking business is it of yours?”

Almanda shrugged. “Whatever. As long as he’s not wiping the floor with you.”

ooOoOoOoo

Even the last pages of his brother’s profile didn’t reveal anything Goten didn’t know. The cause of Gohan’s death, however, appeared to be a broken neck. That had been the main cause, alongside various lacerations and a few additional bone fractures. They had really done a number on him. It all happened just because he had been wearing a ki restraining wristband. No, not really. If they wanted to, they could have found more opportunities to kill him: while he was sleeping or just blasted him while he was walking unaware. They made certain he knew what he was killed for and by whom. Or maybe they just thought it was the easiest way. In any case, it didn’t matter now.

It was tearing him apart, though.

“Close the damn document finally and let’s go to the training hall,” Reyn said.

Goten closed the file, but didn’t show any intention of moving from the chair. He stared at the computer screen dejectedly. Reyn had been right – he shouldn’t have read it. 

“Ahh…” Goten sighed. “I somehow hate Draman. Hate him to the point where I want to rip him apart limb from limb.”

“Really?”

“No. Well, maybe.” He sighed again. “It’s complicated.”

“Well, your father has obviously forgiven him.”

Goten rolled his head back to stare at the ceiling. “Yeah, seems so. I still can’t believe he knew. Somehow… I can’t really…grasp it all.”

“I don’t think you need to brood about it so much.”

“I know. I just…”

“Ah, let’s just go to the training hall,” Reyn repeated again. “It will keep your mind off it.”

There were two elites in the training hall when they entered, but they were about to finish their spar. Goten and Reyn waited for about ten minutes and then Goten continued his training session. This time he found it easier to control his ki and he was much more accurate with it as well.

“You know, last time we sparred,” Reyn said, “you pretty much floored me. What was going on with your flash-steps?”

“Um…” Goten mumbled, powering down to what he thought was ten thousand. “I don’t really know. I’m just better at them than you?”

“Well, maybe, but there still shouldn’t be such a big difference.”

Goten shrugged. In fact, he was glad that he had found something he was more skilled at than Reyn. This would give him an advantage if it ever came to a fight between them. He doubted it would help him much if the flight officer were at his full power, but it should still make it possible for him to at least escape.

About an hour later, Goten decided that he was done and that, instead, he would prefer a spar with Reyn. He powered down, but then the sudden wail of an alarm startled him so much that, in response to his affright, his ki automatically shot up to seventy thousand. Then the alarm abruptly broke off and a loud curse wafted from the speakers.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to sound the freaking alarm when there’s no danger to the ship? Come to the meeting hall, everyone. We have a situation.”

Goten recognized the captain’s voice. He powered down and went to the door, Reyn following him.

The meeting hall was bustling. Nearly everyone was present except for those who couldn’t leave their posts. Even the elites Goten had beaten up on Meia colony were present. He hadn’t seen them around much, they probably having been ordered to avoid him. After Goten had noticed them, he pointed them out to Reyn and, not wanting to get into any more conflicts, the two of them stood in the opposite corner of the room.

Indaira waited for a couple more minutes, then walked out in front of the crowd. “We have received orders to retrieve Elisabeth Sophia Montgomery from a drifting SUB 316,” he informed the crew. “Wait, Goten, I haven’t finished yet,” he said when the hand of their newest companion shot into the air. “The reason why SUB 316 is drifting is that it has been infected by alkani.” The immediate clamor that started in the hall made him raise his hands to quiet the men down. Unwillingly, protesting shouts and curses tuned out. “The reason why we have to rescue that Earthling is that she is the daughter of some bigwig who is the owner of Ubisoft Enterprise.” 

The men in the hall were wearing scornful frowns while Goten’s hand was still waving in the air monotonously. The captain finally nodded. “Goten?”

“How long will the rescue mission take, sir? We have to reach Bruminan Station without delay.”

“I can’t tell you exactly,” Indaira said, “but obviously it will take from six to eight hours, maybe more. It all depends on how fast we find her.” 

“What are the exact instructions, sir?” Goten asked. He couldn’t believe they were even discussing the possibility of setting foot on that forsaken ship. The usual orders would be to destroy the infected ship on sight. No hangar would accept a ship if there was even a little suspicion of infestation. Alkani were the bane of the universe. Cold and heat hardly affected them. They also thrived in environments with thin atmosphere. They looked like little black balls on tiny legs. They weren’t big in size, but they could move very quickly and had sharp teeth which could exude acidic liquid that ate away bone and certain metallic structures. They usually laid their eggs inside various mammals and, once hatched, the larvae had a large amount of protein at their disposal and grew very quickly, killing the host in the process. When they turned into adult alkani, they would leave the host or, if there was anything still left of it, laid eggs in it again. There were many animals of a similar nature, but the worst things about alkani were their incredible reproduction and growth rates. They were similar to rats, but much more aggressive and resistant.

“The instructions are just as I told you: go and get her,” the captain repeated. “Nothing else matters.”

Goten was looking at him with something between disbelief and curiosity. He had never heard of a rescue mission from infected ships carrying Humans. Humans simply didn’t survive. Even Saiyans didn’t when faced with the infestation in an enclosed area for a long time – one couldn’t keep up a ki shield while asleep. Sooner or later, alkani wore even the elites out. It was certain that, by this time, the woman had already been infected.

“Are there any Saiyans on board?” someone asked in a voice that sounded just as puzzled as Goten felt.

“No. There are no Saiyans on the passenger list. We don’t know if she’s still alive either. I’ll be sending a team of six men. Yes, Goten, what now?”

“I want to go too, sir. The faster we find her, the faster we can proceed to Bruminan,” he explained.

“I can pilot the shuttle,” Reyn said. “Therefore you won’t need to send any of your men.”

At first it was quiet in the hall, then somebody laughed. A fraction of a second later, a few more voices joined in.

“Um, Goten,” the captain said, “your youthful enthusiasm and fire is all well and good, but I need experienced men for this mission.”

“Yeah, we’d need to send in more people to rescue Goten as well!” someone shouted, laughing.

“Reyn, I’ll take you up on your offer, though,” Indaira said, motioning for the laughing man to be quiet.

“Send Goten too. It will be faster,” Draman said, drawing everyone’s attention to himself. 

The captain looked at the shaii dubiously, then saw the shaii’s eyes indicate to something on his right. Indaira followed his gaze, concentrating on the three injured elites near Draman. So that had indeed been Goten’s handiwork.

“Have you ever been on a rescue mission?” the captain asked Goten.

Goten nodded. “Yes, I have, sir. We rescued about fifty Human civilians from a drifting ship.”

The captain stared at Goten for a few seconds, then looked at Draman again. The elite shrugged, leaving the decision up to him. 

“Fine,” Indaira agreed. “You will go. Now I need four other men.”

“Why men?” Almanda asked.

“Fine, you can go too,” the captain said, suppressing a groan. 

“Ooh, that was easy,” Almanda laughed.

“If your shaii allows it, that is,” he added.

“You’re staying on _Mantanko_ ,” Draman told her.

“But…”

Draman gave her a displeased look for talking back and she fell silent.

Four other men were elected in the next few minutes and soon the meeting hall emptied, leaving only the captain and the six members of the newly assembled team.

“Onar, you will be in charge of the mission,” the captain informed them. “Now,” he turned to Goten, “I know Reyn is a smart lad; he has seen and done his share of things. You, though, just so we are clear, what will you do if you find Elisabeth Montgomery alive?”

“Kill her, of course,” Goten said. “Sir, there’s no way I’m bringing that crap on board.”

The captain nodded. “That’s the correct answer. Dispose of her body. Make sure there are no cameras around, though. This is not a rescue, but a simple search and destroy mission. Now get ready. You’re leaving in ten minutes.”

“Yes, sir.”

TBC


	53. Part 53

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings. 

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 53

“Why don’t we simply circle it a few times and then head back to Mantanko?” Hianara suggested. “We don’t even need to go there. What’s the point if we aren’t going to save anyone?” He was staring at the shuttle’s view screen apprehensively. The drifting SUB 316 was becoming larger and larger, as were everyone’s feelings of unease.

Goten, who was securely belted to the chair next to the second-class, gave Reyn’s back a questioning look – Hianara’s proposition seemed sensible. This way they could avoid any unnecessary risks and also save some time.

“Your plan has a very serious flaw,” Reyn said. “All entries are logged.”

“Yes,” Onar confirmed. “SUB 316 has direct contact with Saremal station nearby. All the data from the ship’s main computer is being transferred there, meaning they will know who has entered the ship. This, in turn, means that they will also know who hasn’t entered the ship.”

Reyn turned his head to glance at the five men behind him. “This has happened before,” he said. “A year ago, there was an incident where a Saiyan crew was ordered to go on a rescue mission to save a few Humans from a ship infected with alkani. They refused to go. It caused quite a commotion and resulted in serious friction between the two legislative authorities. The captain made it sound easy, but we’ll actually be under the magnifying glass.”

“I heard that story,” Ialan confirmed. “Actually, they didn’t manage to find a compromise.”

“What compromise?” Goten grunted indignantly. “You either go or you don’t. I say this is idiocy. I’m pretty surprised Earth still hasn’t been infected.”

Reyn shrugged. “Saiyan ships that patrol their borders are under direct orders to take down any suspicious ships. They usually blame it on pirates. Most often, a bounty is put on the infected ship and anyone wishing to earn some money is welcome to take care of it. It’s a good income, too.”

Goten gave him a surprised look. “Seriously?”

Reyn nodded. “Yeah. Over the last four years, we took down two of their ships that were under suspicion of infestation. When _Starcut_ reaches the area, it will take this one down as well; they're probably already heading our way.”

“It would cause a scandal if Humans got wind of this,” Ialan muttered.

“Actually, the concerned authorities already know,” Reyn said. “Despite their protocols, they usually treat infected ships exactly the same way we do. Most of the legislative confrontation I mentioned was just for show. There aren’t many Humans wishing to try the infestation out on their own bodies. There is an agreement on both sides, otherwise this wouldn’t work; the Humans are weak, but they aren’t stupid. The problem, however, is this rich fucker and his daughter. They are beyond their military's grasp. I presume he would have caused quite a scene if the orders hadn’t gotten through to us.”

“And we got caught in it…” Goten drawled.

“Actually,” Lumera, who had patiently kept quiet up until now, pointed out, “you volunteered to get caught.”

Goten rolled his eyes. Somehow he always ended up getting caught, if not in one thing, then another.

“Has the ship responded to our calls?”

“No, they haven’t,” Reyn said.

“I’d be pretty surprised if they did,” Goten grunted. “It will be a miracle if we find anyone alive.”

Onar shrugged. “Well, you never know.” He looked at the back of Reyn’s head. He felt a little bit of regret that the flight officer wasn’t going to disembark the shuttle and join them on the SUB; he seemed to be a reliable guy and the captain respected him too. “Besides, with this suicidal mission, I’ve got a favor to ask,” Onar said with a grin, but his voice was serious. “Just kill me if they get to me.”

The other five men’s heads turned to look at him. Then, slowly, all of them nodded. Hianara turned back to the screen to glare at the drifting ship. He wished they could just blow it up; why did he even volunteer to go there?

“I expect the same courtesy, though,” Goten demanded after a pause.

“Now look what you’ve done,” Reyn muttered. “You’re the head of this mission – you’re supposed to uplift our spirits, not make us think that we’ll all die.”

Onar chuckled. “That’s what they say in textbooks, and I’m just making sure you all know this is not a playground.”

Goten gave him a discontent look. “I suppose you mean me?”

“Weeell,” Onar drawled “I don’t see any other children here but you.”

Goten gave him the finger. “Screw you.”

The other five men laughed at Goten’s annoyance. 

“One day you’ll get in trouble for disrespecting your senior officers,” Onar warned him, still laughing.

“Yeah, I get told that often,” Goten muttered. _By a certain purple-haired bastard_ , he added in his head. He felt nostalgic, suddenly. For the hundredth time, he wondered if he would ever meet the prince again. The conclusion was the same as always – probably not. And it was for the best. Still, if only it was different. Goten grunted. It wasn’t, though.

The rest of the time while approaching the drifting ship they spent mostly in silence. A few attempted conversations ended quickly and all that was left was to stare at the forsaken ship through the screen. There was still no response to their calls by the time they reached the SUB, and it showed no visible life signs either. No one answered their request to dock either, so they decided to make their way onto the ship by blasting a hole in the hangar door. The defensive shield around the SUB was still on and it took a few attempts to get through.

Goten’s lips pressed into a tiny dash while he watched the defensive shield ripple a few times then go down with sparks and electrical discharges. The next shot was true and the drifting ship spat out various debris, along with all the air in the hangar. The shaking and jolting was making Goten’s stomach heavy. At least there were no corpses flying around like last time.

They fit through the hole easily and maneuvered onto one of the marked landing areas. Reyn chuckled as Goten exhaled in relief when they finally touched the deck. Even if Goten didn’t want to be here at all, he still preferred to be somewhere with a stable ground.

It was completely dark in the hangar, not even the emergency lights were on. Goten wondered if they damaged the electricity supply while coming in, or if something was already malfunctioning on the ship. The only source of light was their shuttle’s headlights. It was possible that they wouldn’t even be able to open the door to the rest of the ship.

All of their scouters started beeping as Reyn’s ki suddenly rose past the usual limit and continued rising.

“What are you doing?” Onar asked.

“I’ll be keeping my ki shield around the shuttle,” the flight officer explained. “I don’t want any of those little buggers getting inside.”

Onar stared at him for a few seconds, then raised his hand to his scouter to turn the insistent beeping off. He had only seen elites do that, and even then they didn’t do it for longer than ten or twenty minutes.

“You sure?” he asked, just in case.

“Yeah, get going,” Reyn told him. “And make sure you don’t bring any of them back here.”

“We’ll try,” Hianara said glumly. “It’s actually not too late to go back, you know?” he suggested.

“Quit talking crap! Get going or I’ll throw you through the door,” Onar told him. “Look at Goten – he doesn’t complain.”

“I would, but what’s the point?” Goten mumbled, waving his hands about. “Nobody ever listens to me.”

“Seriously, you two idiots, you volunteered!” Lumera told them.

“I’ve changed my mind,” Hianara said.

Onar gave him an incredulous look. “The hell’s with that? Is this kindergarten or something? If you don’t get your ass out there in a minute, I’ll be reporting you. But before that, I’ll beat the crap out of you.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Reyn agreed. “But we don’t have time for stupid fights.” He turned to Hianara. “You going on your own, or shall I toss you out the door?”

“Fuck you all,” Hianara grunted, turning around and heading to the end of the shuttle where the door was. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

The other four men followed him into a small cabin. They secured the door behind them and put their ki shields up. After the air was pumped out, they opened the trapdoor and entered the hangar. The four of them looked like lonely bonfires, their fields of ki illuminating the darkness in the huge hangar. Goten felt around in his pockets until he grasped the flashlight.

“Well, the air pumps don’t work,” Ialan concluded after tinkering with the wall partitions and several air pumps for a few minutes. None of the mechanisms were responsive.

They looked at each other. This meant that, even if they found any survivors, Humans would not be able to enter the hangar without their help. Not that they believed that there were going to be any survivors.

“Block the way,” Onar ordered Ialan.

The Saiyan nodded and stood at the door, extending his ki shield to cover the entire doorway so that the air wouldn't be sucked out from the other room when they opened it. Goten entered his ki shield and started typing the key codes they had received earlier into the lock. Five of them in a row failed and he became hopeful that the self-sufficient generator was damaged and that the door would never open. The sixth and last code worked, though, and the door slid open.

It was completely dark inside, just as in the hangar. The emergency lights were off as well. Coming in, Goten raised the flashlight to inspect the wide corridor in front of them. The corridor was so long that even if the laser light reached its end, he wasn’t able to discern anything at such a long distance. While the rest of the team was passing through the door he had unlocked, his eyes kept scanning the hall. The third-class wished they could have used droids, but droids were ineffective when faced with alkani – the creatures were too small and got in between walls and flesh, which resulted in droids damaging various electronics and shooting at everything that moved.

Once the other four members were standing next to him, Goten turned to block the door. While entering the combination that had worked earlier, he could hear them whispering amongst themselves. The light above the lock changed from green into red and Goten turned around to face the long, wide hall. He couldn’t see anything - the entire front of his ki shield was covered in small dark balls.

Goten let out a startled shriek and stepped back, almost tripping over his own feet. His ki dropped, surged up in shock, then dropped again. The tiny balls chattered while being rocked up and down by waves of ki. The stench of blood mixed with something acidic hit Goten through his weakened shield and made him gag. 

“Hey! Hey!” Onar shouted at him. “Keep it up! What are you-”

The sudden surge of energy was so powerful that it nearly swept the other four men off their feet. The alkani shot into all directions, most of them being tossed into walls left and right, wet crunching splashes marking the end of their existence.

Onar watched the youngest team member cautiously. His ki-shield was back to normal so he’d obviously regained most of his composure. Goten was still looking around wide-eyed, his breathing erratic, but the flow of his ki was stable. Even in this poor light he could see that Goten was as pale as snow.

All of them started when their scouters beeped, emitting Reyn’s concerned voice into the dark corridor; his scouter must have caught the enormous power level as well.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Wasn’t me,” Goten denied automatically, still breathless. He coughed, clearing his throat, trying to get rid of the acidic stench in his lungs and nostrils.

“Don’t bullshit me. What’s inside?”

“Just… Gods, they are everywhere!” Goten exclaimed shakily. “I just… I was surprised.”

“Stop mucking about and find her,” came Reyn’s irritated voice. “Out.”

“Aww…so sweet,” Onar said when the line went flat. “He’s so worried about you.”

“Fuck you,” Goten spat, still rubbing at his sensitive nose. “Why didn’t you warn me about…?” Not finishing, he waved his hands about, indicating the shield around himself.

“Well, couldn’t you hear them?”

Goten was quiet, then just shook his head angrily. He had been able to. He just hadn’t known it was them. What he had thought was his colleagues talking had, in fact, been… Even now he could hear them, chattering, scratching around – it was a constant background noise. He lifted the flashlight to look left and saw tiny balls scurrying away in an attempt to hide from the light. The entire wall was covered in them.

“They ate everyone,” Goten said when the realization hit him. “That’s why there are so many of them.”

Onar gave him an askance look. “You’re somehow slow on the uptake. Wasn’t this exactly what we were talking about before coming here?”

Lumera snickered. “Younglings. Keep your shit together.”

“Enough,” Onar said. “Goten, you’re coming with me; we’ll take a look at the captain’s bridge. You three look for survivors and you know what to do if you find them. Don’t get separated and watch your backs. We are meeting here in an hour.”

Everyone confirmed that they understood the orders and moved forward. At first they walked together, then Goten and Onar continued forward while the rest of them turned into an adjacent corridor.

If Goten thought that what he saw on his previous rescue mission was bad, this was a hundred times worse. Entangled amongst blood-blackened clothing, numerous body parts were littering the carpeted floor. Mostly there were only bones, hair and feces left. He could also discern nails. He figured when there was nothing else left to feed on, the alkani were also going to eat that. He could guess that the stench here was much stronger - blood and urine stains were everywhere.

The distinct chattering followed their every step, but the alkani didn’t try climbing their shields anymore. After some time of walking forward, Goten saw the door leading to the captain’s bridge, but then his attention was drawn to the adjacent door on his right.

“My thermo scanner is catching something,” he said. “Looks like a Human. Shall we check it out?”

Onar gave the door a discontent look. “What’s the point? They’re already infected or will be as soon as we open that door.”

Goten looked at the waves of dark balls behind them. His ki rose suddenly. The chatter became much louder, angrier, but Onar saw the alkani retreat a few meters. He didn’t think he had ever heard of this happening before.

The third-class entered all six combinations one by one into the lock, but none of them worked, so he banged on the metallic door with his fist. There was no reply but he could see the figure inside the cabin move. Powering up even more, he punched the lock with his fist, his hand going through the wall as if it were melted butter. Sparks shot out of the lock, the lamp above it blinked green, then red, then went out altogether and the door slid open. Goten pushed Onar out of the way and behind himself nearly at the same time when a laser gun went off. It hit the third-class’s shield, took the opposite course, and burned a hole right above the attacker’s head.

“Try that one more time and I’ll fry you,” Goten warned him, a ki ball ready in his hand.

When the translated phrases ebbed away, the Human lowered the laser gun to the floor, and Goten approached to take a look at him. It was a middle-aged man, red-eyed from lack of sleep, and quite muscular for a Human. He also looked dizzy and was breathing deeply. Goten raised his head to look for vents and found all of them blocked; a little more and he’d have suffocated.

“Infected?” Onar asked.

The Human quickly shook his head in answer. His panicky gaze went out to the door, but the dark balls were staying out of sight; all he could hear was the furious chattering.

“Undress,” Goten said.

“Are you for real?” Onar drawled. “Do you plan on…?” he stopped, not finishing.

Goten shrugged. “If he’s not infected, I don’t see why not. As long as he stays inside my ki-shield, he’ll be fine.”

The Human listened to them talk, hesitated at first, then started taking his clothes off. Once naked, he was instructed to turn around a few times. There were no signs of infection and Goten told him to dress again.

“Stick close to me,” he said to the Human. “Step outside of my ki-shield, and you’ll die. We’ll be returning to our mothership in about fifty minutes. If you stay uninfected, I’ll take you with us.”

The Human nodded quickly. He grabbed his laser gun off the floor, then jumped back when a ki-ball hit the floor near his feet. Goten turned to look at Onar.

“I get nervous when they do that,” Onar said a bit sheepishly.

“It’s not like he’d kill his only chance to escape,” Goten muttered. He motioned for the Human to come. “Take the gun too,” he said when the man left it lying on the floor. “Just don’t make any sudden movements.” He grimaced when the Human entered his ki shield. The stench of sweat and fear filled the area. There was a lot of nervous and hopeful excitement as well, and it made Goten feel glad he opened the door.

“I’m Goten, and he’s Onar, the head of this mission,” Goten introduced them. 

“I’m Darren Cooper,” the Human said, stretching his hand out.

Goten took a look at the hand, then shook it as he had seen it done by other Humans on _Starcut_. The Human squeaked in pain, and Onar shook his head in disbelief.

“Ah, sorry,” Goten said, letting go. “By the way, do you know anything about Elisabeth Montgomery?” he asked.

“That rich girl?” Darren nodded. “Yeah, she was one of the first to get infected.”

“So she’s dead already,” Goten summed up.

“Yeah, two days ago,” the Human confirmed. Goten started moving towards the door and, trying not to fall behind even one step, Darren followed the Saiyan.

Once outside the cabin, the third-class turned to Onar. “So what now? If we trust his word and we know she’s dead, is our mission complete?”

“Well, of course we trust his word,” Onar said; he didn’t want to stay on this ship a second longer. “Why shouldn’t we? He’s a very important eye-witness. I’ll contact the rest.” He tapped his scouter and started retelling the news to other team members.

“What about searching for other survivors?” Darren asked, gripping his laser gun convulsively. He was obviously glad that they were about to leave this forsaken ship, but there was also something restless on his face.

Goten gave him an askance look. “You’d have more chance to convince us that there’s something worthwhile to loot,” he said.

Onar, who had been about to order everyone to go back to the shuttle, turned to Darren. His eyes sparkled with interest. “Is there?”

The Human looked from one Saiyan to the other. “Well, of course there is,” he said finally, realizing this was indeed the only way to make the Saiyans stay on the ship for longer. “We should at least search that rich girl’s cabin. No one else is going to set foot on this ship anyway.”

“Where is it?” Onar asked. His eyes followed the Human’s finger pointing toward the captain’s bridge, deeper into the dark ship. Shortly, Onar conferred with the other three members, and it was decided they would go and take a look; since they already were here, better to make sure it paid off.

“What are you grinning at?” Onar asked Goten after finishing his call.

Goten shook his head. “Nah, nothing. I was just thinking that this was how they should have gone about it in the first place – just offered us a reward.”

Darren snickered. “Everyone knows Saiyans take anything they find anyway; there’s no point in offering additional rewards.”

“Well, of course we do!” Onar said. “Why leave it lying around? Makes no sense!” He turned to Goten. “They will catch up to us in about ten minutes. Seems they found something.”

“Survivors?” Darren asked hopefully.

“No,” Onar denied, “a safe. They are trying to open it. Nothing has worked so far.”

“Oh my fucking god,” Darren cursed in disbelief. “Why in the world did they send you at all?”

“We volunteered,” Goten explained, heading in the direction of the captain’s bridge. “Besides, someone had to go. And we didn’t really believe there would be any survivors at all.”

The Human muttered under his breath.

“Listen,” Onar said, following them. “Our orders were to retrieve that blasted Montgomery female. Nobody said anything about you. Your kind doesn’t give a damn about you.”

“Onar, that’s about enough,” Goten warned the older man. “Let’s just go to that cabin of hers.”

While walking, Goten noticed that the chattering around them was getting louder and louder. The alkani must have gathered from all around the ship to follow them over the walls and ceiling. He also noticed that the largest amount of the creatures was on the left side, where the Human walked. He didn’t know how, but the alkani were obviously able to find the weakest link in their small group. Darren was looking around, his face reflecting disgust and horror. The Human was keeping his pace easily, but Goten could tell that Darren was feeling the urge to just hold onto him to make sure he didn’t lag behind.

“How did it all start?” Goten asked.

Darren shrugged. “I don’t know. I woke up to someone’s screams and went to take a look. There were already about twenty of these fuckers on the loose. People were running around, panicking. And from then on it all happened very fast. We were instructed to stay in our cabins, but they can get in anywhere.”

Goten wondered what he would have done in that kind of situation. Probably exactly the same thing this man had done – barricaded himself in his room until rescuers arrived or just died waiting. If there were more Saiyans, they could stay awake in turns and guard each other with their protective shields. Alone, however, he wouldn’t last either.

There was a hollow thump over their heads and the Human screamed, leaping away. Goten was just in time to grab him by his arm before he could jump out of the shield.

“Stay inside,” he growled at the terrified Human. Still keeping a firm hold on Darren, the third-class raised his head to look above. The ceiling had started raining alkani on them. The creatures had lost their patience.

“Little fuckers,” Onar spat. His ki-shield was already covered in little black balls. “This is freaking annoying – I can’t see where I’m going.”

Goten looked around. “There,” he pointed, “hold onto that metallic rail. I’ll try to clear some of them off.” The Human still was looking around in a panic and, to make sure there were no more surprises, Goten secured his arm around Darren’s waist.

Having already experienced what Goten summoning his energy meant, Onar grasped the railing firmly. Still, he cursed softly when he was lifted off his feet. With loud thumps, the alkani splashed against the walls and his ki-shield wetly. In a second, Goten’s ki returned to normal, and, his hands still a bit shaky, Onar let go of the rail. It was obvious now why the shaii had insisted that Goten went with them.

“Where the hell do you pack so much power?” he grunted at the youngster.

Goten turned his head to the Human, who was trying to push him away. It took him a few seconds to realize what was wrong.

“Ah shit,” he said, letting go of Darren. “Sorry, I forgot.”

The Human grunted something in answer and rubbed his burned side. “You feel like a damn clothing iron!” he complained.

Goten didn’t understand what kind of thing or device that was and just left it at that without commenting. He raised his flashlight and, chattering, the alkani sped away from the beam of light so as not to be seen by him. There weren’t many of them now, though, just the ones that happened to be behind some cover when the third-class powered up. They were keeping their distance now, but Goten was certain that soon more of them would gather and he would have to remind them not to get too close.

They reached the cabin a few minutes later. The door was somewhat ajar, a carcass of bones wrapped in varicolored clothing jammed in the doorway. Normally, with this kind of interference, the door would be closing and opening, but since the power was off and it had no alternate power source, it just stayed stuck in one place. Goten walked to the door and peered inside the room through the gap. It was dark and his thermo scanner didn’t pick up anything. With his hands, he pushed the metallic door all the way back into the wall. 

“How do you even know where she was staying?” Goten asked, curious. Turning his flashlight this way and that, he walked into the cabin. “Wow.”

“Yeah, color me impressed,” Darren agreed at the sight of the luxurious and spacious room. “Is that a freaking jacuzzi?” he muttered, trying to keep up with the third-class and at the same time bypassing the Human remains on the floor in a wide circle. “Everyone did. She wasn’t the quietest sort.” 

Onar was already rummaging through the drawers of a dressing cabinet near the wall. Clothes and cosmetics were tossed onto the floor. Goten, meanwhile, was looking around the cabin, awed by the glamorous tapestry and the enormous four-poster bed in the middle. There was also the very peculiar and sharp smell of perfume mixing with that of blood and death and he kept rubbing his nose unconsciously, trying to get rid of the unpleasant blend. 

Finding nothing of interest in the dressing cabinet, Onar moved to the nightstand with a huge mirror above it. He pulled the first drawer out and spilled its contents to the floor. Underwear and socks flopped onto the metallic ground. The second-class cursed and pulled out the second drawer. A jewelry box crashed onto the floor, broke, and spilled its contents all over the cabin.

Thinning his shield and lowering his foot to stop a ring that had rolled into his shield, Goten turned to look at the door. The alkani were tentatively crawling into the cabin, their chatter soft but ferocious. He spiked his ki and the creatures started clamoring. Unwillingly, some of them retreated to lurk behind the door. He bent down to pick up the ring. After turning it this way and that between his fingers, he shrugged and pocketed it.

“Are these diamonds?” Onar asked, raising a necklace. Goten’s flashlight reflected off the transparent stones, sparkling with various colors.

“I don’t understand anything about gems,” the third-class disappointed him. “Just take everything and figure that out later.”

All of them started when Goten’s scouter crackled. The third-class nearly dropped the flashlight in surprise, then gripped it firmer.

“Goten? How is it going?” Reyn asked.

“Umm…” the third-class hummed guiltily while Darren was shaking his head, getting rid of affright. “We are searching for more survivors.”

“You are doing what?” Reyn asked again just to be certain. “Ah,” he realized. “You’re looting. I should’ve known. Well, hurry the fuck up. Out.”

“Yeah, we should go already,” Onar said. He was gathering the last of the jewelry off the floor. His pockets were already bulging.

Goten nodded and turned to the exit. The alkani chattered in protest, but split sideways and hurried away. While they were walking back to the shuttle, Darren was shouting for other people to come out, but the only things that came out were more alkani. Nothing but tiny balls moved in this forsaken ship.

They were close to the hangar when all of them heard a loud thump against one of the doors they were passing. Goten turned to it and raised the flashlight. The bang repeated and most of the alkani gathered around the door while others ran down the hallway looking for other ways to get into the cabin. Goten’s scouter was clearly showing a person moving inside.

“You can open the door. It’s safe,” Darren shouted.

Goten gave him a look but said nothing. He walked to the door, making the alkani scatter away from it. It was silent at first, the scouter showing the person on the other side standing still. Then the door opened. The excitement on Darren’s face abruptly changed into the expression of shock and revolt. The woman that appeared from behind the door reached out for him and Darren stepped away quickly, his back coming up to Goten. She wasn’t able to pass the ki-shield, though, and clawed at it desperately.

“Please, help me,” she cried silently.

Onar inspected the torn clothing and bleeding wounds on her body and shook his head. “You are beyond help.”

“Please, take them out of me!” she begged, still trying to get through Goten’s protective shield. “It’s just one! Just one!”

“No,” Goten said, watching her carefully. Her face was swollen, eyes red either from endless crying or the lack of sleep or both. “We can’t take you with us.” He looked around at the clamoring alkani – the smell of flesh and blood was driving them crazy.

“Please, help me!” she repeated, tears starting to roll down her fevered cheeks. “They’re…”

She winced in pain and clutched at her left side. Darren saw two tiny balls slip past her fingers and roll to the floor. He shuddered; they had already hatched inside her and were eating her from within. He turned to the Saiyans, but both of them were just watching her with expressionless faces. He raised his laser gun without thinking.

When the woman’s dead body collapsed, Goten turned to Darren, who was still frozen in the same exact position with his laser gun in his hand. He was staring at the woman’s open eyes.

“I wish I could tear them all to pieces,” the Human growled suddenly. “All of these little fuckers! What in the world is w-”

“Let’s move on,” Onar said, not letting him finish what was obviously going to turn into a very long and exhaustive rant of grief and anger. These rants were very healthy, but he didn’t care enough to listen.

The hangar was only a few doors away and soon they were standing at the entrance. They were the only ones there. The red lamp was blinking above the door.

“Where are our guys?” Goten asked, looking back at the dark corridor. “They were supposed to join us ten minutes ago.” He tapped his scouter and was about to contact Hianara when soft curses and the sounds of heavy boots hitting the floor wafted from somewhere deep in the corridor. Goten lowered his arm back to his side and waited for the rest of the team members to show up.

Onar let out a loud whistle at the sight of a huge safe being carried by Hianara and Ialan. Lumera was just walking after them, observing the process and blasting a few insistent alkani here and there. They reached the door and dropped the safe to the floor, the loud metallic clang scaring even the alkani. Curious, Goten approached the safe.

“What’s inside?” Goten wondered, knocking on the sturdy metal with his knuckles. The walls were isolated and the thermo scanner wasn’t picking up any traces inside.

“No freaking idea,” Ialan said, kicking the safe angrily. “But it’s heavy as hell; must be something valuable.”

“Are you sure the Human is not infected?” Hianara asked, giving a mistrustful look to Darren. “He looks weird.”

“He’s not infected,” Goten said.

Onar cleared his throat. “I’m afraid we can’t take the safe with us – we don’t know what’s inside. And what if there’s more alkani?”

The Saiyans met each other’s eyes. Ialan kicked the safe again, this time regretfully. Lumera let out a longing sigh, powered up and tried to blast a hole in it. It didn’t work, just as it hadn’t worked before – when the blast connected, the safe whooshed backwards into the wall, getting stuck there. They had tried this about twenty times already.

“Fuck it,” Hianara summed up. “We need an elite here.”

Lumera walked up to the metal wall and pried the safe out if it, leaving a rectangular hole in it. He wasn’t going to give up so easily. He powered up to his maximum, making the other four Saiyans raise their ki in response. At the impact, alkani were tossed into the air, most of them melting on the spot. The walls on their right and left billowed out at the force and heat while the safe sank into the floor. Lumera let out a row of varicolored curses.

“Just leave it,” Onar said. He tapped the side of his scouter. He contacted Reyn, telling him that they were ready to enter the hangar.

Ialan stood in the doorway again to create isolation for the two perimeters, and Goten went to enter the code into the lock. The lamp turned green and the door whooshed open.

“Still, there’s definitely something wrong with him,” Hianara said, staring at the Human. “We can’t take him with us.”

Goten turned his head to look at the second-class. He could feel Darren suddenly getting nervous, the scent of panic and fear filling the shield again. “What do you mean?”

“What do you mean ‘what do you mean’?” Hianara grunted. “Look at his freaking color! He’s definitely infected! If not with alkani then with something else!”

The rest of the team stared at Hianara, not comprehending, then Goten realized; he had recently faced a similar question on _Starcut_. He laughed. “Haven’t you seen dark-skinned Humans before?”

“Dark-skinned?” Hianara wondered. “You mean this is normal for them? Like changing their color according to seasons?”

“No, you idiot,” Onar grunted, motioning for them to go through the door. “They are just born like that. Apparently there are quite a few coloring variations. You seriously haven’t seen any before? There are many different kinds on TV.”

“I don’t watch TV,” Hianara muttered, passing Goten and Darren, and entering the hangar.

“Where the hell are you taking that?” Onar demanded at the sight of Lumera trying to pry the safe out of the floor.

“With me,” Lumera said firmly. In order to pull it out of the floor, he had to power up again.

Onar rolled his eyes. He turned to Goten. “Care to try?”

Goten looked at the safe. “Umm… Well, yeah, I can.”

Unsure, the other team members looked at Goten. To his surprise, no one laughed. After a moment’s thought, the third-class left Darren in Ialan’s care. He walked over to the safe and started powering up.

“The fuck is with this?” Lumera muttered numbly when Goten’s ki rose over two hundred thousand. He smacked his scouter a few times. “What the hell?” he repeated.

“How about you stop now?” Onar said, unnerved. “It’s the safe, not the ship we want you to blow up.”

The third-class, unsure of how much he had powered up, stopped. He extended his arm and pointed his index finger at the safe. He had never had a chance before to use the technique he had picked up from the prince. A small glowing ball of silver light appeared on the tip of his finger, then it started stretching into a thin straight line. There was a soft popping sound when, with a motion of his hand, Goten drew the silver line over the safe, neatly cutting its upper half off. He peered inside. There was a pile of documents on the upper shelf. Grabbing the edges of the sturdy metal, Goten’s hands ripped the walls of the safe apart to reveal two more shelves. He powered down.

“There are some documents, more jewelry and…” Goten hesitated. “Some fancy scouters?” He turned to the other team members. “Umm…” he hummed at the sight of their shocked and mistrustful faces.

Onar regained his composure first. He moved forward to take a look at the safe. “Oh, wow,” he exclaimed. “The newest iScouter!”

“A what?” Goten wondered, picking one of them up with his fingertips. They looked smaller and quite different to what he was used to. The design was very unusual, white and pink colors mixing, the frame itself looking very fragile. He took his scouter off and fitted the smaller one over his left eye. “Ugh,” he grunted when rows and rows of gibberish in one of Human languages appeared. “I can’t understand anything.”

“Well, of course,” Onar said, grabbing the rest of the newfound scouters. “You can download different languages, but since they synchronize only with the networks Humans have, they can only be used as common scouters we have - for radioing, translating, and thermo scanning.”

Goten took the tiny scouter off. “And it’s ugly to boot. What’s the use of it, then?” he asked, wondering why Onar looked so ecstatic about them.

“They cost a fortune if you know who to sell them to.”

“Ah.” Goten turned it this way and that in his hand, then fitted his old scouter back in its place. He walked back to the Human and held it out for him. “Here, have it.”

Darren stared at the scouter for a few seconds, then took it. “Thanks, I suppose. What about the documents?” he asked.

“Take them if you want,” Onar said. “I’ve got no interest in those.”

“No, I mean there might be something important.”

Onar shrugged. When he and Lumera secured the contents of the safe in their large pockets, the team was finally able to move on. They left the documents untouched, just as they were, in the mutilated safe. Reyn was quite livid when they reached the shuttle, and Goten was certain that they were going to hear about it later. He also poked and scanned the Human a few times to ascertain for himself that he wasn’t carrying anything. In the end, Reyn was content with the results and the shuttle took off.

When the drifting SUB 316 started getting smaller in their screens, everyone finally relaxed. Goten exhaled and closed his eyes in relief.

“That went much better than I expected,” he admitted.

“Ha,” Hianara said. “You were so scared that you were jumping around like a little girl.”

“So were you,” Lumera said. “Even more so. Now the most important thing – how do we share the loot?”

TBC


	54. Part 54

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings. 

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 54

It was taking them time to share the loot so that everyone was happy. The Human, though, due to the lack of sleep, had disconnected himself from the outside world as soon as he was belted to one of the chairs. Reyn took notice of the fact that the chair happened to be on Goten’s right side.

“Ha!” Goten exclaimed happily when Onar finally gave in and passed him the necklace he had wanted so much. The third-class checked out the shiny stones with his fingers, then tried to put it on his neck. It didn’t fit – the chain was too short. After some thought, he put it on his arm.

“Looking good,” Reyn sniggered.

“I know you also got a ring in your pocket,” Onar said to Goten bitterly.

“And I know about the three in your right boot,” Goten countered.

“Really?” Lumera turned to Onar.

Goten’s revelation started a new bout of arguments. About fifteen minutes later, when Reyn turned to look at the other third-class, he found him peacefully asleep in his chair. Goten had recently been short on sleep and not even their clamoring teammates disturbed his rest. There was still over an hour’s flight until they reached _Mantanko_ , thus this was a good solution.

The flight officer turned his head when the Human muttered something in his sleep and jerked wildly, waking himself up. He looked around with panicky eyes, then fell asleep again. It was obvious that he was dreaming about those cursed tiny balls on legs. This repeated a few times and Reyn was about to launch his boot at the Human for startling him over and over and not letting him concentrate on his job. Raising it in the air, he turned around and saw Lumera standing behind the Human’s chair, a long hair in his hand, tickling the Human’s face. Reyn launched the boot at Lumera.

“Let him sleep, you idiot!” he cursed at the other Saiyan who was rubbing the place on his head where the boot had struck. “And belt your ass in. No walking on the damn shuttle.”

“Oh, c’mon! It’s just for fun!” Lumera protested.

“Yeah? How about you do that to Goten?” Reyn suggested, turning away and wiggling his toes, thinking that they felt quite nice out of the boot.

Lumera grimaced at the flight officer’s back. “He might tear my head off.”

“Yeah, that would be how I understand ‘fun’,” Reyn grunted. “Leave the poor bugger alone.”

“Mmm…?” Goten hummed through his sleep, reacting to his name. “Mnn?”

“Just go back to sleep.”

Goten mumbled again. It felt as if he were in some kind of a daze. He wasn’t quite asleep but wasn’t awake either. He didn’t exactly understand when they landed on _Mantanko_ either. He only realized that they were back when all of them started climbing out of the shuttle. The captain and crew hardly had any interest in their rescue mission or the Human they’d saved, thus Goten soon found himself at the door of his and Reyn’s cabin. He felt tired and could only think about blissfully sleeping for the rest of the evening. When he opened the door, though, he found out that the cabin had been refurbished in their absence. The rich cream-colored walls with wide windows and yellow curtains, the heavy-looking wooden furniture, and the leather sofas all made the cabin seem as if it were meant for someone distinguished. 

With a sigh, Goten humbly stepped backwards and pushed the button to close the door. Someone important must be visiting _Mantanko_. He wondered where he was going to sleep tonight. Turning around, he thought of asking Reyn what was going on. However, the room he suddenly found himself in after turning around was even bigger and more luxurious. The air was also fresh, free of the usual accompanying stench of used socks. Goten started getting irritated. Where was he going to sleep?

There were two people in this room. One of them was wearing Saiyan armor of high quality, the other a painfully familiar officer school uniform. Goten, fully intending to offer his complaints to them, headed for the table the two were sitting at. His step, however, faltered on the thick carpet when he recognized the people.

“What are you two doing on this ship?” Goten asked the almost faceless figure while his index finger was pointing at the other person with a very distinguished hairstyle. “Is this who I think this is?”

The wannabe Gohan rolled his transparent eyes “You should have noticed by now that this is not _Mantanko_ ,” he pointed out.

Goten snorted at him. He didn’t particularly care where he was as long as he got some decent sleep. Again, he looked at the other person sitting opposite his wannabe brother. It was the King Himself.

“He can’t see me, can he?” Goten asked, a little worried.

“He can’t,” the imposter assured him. “He’d like to, though,” he added with a sardonic smile on his lips.

Despite the fact that Goten felt mostly asleep, his face went white and the reality of the situation hit him like a cold splash of water to the face. His body rigid, he stared at the doppelganger threateningly, daring him.

The wannabe Gohan ignored the third-class, his attention going to the King. They were having tea. It had been brewed in a delicate porcelain teapot. Two strangely decorated cups of tea were on the table. Any other time, Goten would have found this amusing but, faced with this ill-fitting luxury, he felt awkward instead.

Feeling completely out of place, he turned around and marched back to the door. He reached for the handle, but it suddenly opened to reveal the crown prince of Vegeta-sei. 

“What the hell is going on?” Goten grunted under his breath, stepping away from the door. He wondered if his former shaii was going to join his father and grandfather in this room as well. In that case, he may as well linger around. “Why are they here?” he repeated, turning back to the room where the imposter sat.

“Who?”

Goten’s head slowly turned back to the crown prince, who was staring at him expectantly. “Um, you can’t see me, right?” the third-class asked, checking.

The crown prince gave him a funny look. “What’s wrong with you? Have you been sparring too much with Trunks? Hit your head?”

“Ehhh…” Goten squeaked, breathless. “Probably? Your Highness?” He added, baffled. He edged closer to the door. The prince’s eyes followed him.

“Where are you going?” the prince snapped at him. “Go sit at the table!” he ordered, motioning at it.

“But…” Goten muttered, unsure about the situation. “But… His Majesty…” He turned to the table and did a double take – no one was sitting at it anymore. The prince looked impatient and Goten’s legs moved to the table on their own. Carefully, he sat down on the chair in front of the delicate table set. The prince sat down in front of him.

“Why so tense?”

Goten laughed uncomfortably and nearly choked on that awkward laughter of his. Then he noticed the prince insistently staring at the teapot and realized he was supposed to offer his services. He stretched out his hand to take the teapot. It looked tiny in his large paw. He started pouring the tea.

“That’s enough,” the prince stopped him. “So I hear you come from Yasan?”

Goten nodded, leaning back in the chair, his back still rigid. “Yes, Your Highness.” He sat quietly, watching the prince spoon up some sugar and pour it into his cup. He felt twitchy all over, not certain what to say or do or where to put his hands.

“Go on, have some as well,” the prince said, with a motion at the teapot.

“Thank you, Sir.” Hoping that the tea would help to occupy his hands and mouth, Goten poured himself a full cup, then spiced it up with three teaspoons of sugar.

“So,” the prince said, when Goten was done, “what exactly are you doing here, kid?”

“Uuuu…” The prince’s voice wasn’t exactly hostile, but it wasn’t friendly either, and the third-class blinked at him. “I have got no idea, Sir.”

The prince’s eyebrows rose but he said nothing, taking a sip from his cup instead. “An interesting coincidence…” he said finally, after having lowered his cup. He motioned at the teapot. “Go on, don’t let it cool off.”

“Err…yes, Sir.” Goten sipped carefully, but couldn’t feel any taste, the price’s watchful eyes following his every movement. He lowered the cup. The third-class didn’t dare meeting the other man’s eyes. Everything felt so real and at the same time he knew this was impossible – he couldn’t be sitting here, with the prince, drinking tea from these absurdly tiny cups.

“Umm…Sir?” Goten tried when the silence became unbearable.

“And how is your father doing?” the prince asked.

Surprised, the third-class looked at the prince. His head was starting to spin and throb with these strange formalities and his stomach had shrunk into a tiny ball. “Thank you, Sir, he’s fine.”

The prince gave him an odd look. “If he were fine, you wouldn’t be here.”

“Sir?” Goten asked questioningly. His uneasiness was growing, if that was possible. Something painful set in the pit of his stomach. He raised the cup to sip his tea again. He choked on it and started coughing. Red-faced from the lack of air and embarrassment, he raised his eyes to give the prince an apologetic look.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m sorry, Sir, I just…”

“No, are you really alright?” the prince asked more firmly, pointing at him.

Confused, Goten looked at himself, and then the smell of blood hit his nostrils. He moved his palm from his mouth to see it covered in red. He stared at it and then winced when a painful pang shot down his side.

“It is a very serious mistake you’ve made by coming here,” the prince stated. “What is your father thinking?”

The crown prince was still talking but through the buzz and palpitations in his ears Goten couldn’t hear him. Agonizing pains now overtook him and he was writhing on the floor, half-conscious already. He vomited on the expensive carpet, but it didn’t make him feel better. Tears of pain were streaming down his face while he was gasping for air. His throat was burning.

“Goten?”

Someone was shaking him but Goten had neither the strength nor awareness to react. 

“Goten, wake up!”

With a start, Goten’s eyes flew open and he pushed Reyn away. Gasping, he sat straight in his chair. His hand flew to his throat but nothing hurt anywhere and he had no trouble breathing. Blinking, not really seeing anything, he stared at the main screen in front of him, just trying to get his bearings back.

Carefully, not certain about Goten’s reaction, Reyn touched his sweaty forehead. “You alright?” Gotten nodded quickly, shaking his hand off. “We are on _Mantanko_ already,” Reyn informed him. “Was this one of those?” he asked softly.

“I think so,” Goten rasped out with a nod. “I suddenly fou-” He quieted when Reyn put his fingers to his lips.

“Later,” he said indicating their surroundings with his eyes. 

Goten looked around, only now noticing that they weren’t alone in the shuttle. The other four team members were giving him strange looks and Goten realized that he had made quite a spectacle of himself. He offered them a sheepish grin.

“What the hell did you dream about?” Onar wondered. “That someone made you read poetry?”

Goten shuddered in horror. “Ugh… Something like that.”

On shaky legs, Goten left the shuttle. It was the exact opposite of his dream: the entire crew had gathered in the hangar and everyone wanted to know how their mission went. The shuttle was quarantined as soon as the team left it. While they were walking, their full pockets attracted quite a lot of attention, but the Human was the main attraction. First, they were ushered to the medical bay where they were scanned, prodded and scanned again just in case. Then, when it became clear that none of them were infected, they were sent to the captain’s cabin for their reports. Neither Goten nor Reyn were worried about their teammates blabbering about their power levels since the secret included a lot of looted goods.

“So what exactly about this search and destroy mission didn't you understand, Goten?” Indaira asked after listening to their reports.

Goten, who wanted nothing else but to sleep, gave him an innocent look. “Sir, I was certain we were to get rid of infected Humans only. Besides, sir, we also searched and destroyed a lot.”

“Don’t be a smartass with me,” the captain growled at him. “And you,” he turned to the Human. “You…”

“Guilty of surviving, sir!” Darren said, saluting.

Goten burst out laughing and the other teammates started chortling. The captain rolled his eyes. “You’ve got balls, Human, I’ll give you that.” He turned to his men. “I wish I could throw you all into open space and forget all about you, but since that's not happening, go and write your reports.”

They dispersed to write their reports in their cabins. It became clear at once that Darren was going to stay with Goten and Reyn in their cabin. Reyn didn’t appear too happy about it, but he didn’t seem to mind it much either. Goten suspected that the flight officer quite liked the man already. 

While writing his report, Goten fell asleep twice, Reyn having to nudge him in the side to wake him up. He didn’t even bother with the Human who, as soon as he reached one of the empty beds, was out like a light; if Indaira wanted to get his report, he’d better come and deal with the Human on his own.

“Doooneee,” Goten groaned, his shoulders slumping again and head thumping on the desk while he held out the papers for Reyn. “Please, please, please, take this to Indaira?”

“Fine,” Reyn said, taking his report. He took a quick look at it. “Quite a few mistakes, though.”

“Arghhh… Who cares?” Goten whined again, his forehead hitting the desk in frustration. He clambered off the chair and threw himself into his bed. This was heaven.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Reyn warned him. “We have kitchen duty in ten minutes.”

“No. This can’t be. Noooooo!”

ooOoOoOoo

When Darren woke up the next day, it was already past lunch. He did a double take at the digital clock above the door. Rubbing at his eyes, he lowered his head back onto the pillow. He had not expected himself to sleep so soundly after experiencing the outbreak on the SUB and barely surviving. Not to mention that he was currently living amongst the mistrustful Saiyans.

Darren sat up and turned his head to take a look at Goten’s bed. The Saiyan was sprawled on his back, his legs sticking out from under the blanket, his tail drooping over the edge of the bed. He was obviously still very much asleep. Darren looked over at the older Saiyan to see him asleep as well. Not certain what to do, Darren got out of bed and put on his shoes. Yesterday, he had no strength to undress and slept with his clothes on. From the lack of reaction he had received from both Saiyans, he understood that they didn’t care. 

“Meow?”

“Where are you going?”

With a start, Darren turned around, his hand still hovering over the lock button next to the door. He wasn’t certain what was more intimidating: the half-naked Saiyan with an ill-fitted scouter giving him a mistrustful look, or the black cat that was strolling around in the middle of the cabin.

“I’m hungry and in dire need of a toilet,” Darren said. “Anything in the canteen?” He pointed at the cat. “And where the hell did you get that?”

Reyn yawned loudly. “It’s a long story.” He removed the scouter and put it on the bedside table. 

“Meow.”

Darren averted his eyes from the already drowsing Saiyan to the large tomcat that was rubbing itself against his boots, already marking him as a part of his territory. When he opened the door, the cat snuck out into the corridor. Darren tried to catch him, but that had only earned him scratches all over his hands. It appeared, however, that the cat served very well as a guide.

He followed the cat to the toilets, then to the canteen. Since lunch was over already, there were only four Saiyans there, including the two cooks who were arranging something in one of the fridges at the very end of the kitchens. The other two were sitting at one of the empty tables, drinking something. They were holding a light conversation, one of them chuckling at something the other had just said. At the sight of him, the Saiyans quieted.

“Could I get something to eat?”

The two at the table looked at him questioningly and Darren saw them tapping their scouters.

“What did you say?”

“I’m hungry. Anything to eat?”

“Ah,” one of the Saiyans grunted when his scouter translated. He motioned in the direction of the counter. “Just ask the cooks.”

“See? I told you I saw it!” the other said suddenly, pointing at the cat in front of Darren. “It’s been wandering around the ship for about a week already. Is it some kind of pest?”

The other three Saiyans looked at it. One of the cooks came closer and threw something at the animal. It jumped to it and started eating.

“It’s not a pest,” the cook said. “It wouldn’t be wandering around so freely if it was.”

“Maybe it’s a very reckless pest, with balls.”

“Well, he certainly has some,” the cook said.

“It’s a cat,” Darren said. “On Earth, we keep them in our houses. A pet.”

The Saiyans looked at him in unison. “Yours?”

Darren shook his head. “No way. I hate cats. I’m more of a dog lover.”

Now the Saiyans looked at each other and it was obvious that the concept of a “dog” was lost on them as well.

“So what does it do? This cat?”

“Um… I suppose it hunts mice.”

“Mice? That’s awesome. We’ve got a shitload of those in the cargo hold. Shall we stick this cat in there?”

“Err…” Darren drawled uncertainly.

“Forget mice,” the other cook said while putting a steaming plate of something indescribable on the counter. Darren’s nose recognized it as edible. With his head, he motioned at the plate for the Human. “Come, eat.”

Darren walked over to the counter to take the plate. Uncertainly, he turned around, but the two Saiyans were already motioning for him to join them at the table.

“So tell us about your ship. How did you survive?” one of them asked as soon as Darren had put down his plate.

While eating, Darren ended up telling them almost everything from boarding the spaceship to Onar and his team rescuing him. At some point, miraculously, a mug of something alcoholic had also appeared in his hand. It tasted horrible but, for the first time during the last few days, he felt his muscles relax. All five of them were soon sitting at the table sharing one story after another.

“Oh, the cat.”

The voice belonged to a female and all of them turned to the canteen door. Darren blinked at the burly Saiyan female. She was obviously an elite, the white tip of her tail clearly on display. She gave him a look, then motioned at their mugs.

“Whatever you’re having, I want some.”

Darren watched one of the cooks get up quickly and go to pour her a mug from his secret stash. She accepted it with a nod and took a gulp. She grimaced.

“The hell’s this?”

The cook blanched.

“Whatever we’re having,” Darren pointed out.

The elite chuckled. “So, Goten picked up another one? Man, he’s got some talent. I like you already.”

“Awesome! And…another one?” Darren asked.

The female waved it off. “Long story.” She took a long sip from her mug and scowled again. “Disgusting. Anyway, did they find anything valuable on your ship?”

ooOoOoOoo

Turning to his side, Goten banged his elbow against the wall, cursed, and opened his eyes. The clock above the door showed four in the afternoon. He still felt sleepy since he had to get up early to help prepare breakfast and then again to make lunch. He had only half an hour left until preparation for dinner began. Goten closed his eyes again. He could hear Reyn moving about in the cabin, but he was already drifting away.

“Ughf!” Goten grunted when something fell on top of him. Automatically, he lifted his arms to push the heavy thing off him, then saw it was Reyn. “Get off! You’re like a ton of bricks.” The other third-class gave him a naughty look and didn’t show any intention of leaving his bed. Instead, his hand snuck under Goten’s cover. “Reyn… I’m tired, I’m sleepy and I’m really not in the… Gah!” 

“C’mon, just a quickie before we go to the kitchens.”

“Didn’t you hear anything I said?” Goten grunted out, trying to ignore the hand in his underwear. “Besides, the Human might come back at any second, and you know they are quite weird about stuff like this.”

“I locked the door.”

“You do realize that you’re sexually abusing me right now?”

“I seriously doubt that. I think that only counts as such when you don’t like it,” he said squeezing the hardened shaft in his fingers.

“Gh! You’ve got a point here,” Goten conceded. “But seriously, I’m too tired to do anything. Hmm…” he drawled when an idea occurred to him. They had never done this before, but…

“What?”

“Ride me.”

There was a pause, then Reyn chuckled. “Alright.” He laughed again at the look of honest surprise on Goten’s face. “You’re underestimating me,” he said, lightly smacking Goten on the side of his head.

Goten gave him an awkward grin. “Seems so.” He had not expected Reyn to agree so easily. It was his turn, right, but he rather thought he’d have to fight Reyn about this. He watched the flight officer leave his bed, then walk over to the cabinet and retrieve some supplies. Then he returned to the bed and took his underwear off. Aroused and curious, Goten stared at his naked form. 

“So I can just like…do nothing?”

“Well, it would be nice of you to help me to get rid of your underwear,” Reyn said, uncapping the bottle of lube. Just in case, he had taken a few extra bottles from _Starcut_ just as Tamahi had suggested. He looked at Goten, who slipped out of his underwear at the speed of light. “Want to help me out?”

Goten’s pupils dilated at the exciting thought, but the younger male shook his head. “No, I want to watch.”

With an amused grin on his face, Reyn poured a generous amount of the lubricant on his fingers and rubbed them together to warm it up. Then he climbed into the bed and, after some moving about, got on his knees and straddled Goten. The younger male was watching him intently, his gaze hot on Reyn’s skin. His eyes followed the flight officer’s hand as it disappeared behind his back. He couldn’t see much this way, but it aroused him nonetheless. Reyn’s awkwardly arched back and the concentration on his face was a sight to behold. 

His breath quickened when, after a few in and out motions, Reyn applied more lubricant to his fingers and his hand disappeared behind his back again. Goten wanted to see more. He raised his eyes to find Reyn watching him from under half-closed eyelids. Goten felt his cheeks heat up and he lowered his eyes to the flight officer’s cock, which was also hard already. He was really enjoying this, both of them were.

“Darn it,” Reyn grunted when the packet of condoms slipped through his well-lubricated fingers. He looked around for something to wipe his hand on. He settled for Goten’s underwear. With his hands now clean, he opened the packet and took a condom out. 

Goten tensed, then exhaled softly, when Reyn’s fingers enclosed the head of his shaft. Taking his time, the older man rolled the condom down. Slowly, he smoothed out the creases, then took the bottle of lubricant again. He poured some into his palm and started to stroke the younger man.

Getting lightheaded, Goten lowered his head back onto the pillow and closed his eyes. His lips were dry and he wetted them. Reyn took that as an invitation and leaned in to kiss him. The younger man’s mouth opened wider for him and their tongues joined. Goten had finally become a passable kisser and Reyn took satisfaction in the fact. Besides, what Goten lacked in skill, he compensated for with his eagerness.

Not wanting to entice Goten too much, Reyn stopped stroking him and moved away. Goten had that particular look in his eyes again, the one that always made Reyn want to fuck him senseless. Not managing to contain himself, the flight officer leaned in again.

“Ugh!” Goten grunted in pain when the other man bit his lower lip. He opened his mouth to protest, but Reyn had already retreated and Goten resorted to soothing his throbbing lip with his tongue. Reyn’s fingers rubbed over the tip of Goten's cock, then took a firmer hold of him. Goten watched Reyn slowly descending onto him. 

“Umn...” Goten hummed when he felt himself slip inside. Soon all of him disappeared into the tight heat. He wanted to move already, but Reyn didn’t seem to be very comfortable. The older male moved above him, making Goten nearly slip out of him, then lowered himself back down. 

Goten’s hands found purchase on the older male’s thighs instinctively. He reached out for Reyn’s cock, but his hand was pushed away. Goten laughed softly and squeezed the thigh in his left hand. He was so turned on by the display that he wondered briefly if he should call off this whole not-touching thing. Reyn, however, soon found a comfortable rhythm for them both, and it all flew out of his head.

Reyn was moving smoothly, rising and falling, every movement making their bodies hotter. His broad chest was glistening with sweat already. He was stroking himself in tune with his rocking body. Reyn was still mostly quiet, only urgent breathing heard. Goten, meanwhile, was grunting with almost every up and down motion. He wanted more and faster, but the older man paid no attention to Goten’s demanding fingers on his thighs. Goten’s undulating hips were ignored as well. He kept the same pace, which was quick, but not quick enough for Goten.

“I’m about to come,” Goten grunted out. With that he knew that Reyn would either increase the pace or stop altogether. He just knew it was going to be the latter. 

Without breaking the rhythm, the other third-class regarded him from under half-closed eyelids. Underneath him, Goten looked desperate, flushed, and breathless. It was quite amazing considering this was supposed to be just a quickie. The younger male was still very easy to arouse and almost as fast to come.

Goten’s eyes closed and he moaned softly in pleasure when Reyn upped the pace unexpectedly. Through the heartbeat in his ears he could also hear Reyn panting, an occasional groan slipping past his lips. The other man was also close, and the realization pushed Goten over the edge. When he opened his eyes he was just in time to see Reyn come as well, his body frozen in one spot, but his hand stroking himself madly. Feeling lewd, Goten pushed his hips upwards. He was mostly soft already, but it still got him a reaction, Reyn grunting.

His shoulders relaxing slowly, Reyn let go of his softening cock and looked around for something to wipe himself off. Goten’s underwear served the purpose again. 

“You realize that I can’t wear those now, don’t you?” Goten asked, watching the flight officer clean himself.

“I’ll give you another pair.”

Goten rolled his eyes and leaned comfortably back into the bedding. They still had about fifteen minutes to spare until kitchen duty. He felt sated, but sleepier than he had ever been.

“Won’t you finish the job?” he asked lazily.

“What job?” Reyn asked turning to him. “Ah, sure,” he said after seeing the younger male motioning at his soft self nestling between his legs with the condom still on. “Forgive me, your highness.”

“You’re forgiven,” Goten muttered, turning to his side as soon as the condom was taken care of. “Now go free, my slave.”

Reyn rolled his eyes with a huff and smacked Goten on his bare ass, making him yelp. Then he went to the door and threw the condom into the bin there.

ooOoOoOoo

“Can we borrow the cat?”

“Sure.”

“No.”

Reyn and Goten looked at each other. 

“But that way you won’t need to feed it,” Reyn told Goten.

“That way I’ll never find it again,” the other third-class protested. “And it’s not ours. And we are leaving the ship tomorrow.”

Reyn turned back to the second-class who had asked them to lend him the cat. “Well, you heard the man,” he said with a shrug. “No can do.”

“You can pick up a ton of them on Earth,” Darren told them. “Umm…maybe not,” he added with a thought that other cats probably wouldn’t be as sophisticated as Mr. Elite and would start shitting all around the ship. The Saiyans would just start blasting them after the stench became unbearable.

From the table he was still sitting at with his newly found Saiyan buddies, Darren watched his roommates chopping cabbages. 

“Why are you two on kitchen duty?” he wondered.

Almanda snickered. “Yeah, tell him, Goten.”

“It’s not even my fault! It was Reyn’s bright idea!”

Almanda rolled her eyes and sipped from her mug again. “Yeah, yeah, yeah… It’s always the same with you.” She was quite buzzed already; the uncanny taste of the drink had stopped bothering her about half an hour ago. “You damn flirt!” she spat.

“I’m not a flirt!” Goten protested. “I never…”

“You are,” Reyn said firmly.

“I am not!”

“You are,” Almanda confirmed again.

Goten glared at them. “I don’t flirt!” he declared. Then his shoulders slumped under the weight of the obvious lie. “Well, sometimes,” he admitted.

“Reyn, you’re in trouble,” Almanda said. “This guy goes along with everything and everyone.”

“I know.” Reyn grunted. “Well, as long as they don’t fuck.”

“Don’t talk like I’m not here!”

“Yeah, keep him on a short leash.”

“Almanda, goddamit, you’re drunk,” Gotten groaned. “Go to your cabin and leave me alone.”

“Ohh…” Darren drawled in realization. He pointed his index fingers at the third-classes. “So you two are…?”

“Yeah, they are,” Almanda confirmed. “And if you watch closely, you can see Reyn treading carefully… And Goten’s lip is swollen.”

The flight officer’s eyebrows rose at her. “What? Jealous?”

“Argghh!” Goten yelled, throwing a cabbage at Reyn’s head. “Not you too, goddamit!” He gasped as Reyn ducked. “Oh, shi-” The cabbage flew right above the flight officer’s head and into the huge pot with stew. The fountain of cut carrots, chunks of meat and potatoes rose from the pot, splattering everything around it.

“Umm…” Goten mumbled apologetically watching the cooks wiping their wet faces. At least it hadn’t been boiling yet. “Sorry. I really am.”

“Go fuck yourself! This is not a playground!”

“Clean the freaking mess now!”

“Yeah, sure,” Goten said, looking around for a rag. “Sorry.”

“Goten?”

“Yeeeesss?” Goten drawled uncertainly since the other third-class was glaring murder at him.

“I’ve got potatoes stuck to my back. And my shirt is wet.”

“Ah. Well, you shouldn’t have ducked,” Goten pointed out.

“I’ll fucking throw you into the pot.”

Goten grinned. “I’d like to see you try.”

“That’s flirting,” Darren notified them at once. “That’s totally flirting, Goten.”

“Was not. I was just challenging him.”

“That’s called flirting.” 

Pouting, Goten wiped the floor and the cooktops, then washed the rag. He and Reyn finished chopping cabbages and joined the company at the table. Goten kept giving meaningful looks to the cooks but his mug stayed empty. It seemed that only the Human and the elite female deserved to have a drink.

“So you two are leaving the ship tomorrow?” Darren asked conversationally. He took pity on Goten and poured some liquor from his mug into the Saiyan’s.

“Yeah,” Goten said, brightening up. “Thanks!” He took a gulp from his mug and his face froze suddenly. “What the hell is this?” he grunted, moving away the mug from his mouth. He turned to look at Almanda, who had a blissful expression on her face. How could she drink that? He looked at Darren, who was laughing at his reaction. “Here, have it back,” Goten said, pouring the liquid back into the Human’s mug.

Soon the crew and passengers began gathering for dinner and the canteen started humming with conversation. While they were eating, someone remembered that the third-classes were leaving the ship tomorrow. Goten received a few friendly pats on his back and salutations with tea and coffee filled mugs. A few good words were said about him and Reyn, and there were also a few glares sent their way – everything as it should be. Also, something, looking like coffee but smelling like vodka, found its way into Goten’s mug.

After dinner, Reyn and Goten went to do the washing-up. When they were done and returned to the table with Almanda and Darren, the cooks joined them and all of them spent a couple of hours talking and telling jokes. 

It was about ten o’clock when Goten and Reyn returned to their cabin. They packed their things for tomorrow. There was barely any packing to do for Goten, whose belongings consisted only of the cookbook, a few socks, and his old officer school uniform. 

Later that night, when most people were already sleeping, Goten also moved Mr. Elite into Almanda’s room. The two second-class females who stayed in the same cabin as Almanda had already been informed by the elite and weren’t at all surprised by their new roommate. They watched the cat looking around, sniffing curiously at the chairs and the floor. Finally, seemingly pretty content, Mr. Elite settled under one of the second-class women’s beds. There were three days left till the ship reached Earth but, as far as Goten knew, a long period of quarantine was awaiting the cat.

“I can’t promise he won’t start making noise,” Goten warned.

“That’s not a problem,” Almanda said, motioning in the general direction of the walls around them. “Plenty of space there.”

“But really, you did promise he’d reach Monteira safely,” Goten said, just checking.

Almanda rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve got his name and the ship.” She was still quite tipsy and was staring at Goten from her bed. After a few seconds, she flopped sideways on the mattress, making it bounce. “Okay, done here.” She raised her arm and waved it in the air in an unclear gesture. “Fuck off now.”

ooOoOoOoo

Reyn and Goten had an early breakfast while everyone else was still asleep and went to the hangar to board the shuttle. A loud hum filled their ears as soon as the door to the hangar slid open. They were surprised to see Draman and the captain already waiting for them. When the third-classes approached the shuttle, the door at the back of the hangar opened and a few more people appeared. There were no hearty speeches or hugs, just a few respectful nods to see Reyn and Goten off. Goten took note that Almanda wasn’t there, but she was obviously still hung-over.

Once inside the shuttle, Goten belted his suitcase to one of the free chairs, then settled into another one. There were two more people besides him and Reyn in the shuttle: a flight officer and a navigator. Goten turned back to the front screen and felt the urge to wave. He doubted he’d ever see these people again. He watched them walk back to the door. Soon partitions slid out from under the ground and separated the shuttle from the rest of the hangar. The air was pumped out quickly and Goten gripped the armrests when the shuttle moved towards the end of the runway. The trapdoor opened and the shuttle took off.

They were going to reach Bruminan Station in two hours. The flight officer piloting the ship was curious and tried asking Goten and Reyn a few times about the purpose of their visit. Reyn quickly generated a story about them being sent to replace a few deceased soldiers. 

When Bruminan became visible on the screens, all the anxiousness that had disappeared during Goten’s hearty talk with Reyn returned with a rush. There was hardly any chance that this mission of theirs would end well. He was also worried about Reyn, who had taken a gamble almost blindly. He felt guilty for dragging Reyn into this.

When they approached the station, they had to wait for the center to direct them into one of the free hangars. It took about fifteen minutes for them to dock. Reyn and Goten left the shuttle and headed to the door at the end of the hangar. The corridor that was leading from the hangar soon streamed into an even larger corridor with more people. After that it spat them out into a huge hall, the dome of which hung high above the ground. Goten’s step faltered while he was looking around, amazed. Masses of people were swimming in all directions at once. It was no wonder Bruminan Station had been chosen as the meeting place – almost every ship traveling to Earth stopped here. 

Goten grunted as someone bumped into his back. He turned around to face a glaring Human, who obviously wanted to tell him to hurry up. Seeing that the back he had walked into belonged to a Saiyan, the man changed his mind and hurried off without ever voicing his complaints.

The third-class looked at the signboards above the east exit, then cast a look at the adverts above the west exit. The plan was to find a hotel, leave their luggage there, try and find his father, and finally take a look at the embassy where the meeting was going to take place in two days. 

Reyn fiddled around with his scouter and finally managed to set it up to the frequency the operators of the mobile network used here. He entered the number on one of the hotel ads but the person in charge said that they had no vacancies. Reyn was also told that it was highly unlikely that they’d find anything in other hotels either. The third person he called laughed outright and told him to come in two weeks’ time. 

Quite disgruntled, they turned to the west exit. There was still a possibility of finding a motel in some less respectable part of the station but that was going to take more time.

“Sir! Sir!”

“Mm?” Goten hummed questioningly when Reyn nudged his shoulder and pointed at something behind them.

“Bardock, sir!”

“Eh?” Goten muttered, turning around to see a Saiyan soldier pushing towards them through the throng of people. 

“Sir, we checked the list of passengers on _Zamari_ but there…” the soldier trailed off when he got closer to both third-classes. He stared at Goten. “Who are you?”

“Go-”

“We are in a hurry,” Reyn cut Goten off. “If you have no business with us, we…”

“Are you Bardock’s kid?” the soldier asked, still staring at Goten.

“Umm…” Goten drawled uncertainly. “Yeah?”

The soldier shook his head in wonderment. “The similarity is uncanny.”

Goten felt Reyn’s curious gaze on him and shrugged. This was certainly not the first time he had heard this.

“Do you know where my father is?”

“He should either be in the control room or the cafeteria.”

“I think it will be the cafeteria,” Goten said doing a very quick elimination in his head.

“Want me to tell him that you’re here?”

“That would be awesome.”

Through the throngs of people, Reyn and Goten swam after the soldier. They reached the same corridor they had walked down after leaving the shuttle, passed the hangar, made a few more turns and finally reached an area that was nearly void of people. It was a small windowless hall with three white doors. After telling them to wait, the soldier disappeared behind one of the doors.

TBC


	55. Part 55

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings. 

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com)

Part 55

Bruminan Station or Eden – as it was commonly called by Humans – had been the first choice for colonization back when Humans still believed that they were alone in the universe. They had put tremendous effort into making the small planet habitable. A few decades later, they had made contact with other races, adopted and improved on their technologies, and spread through the universe like wildfire. Bruminan Station had mostly been abandoned and only recently had started to be used as a central hub for ships traveling to and from Earth. The station had a large military force with a private fleet to defend itself from possible pirate attacks. 

The specific design of the station and the large number of Human inhabitants and travelers clearly marked it as Human territory. While following the second-class warrior, Goten had noticed a handful of soldiers from different races, but they were wearing varicolored uniforms which meant that they were just escorts for leaders and diplomats from their respective nations. 

The door opened and Goten averted his eyes from the peculiar ceiling lamp he had been inspecting. The second-class that had led them here motioned for them to enter. It appeared that Goten’s guess about his father lounging in the local cafeteria had been wrong. Unsure, Reyn and Goten looked at each other, then back at the soldier. Goten weighed his suitcase in his hand awkwardly and moved towards the door. He still didn’t quite believe that Kakarott could be behind that door.

The large control room had no windows but it was well-lit by the same oddly designed ceiling lamps. There were about forty people sitting at various terminals around the room. Most of them were Humans but there were a few other races. A handful of second-class Saiyans wearing blue air-craft uniforms were standing in a ring around one of the desks. All of them turned to stare at Goten and Reyn when they entered. Among them was Kakarott. Reyn recognized him instantly and blinked in surprise at how a father and a son could look so similar. He watched Kakarott leave the desk and approach them. 

Unconsciously, Goten’s face stretched into a grin. “Hi,” he said, not certain what to do with the suitcase in his hand. He felt a little lightheaded. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that this could not be happening – he had half-expected that the impending attack on the station was only a figment of his imagination. Yet, his father was really here.

“Hey,” Kakarott answered with the same wide grin. He patted Goten’s head awkwardly, then turned around. “My son,” he said to the soldiers at the desk, affection clear in his voice.

There was a silent pause, then laughter and a few amused sniggers broke out around the room.

“Yeah, that’s kind of obvious,” one of the Humans sitting at a terminal chuckled. “The spitting image.”

Seeing his son struggling with his suitcase, Kakarott turned to the same second-class who had brought Goten here. “See him to my hotel room.” Then Kakarott’s eye caught Reyn at Goten’s side. Slowly, a spark of recognition lit up his face. Goten’s lover.

Confused by the look on the older man’s face, Reyn nodded. “Hello.”

“Hello,” Kakarott said. He turned to Goten and his eyebrows rose at his son questioningly. Then he turned back to the second-class again. “On the other hand, I’ll see these two to the hotel room by myself.”

Goten’s mood dropped a little; he was going to be reprimanded for dragging Reyn here with him. He had already reprimanded himself many times.

It took them about ten minutes of walking through the halls and corridors to reach the hotel room. It was in a different building but the two were connected by an underground passage for travelers’ convenience. It was a fancy mid-sized room with a window facing the street. The isolation was very good, though, so no sound entered the room from the outside. There were two beds on one side of the room, between which there was a bedside cabinet, and a small desk sat against the opposite wall. Heavy yellow curtains fell on each side of the window, matching the cream-colored walls. There was also a wardrobe and Goten jogged over to it to store his luggage inside.

Reyn was looking through the window and, using the opportunity, Kakarott leaned toward his son. “What is he doing here?” he whispered.

“Um, I sort of told him everything,” Goten said sheepishly, his fingers plucking at the buttons on his uniform. The confusion was so apparent on his father’s face that he felt even guiltier. 

“Why?”

“Err… Well, I thought he could help us,” Goten explained. He cast a glance at Reyn’s back. “He’s just like us.”

Kakarott stared at Goten, then turned his head to look at Reyn standing by the window. “Like us?” he asked with a frown on his face.

Goten nodded eagerly. “Yeah.” His father, though, didn’t appear to be overjoyed with the news.

“Riiiight,” Kakarott drawled with a sigh and turned back to his son.

“Um, yeah, so don’t power up anywhere near him,” Goten warned.

Kakarott frowned again, then rolled his eyes. “Oh, right, I forgot that bit.”

“More importantly,” Goten started in a louder voice, attempting to steer the conversation away, “what’s going on here? Those second-classes in the control room… Don’t they know you’re a third-class? How did you even get here? And how…?”

“They think I’m a National Security agent,” Kakarott interrupted the downpour of questions.

Goten was taken aback. “How so?”

“Well, I’ve got a card proving it,” Kakarott said, pulling an NS card out of his jacket pocket. “So have you,” he added, fishing in his other pocket. He retrieved another plastic card and held it out for his son. “I didn’t think he’d come, though,” he said motioning at Reyn with his head. The flight officer shrugged at him.

Uncertain, Goten took the card. “Is it real?” he wondered, turning it this way and that. It looked the same as the cards he had seen some people wearing at the National Air Force Head Quarters.

“Not exactly,” Kakarott said. He hummed and cleared his throat when his son frowned at him, not understanding. “Well, it is real, but we aren’t National Security agents, right?”

“So it’s real,” Reyn stated.

“Yeah,” Goten agreed, amazed. He brushed over the smooth plastic with his fingers, then scratched at it with his fingernails. “How did you get them?”

“Just asked someone to return a favor.”

Goten opened his mouth to ask more questions since he was curious, but the sudden frown on his father’s face was an indication that it would get him nowhere. He fastened his card to the front of his shirt. There were many National Security agents around due to the conference and someone might become suspicious. The card, however, was the best way to be in the centre of events. Reyn would have to stick near either him or his father if he wanted to get someplace with tighter security. 

“What?” Goten asked when he noticed Reyn giving them a funny look.

The flight officer pointed his index finger at him, then his father. “It’s so obvious that you two are related. Won’t it appear strange?”

Kakarott raised his eyebrows at Reyn. “And what’s wrong with a son trying to follow in his father’s footsteps?” he asked with a pat on Goten’s shoulder.

Reyn gave some thought to this cover story, then shrugged. It didn’t sound very convincing, but it would probably work. “So what now? Did you get any leads on that Imperial Destroyer?” he asked Kakarott.

Kakarott gave his son one more meaningful look, then shook his head. “Nothing yet. We’ve been checking all incoming Imperial Star Destroyers but none of them appear suspicious yet. The last ones are coming tomorrow evening.”

“When exactly does the conference start?” Reyn asked.

“The day after tomorrow, ten in the morning, standard time.”

“We don’t really have much time, do we?” Goten muttered. “Have you found out anything at all?”

Kakarott shook his head. “I looked around but… If they are going to blow it up from space, they won’t even set foot on the station. I checked the conference hall, talked to a few acquaintances here. Nothing.”

“How many Imperial Destroyers are supposed to arrive altogether?” Reyn asked.

“Eight of them,” Kakarott answered. “But, the thing is, I’m not certain it will be an Imperial Destroyer. It’s just the most plausible scenario.”

“Did you get the codes to the station defense system?” Goten asked.

Kakarott nodded. “Yes. In the worst case scenario, if we still haven’t found that ship by the time the conference starts, we’ll just have to take over the control room and take down all the ships.”

There was a pause. “They’ll hunt us down,” Goten muttered, finally.

Kakarott stared at him for a few seconds, surprise clear on his face, then rolled his eyes. “With what? All ships will be down and their defense system out of order. I am a passable pilot too. Well, as long as we don’t need to maneuver a lot. Landing is also tricky but…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Goten interrupted him, “Reyn’s a flight officer, so no problem there.”

“Well, as long as it’s not a ZIR or an MIAB,” Reyn added. “I can pretty much pilot everything else.”

Kakarott’s face brightened. “That’s good to know. I’ve set my eyes on an MIRG 891 docked on launch pad 3. It’s closest to the control room.”

“Yeah, no problem with that one,” Reyn reassured them.

“So we blow the ships up, shut down the security system and run to the launch pad,” Goten summed up. “Can you show it to us?”

“Sure.”

They left the hotel room and returned to the hangar with the launch pads. After showing them around, Kakarott left them at the cafeteria to have their lunch and returned to the control room. There was nothing new there. Security cameras showed nothing unusual and the only two passenger ships that had arrived were no threat since their weaponry could not do much damage to the station. Without much interest, Kakarott leafed through the printed out documents containing information on the two ships, then lowered them back onto the desk. He turned to the terminal on his desk and brought up the information on screen. It was the fifth time he was reading the data. He was halfway through the second ship's data when one of the second-class officers informed him that he had a visitor. Kakarott’s first thought was that Reyn had gotten lost but the look on the second-class’s face was quite disturbed.

When he opened the door, he was met by a burly Saiyan female. She was an elite and was holding a cat in front of her by the scruff of its neck. They stared at each other in confusion.

“You’re not the Bardock I wanted,” she declared suddenly. “Where’s Goten?”

“Goten?” Kakarott drawled, even more confused. “What do you want with him?” Then he noticed a Human behind the elite. It was a petite female, and she was trying to take the cat away from the elite. It wasn't working as the elite just raised the cat higher so that it was above the Human’s head. Kakarott suddenly had the feeling that he knew whose fault this chaos was.

“Ma’am, with all due respect, the cat needs to be quarantined. Please, do you hear what I’m saying?”

“The cat is fine,” the elite said dismissively to the Human. “Get lost.”

“It can infect other animals or can get infected itself,” the Human female protested. She gave a helpless look to Kakarott but it was obvious that she didn’t expect much from a second-class. Elites were pretty much left to do what they wanted.

“Why don’t you just put it in a box somewhere ?” Kakarott suggested.

The elite snorted. “It _was_ in a box. It shat in it.”

“Ah.” Kakarott turned to the Human female. “Could you get us a new box, please?” The female nodded and disappeared quickly. Kakarott turned back to the elite. He pointed at the cat. “Is it Goten’s?”

“Yeah. He asked me to take care of it, but I changed my mind. I don't want those two lovebirds to take all the glory.”

Kakarott stared at her for a few seconds, then slapped himself on his forehead. He couldn’t believe this. Just how many people knew about the upcoming attempt on the Crown Prince? And what was with this elite female?

The guard at the door to the control room had the most interesting facial expression on him and Kakarott knew rumors were going to start. An elite female with a stinky cat looking for his son…

The Human female returned with a special box for cats and, finally, the unlucky creature was given a rest. The female still insisted on quarantining the cat but the elite didn’t even pretend to be listening. The situation improved a little when Kakarott suggested leaving the cat in his hotel room.

“Oh, right, I need a place to stay,” the elite said as if she had just realized that now. She turned to the Human female. “You. Find me a room,” she ordered.

The other woman sputtered in indignation, turned away from the elite, and marched off without saying a word.

“That takes care of her,” the elite said with a chuckle. “I should have done that from the start.”

“I’ll talk to the manager of the hotel we are staying at,” Kakarott said. He knew hotels always left a spare room or two for emergency situations, so maybe they would get one. He doubted it though.

“Awesome,” the elite said.

The cat let out a long discontent meow and the elite shook the box to make it quiet. The cat, however, took this as a personal insult and a string of spitting and hissing followed. Kakarott motioned further down the corridor. He wished to get away from the guard’s overly curious eyes as quickly as possible.

“Let’s go to my hotel room and leave it there.” 

On their way, Kakarott shared his information, or the lack of it, with the elite. She asked a lot of questions and was making him quite uncomfortable. When they were in the room, Kakarott finally asked her name. 

“Almanda,” the elite said.

A little surprised, Kakarott waited for her surname but it never came, the elite mostly ignoring him.

“Almanda Grendal?” he asked to make sure.

Almanda gave Kakarott an evaluating look. While Goten was a social idiot, his father seemed to be a much more knowledgeable man in that sense. She nodded.

Kakarott grunted. Now it was clear that she didn’t come here chasing Goten. He watched her lower the box with the angry cat by the window. It was probably hungry. She probably was as well.

“Let’s go to the cafeteria,” Kakarott said, motioning at the door. A thought that he was wasting precious time passed through his head but they didn’t have any leads at all and looking through the same data for the sixth time was probably not going to change anything. Almanda had connections, though.

The cafeteria was almost empty: there were only two people other than Goten and Reyn. They were done eating and were already leaving their table. Goten nearly dropped his tray at the sight of Almanda. Reyn didn’t appear so surprised – he rolled his eyes as if he had expected this to happen. Both men lowered their trays back to the table and waited for Kakarott and the elite to approach.

“What are you doing here?” Goten hissed when the two sat down at their table. “Didn’t I tell you not to come?”

“Yeah, and so what?” Almanda sniggered. “I’m my own keeper.” She reached out across the table and patted Gotten on his head. “Now, now, don’t be so angry. It’s bad for your health.”

“Ah, godsdamnit!” Goten grunted, smacking at her hand. “Exploding with this station is not going to be of any benefit to your health either!”

“Goten,” Kakarott said warningly, his eyes motioning toward the two people sitting at a nearby table. They were watching their small circle with unconcealed interest. If they had been Saiyans, they would have already demanded Goten’s head for treating an elite female like that.

“So where’s the damn cat?” Goten demanded.

“It’s in our room,” Kakarott said. “I’ll go get some food for it.” Goten was still busy cursing and glaring daggers at the elite. Kakarott turned to Reyn.

“Any meat or fish is fine,” the flight officer told him.

When Kakarott moved to the counter, Reyn also left his chair. He carried his tray to a table in front of the window and sat down. He thought about returning to the table, then decided that he had no wish to hear Goten and Almanda arguing. There was no point in that anyway – she was here and nothing was going to change that. Instead, he went to see what Kakarott was buying.

Kakarott was torn between buying a steak and a lamb chop. 

“Get them both,” Reyn told him. “Later we might not have enough time for this. They are cooked so they should be alright for a few days.”

Kakarott nodded and bought three times as many as he had intended to in the first place. He saw the other third-class give him an amused look when he took the package of meat. Goten and Almanda were still hissing at each other at the table, and, with a tortured sigh, Kakarott leaned against the counter. He could see that Reyn was also ignoring them.

“What’s with those two?” he asked.

Reyn shrugged. “They know each other from officer school. She seems totally fascinated with him.”

Kakarott turned to him. “You don’t mind?”

The flight officer shrugged again. “What’s there to mind?”

Kakarott scratched the back of his head. “Perhaps…” he hummed but never finished the thought. That wasn’t his business.

“So…” the flight officer drawled after an awkward pause, “you have the same type of dreams that Goten does, don’t you?”

Kakarott cleared his throat and his eyes narrowed. Across the canteen, they set on his son’s forehead as if wishing to burn a hole there. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Yeah? Okay.”

Silence settled in again. Kakarott scratched the back of his head sheepishly. It seemed like a simple attempt at conversation. There was probably no harm in telling Reyn what he had already presumed.

“You know,” Reyn started innocently, “he had a dream about himself being poisoned by these royal asses we are trying to save.” Now he had Kakarott’s absolute attention; the older man stared at him in disbelief.

“They what?”

Reyn nodded. “Yeah, so I thought you may know more.” He waited for Kakarott to say something but the older man just shook his head. He was still thinking. The look in his eyes was dark, dangerous, and Reyn thought that now he looked just like Goten when he was angry.

“Which one exactly?” Kakarott asked.

“He doesn’t know. Or maybe just doesn’t remember.”

Kakarott cursed softly. He knew the youngster worked as a shaii at Goten’s officer school. But that had only been a coincidence. He cursed again. “Well, thanks for telling me – I’ll look into it.”

Reyn wanted to ask him how exactly he was going to do that, but then thought that maybe the answer was his “secret buddy” who got him and Goten NS identification cards.

The argument at the table seemed to have tapered off and the loud thump of Goten’s forehead hitting the table announced its end. The last of the resistance left Goten with a loud helpless grunt. Reyn and Kakarott approached him and the elite.

“Done here?” Reyn asked, indicating the tray on the table. Goten’s head turned to look up at him from the table. Reyn rolled his eyes at the miserable look the other third-class gave him.

“I’m done but she is not; she hasn’t even had breakfast yet,” Goten informed them.

With a sigh, Reyn sat down. They waited for the elite to get her food and return with a full tray. At the sight of it, Kakarott suddenly got hungry and bought himself some food as well. He had eaten only an hour ago, but Reyn’s disturbing idea about possible lack of meals in the near future was impossible to overlook.

“So how did you get here?” Reyn asked.

“I hid in the shutt-”

“She deserted,” Goten spat out bitterly, cutting her off.

“Oh, shut up,” Almanda waved off. “I didn’t desert. I just made a detour.”

Goten grinned at her mirthlessly. “You can tell that to the military tribunal.”

“Shut up, Goten,” Reyn told him. He turned to the elite. “When will they figure out that you’re not on the ship?”

Almanda shrugged. “The girls will cover for me, so it should take them at least a day. Two maybe? And if I’m extremely lucky, then they won’t notice until the ship reaches Earth.”

“Not too bad, then,” Kakarott said. “We’ve got enough time.”

“And what about later?” Goten snorted. “How do you…”

“Goten, sweetheart,” Almanda hissed at him,” if you open your mouth one more time, I’ll fucking punch your head off.”

Goten glared back at her, his lips moving to form a word, then closing again. “Fuck you,” he said finally. He got to his feet and started marching to the exit. With a roll of his eyes, Reyn took Goten’s tray of empty dishes, then reached for the cat food in Kakarott’s hand.

“I’ll go after him. He’ll either get lost or attract unwanted attention.”

“Both,” Almanda said, munching on her steak.

Still chuckling, Reyn caught up with Goten on his way back to the hotel room. The younger third-class was still obviously fuming, so he just walked next to him silently. A few minutes later, Goten turned around and started walking back. Reyn thought that he intended to return to the cafeteria, but then Goten turned in the direction of the shopping center.

“Do you need anything?” Reyn asked.

“I don’t,” Goten spat, “but that idiot needs a mattress. I don’t think there will be a free room and even if there were, leaving her alone is… Arrghh! That stupid bitch!”

“Hmm… Actually, I think it is safer to let her stay separately from us. That way she’d probably arouse less suspicion than hanging around a bunch of supposed second-classes.”

Goten threw his arms up in defeat. “She’ll hang around us one way or another.”

Reyn sighed. “True.”

Goten didn’t have much cash, but using their credit cards was out of the question. Of course, he and Reyn could be traced by checking the transfer orders but their credit cards would give away their exact location in an instant. 

They ended up spending most of their cash on an air mattress, a few covers, socks, underwear and some civilian clothes. The rest of it was put aside for food. They decided to withdraw the money on their cards on the day of the assassination attempt. After the attempt, they would not be able to use their cards one way or the other.

When they returned to the hotel room, there was no one there except discontent Mr. Elite. Goten thought about releasing the cat but realized that it would be nearly impossible to find it again if it escaped the room.

“The box stinks,” Goten said. He opened the small door a little to drop the steak inside.

“It’s the stress,” Reyn said. “Just bring it to the bathroom; he can stink all he wants in there.” Grinning, he watched Goten feeding it.

“What?” the younger male wondered.

Reyn shook his head. “Nah, nothing. Just feels somehow hilariously stupid – us fucking around with a cat when we might die in two days.”

“Stupidly hilarious, you mean?”

“Yeah, probably.”

Goten did as told, then stuffed the new clothes into his suitcase and contacted his father. It appeared that he and Almanda were doing another sweep of the hall where the meeting was going to take place. Goten could only imagine what they looked like snooping around, pretending to be NS agents.

The search gave no results and all of them met back in the control room. It was already getting late, but all three of them checked the current data on all Imperial Destroyers stationed near Bruminan. Kakarott had hoped that a fresh look at the records might yield a clue or two but nothing of the sort happened. They returned to the hotel room trying not to lose their spirit.

“Well,” Goten said flopping down onto the bed near the window, “we’ve still got two days.”

“One day and a bit,” Almanda corrected him. She was inspecting the mattress the men bought her. She knocked on the small air pump and looked around for an electric outlet.

“I think its battery has still got enough charge,” Kakarott told her. He motioned at his bed. “If you want, we can switch, though.”

“Don’t you fucking patronize me,” the elite told him, showing him two fingers at once.

Reyn chuckled and sat down on the bed next to Goten. He watched Almanda attach the pump to the mattress and soon a soft buzz filled the room. He felt Goten shift and flop onto his back, and the next second there was a horrible crash as their mattress slammed against the floor.

“Ugh,” Goten said, sitting up. Two wooden planks separated from the end of the bed and fell off, making him cringe. “They will make us pay for it, won’t they?”

“What are you worried about?” Reyn muttered. “We might not even survive to pay for it. And if we do, we’ll be too busy doing a runner to pay. I’m more worried about how we’ll sleep.” He moved about on the mattress but it didn’t seem to be uncomfortable, just closer to the ground. “Well, not too bad.”

“That was obviously not meant for two Saiyans,” Kakarott said. “The weight difference is quite big after all.”

“If my mattress explodes,” Almanda said pointing at Goten, “I’ll freaking gut you!”

“Be grateful I got you one at all,” Goten pointed out. “You don’t do anything else but complain.”

“No, it’s you who complains all the time,” the elite said. “I didn’t even ask you to buy a mattress.”

“Oh, gods,” Reyn groaned, burying his face into a pillow. “Here they go again.” He had a feeling that by the time the conference started, he would be begging to be killed.

ooOoOoOoo

Kakarott woke up first. Soft snoring was heard from the other bed and he looked over. Both Goten and Reyn had somehow managed to sprawl all over the small single bed. Reyn was on his back, his right arm thrown over Goten’s waist. Goten was on his stomach, one of his legs thrown over Reyn, the other hanging over the edge of the bed, suspended in the air. The cover was pooling on the ground, the end of it wrapped around Goten’s foot.

Kakarott looked at the mattress on the floor. Almanda was on her side, facing the wall, wrapped into her blanket as if it were a cocoon. Kakarott laid his head back onto the pillow. Younglings. Goten was an idiot for dragging them here. There were times when one could not change anything even if the future was known. He had never told Goten how his grandfather had died. There had been no need until now. Gohan’s death was another matter no one had been able to change. He had so many things to tell Goten. If only they had more time.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten opened his eyes and sat up straight in his bed. He was alone on a bunk. Wracking his head about what was going on, he pushed the covers aside. He was only in his underwear but his clothes were on the floor and he bent down to gather them quickly. Looking around what seemed to be a windowless cabin, he dressed. The cabin was not what he was used to and it made him wonder where exactly he was. The pass button worked perfectly and the door hissed open to reveal a corridor lined with doors. Now he knew why everything looked so different – he was in Leiador territory. The green longhaired creatures were walking around without paying him any attention. Lost, Goten looked both ways down the corridor.

After about five minutes of aimless wandering, he figured out that he was on a spaceship. The writing on the walls and doors were in a language he didn’t understand, but this was definitely a spaceship. The Leiadors were also speaking their own language amongst themselves. The people seemed elated, though he couldn’t understand what the reason was.

He knew perfectly well that he should be doing something here, but all attempts to converse or reach some kind of destination ended in failure. That was until he saw Gohan at the end of one of corridors. Goten quickened his step, but the imposter turned around and started walking away. Goten stopped in disbelief.

“Hey!”

There was no reaction to his protest and Goten broke into a run to catch up with the quickly receding back. He tried calling Gohan’s imposter a few more times but he never turned around or lessened his pace. Goten chased him through a few corridors, then, after a sudden turn, lost him altogether. Panting, he looked around. He cursed at the sight of the cabin he had woken up in; the imposter was making fun of him. 

“So what are you going to do now?”

Goten turned sharply and saw the imposter leaning against the opposite wall. His face was still missing, but instead of being see-through, it was somehow shapeless now. He could still recognize the main facial features but the entire face was blurry, as if someone had painted it on. He was still wearing Gohan’s officer school uniform.

“First, I’m going to punch you for making me run needlessly.”

The imposter rolled his eyes. “We both know that you aren’t going to do that.”

“I just might. Just to spite you.” Looking around, Goten threw his arms apart. “What am I supposed to do here?”

“Why are you asking me things you already know?” the imposter asked without much interest. He motioned back at the corridor Goten had just run from. “Go on and listen. And listen well, so that you hear.”

“Why do you look like my brother?”

The imposter raised an eyebrow. “You have a very short memory.”

Goten’s brow furrowed. He didn’t remember asking that, but then, he hardly remembered anything from these dreams.

“Don’t waste time, go on,” the imposter said, motioning at the corridor again. His face was becoming more and more blurred. A part of his hand disappeared then reappeared again.

Goten snorted. “And you’re telling me this after making me chase you all over the ship?”

The imposter’s laughter echoed through the metallic corridors. He winked at Goten with his blurry eye. “But I’m allowed to have fun,” he said. “Go on, or you’ll meet your brother faster than you or he would like.”

Goten opened his mouth to ask what he meant by that, but the imposter was so blurry now that it made it impossible to look at him. Blinking his eyes, the third-class turned away. When he looked back, the imposter was gone. Goten didn’t expect him to answer but still called him a few times. Finally, he gave up and looked around the corridor again. Looking through the cabin once more made him notice a magazine on the bedside cabinet. He walked over to pick it up. It was an old magazine for spaceships lovers. A wide, green snout was brightly grinning from its cover. Goten leafed through the grand photos of spaceships and shuttles quickly but nothing special caught his eye – it seemed similar to what he had seen in hundreds of other magazines he had read. And yet there was something strange about the magazine. Goten didn’t have time to study it in more detail, thus he rolled it into a tube and stuck in into the pocket of his pants. He hurried down the corridor the imposter had insisted he check out.

After a few blind turns, Goten suddenly found himself at a locked door. He could not read the writing on it, but he knew that it had to be the door to the captain’s bridge. This was probably where Gohan’s imposer had sent him. Unsure, Goten looked back at the lengthy corridor. He had to get in somehow. Pressing random buttons on the key lock only earned him blinking red lights and a lot of beeping. 

Goten knocked on the door politely. He had not expected it to work but was still disappointed when no one opened the door. Finally, he powered up and kicked the door down. Surprised, he stared at the Leiadors who were frozen, their eyes wide. All of them were gaping at the door that had just slammed itself into one of the terminals, smashing it to smithereens.

The captain, or whoever was sitting in the captain’s chair, suddenly started shouting orders and even if Goten couldn’t understand anything, the violent urgency in the man’s voice made him nervous. The other three people in the cabin shook themselves out of their stupor and turned to their terminals. Goten moved forward to see what they were doing. The largest screen in the front of the room was focused on a planet that Goten quickly recognized as Bruminan Station. 

The captain barked out a few more orders, startling Goten. The third-class looked over at him, growing confused as the ship lightly vibrated under his feet. His disbelieving gaze was suddenly drawn to a flicker on the main screen. In a few seconds the station lit up. In a few more it turned into a flaming ball.

Goten turned to the captain, who was watching the flaming screen with a neutral expression on his face, his eyes hard. Reaching out, Goten whacked him over the head with the magazine. Then he hit him again and again and again until the overwhelming wave of the explosion from the planet reached and swallowed the ship in one gulp.

ooOoOoOoo

Reyn’s eyes flew open at a loud thump somewhere nearby. Someone cursed. Alarmed, the flight officer looked around the room quickly. It took him a few moments to realize where he was. Then his eyes were drawn toward movement by the bed. Goten was on the floor, clambering to his feet.

“Did I kick you out?”

Goten shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.” He touched his nose to check if he had broken it. Lowering his hand, he looked around the hotel room to discover that his father and Almanda were missing. They must have already gone to the control room.

“What time is it?” Goten wondered, his gaze going to the window. The curtains were still drawn but he could see light seeping through them. “I think we overslept spectacularly.” He heard Reyn curse softly and the older man rolled out of bed.

Goten took a bundle of clothes off the chair and tossed half of it for Reyn to catch. Dressing, Goten turned back to the bed and his fingers froze on the buttons. Something glossy was protruding from under the cover. Disbelieving, Goten leaned down and brushed the cover aside. It was the same magazine he remembered taking from the spaceship he had just been to. He picked it up and leafed through a few pages filled with spaceships and descriptions. He closed it and stared at the cover, not certain what it was about. Maybe he had been reading it before he had gone to sleep and that’s why it appeared in his dream. He knew that was not the way it had happened, though.

“Do you really have the time to be reading?” Reyn eyed the magazine disapprovingly from afar.

Goten raised his eyes off the magazine to look at him. “It is important,” he said, waving the magazine in the air. “I just don’t know why yet.” Afraid to let the magazine go lest it somehow disappear, Goten ransacked the nearby bedside cabinet for his scouter. 

The urgency in his son’s voice convinced Kakarott to come to the hotel room immediately. Goten also told him to make sure that Almanda didn’t follow him. Thus, with a horribly screwed face and a hasty lie about a bathroom break, Kakarott rushed out of the control room. He found Reyn and Goten sitting at the desk. Kakarott tensed when he saw the magazine in Goten’s hand. 

“You’re not supposed to take things from there,” he said softly. 

Goten looked at him in surprise. Curious, he lowered his eyes to inspect the magazine again. It didn’t look any different than a common magazine. He wondered how his father could tell. He hoped they’d have more time soon and he would be able to ask all these question he had accumulated.

“I think I know what the captain who is going to order the destruction of the station looks like,” Goten said. “I saw him clearly.”

Both Kakarott and Reyn stared at him. Reyn motioned at him with his head. “Go on.”

“I don’t really remember his face,” Goten said a little awkwardly, “but I’m certain I’ll remember as soon as I see his photo. We can check the captains of each and every ship, right?”

Kakarott scratched his head. “Yeah, we can check them easily. You should probably start right away since there isn’t much time left.” He was already walking back to the door, then turned around to give the magazine a curious look. “What did you take it for?”

Goten shook his head. “I don’t know. I just took it. Is it bad?”

Kakarott shrugged. “Well, it may cause trouble if someone misses it. It may also affect the ties between these two realities. Let’s just hope that no one will notice that it’s gone.”

“If they do, then it won’t be for long,” Goten muttered. “That ship is going to get swallowed by the explosion as well.”

“Oh?” Kakarott wondered. He saw Goten and Reyn stop on their way. They must have also realized the same thing. He had mainly been after an Imperial Destroyer because it packed a lot of power and could deliver a blast from far away while staying unscathed itself. He had more or less ruled out the possibility of a suicide attack since it wasn’t common in Saiyan culture.

“So it’s probably not an Imperial Destroyer after all,” Reyn muttered. “Then it’s a shitload of ships we will have to check.”

Two other men agreed with soft grunts. They went to the control room and Kakarott pulled out the personal files of the captains and, just in case, backup captains. First, they started with the Imperial Destroyers. It took Goten only about ten minutes to reject them all. Then they started to work their way through other ships, taking a particular type at a time.

After an hour, Reyn left Goten in the control room and went to have breakfast. Once done, he bought Goten some food as well and returned. There was still no news and, lowering the packet near the keyboard, he settled in a chair near Goten’s. The younger male was chewing on his lips while his eyes were following the changing photos on the screen. He was ignoring the bag of food and Reyn took it off the desk to unwrap. To Almanda’s amusement, he had come close to just sticking a bun up to Goten’s mouth when the younger male snatched it from his hand and started chewing on it absently.

“Nothing, absolutely nothing,” Goten groaned after having checked all the captains twice. “I was certain I would be able to remember the face.”

Kakarott looked at the clock on the terminal’s screen. It was nearly four in the afternoon. They had just wasted more than half of a precious day. He cursed, drawing people’s attention in the room. 

“Ah, fucking shit!” Goten agreed with him, angrily brushing a few empty packets of food off the desk. He accidentally caught the corner of a pile of documents with the magazine on top and all of them burst into the air. He cursed again and got up to gather the papers. His hand froze above the open magazine. He brushed a few documents off it to see the whole photograph of a modern spaceship and the photos of three men underneath it.

“It’s him,” Goten said, pointing at one of the photographs. “That’s the guy!”

Reyn leaned in to see a Leiador’s green face. “Isn’t that the Leiador ambassador to Earth Republic?”

TBC


	56. Part 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings. 
> 
> **A/N: This fanfiction is dedicated to achillona, whom I have known for nearly ten years and, that is, for nearly whole of my fanfiction writing ‘career’. She helped me to flesh out the idea and shared her military knowledge with me. She’s always been very supportive and contacted me to check on how Barracks and I were doing. For as long as I remember, she’s always had issues with her health. Recently, I found out that she’s no longer with us. It’s just a silly fanfiction, but it’s all that I have to offer. I started Barracks with her in mind and I will finish it with her in mind. Thank you, Anzia, for your support, ideas, and love.**   
> **A/N 2: Thank you, everyone, for sticking around with me and my sporadic writing. Thank you for your encouraging and enquiring messages. I’ve got no intention of abandoning Barracks and I will finish it as promised, it’s just that my interest tends to jump amongst the stories that I’m writing. Well, in any case, the next chapter of Barracks is already at my beta’s (it is incredible that despite the ridiculously long breaks, she still continues to beta for me), so it will be posted in a week or two. What I was worried about was a difference in style or that particular feeling typical of Barracks. I wonder how it went.  
>  Happy New Year, everyone, and thank you again ^_^ **

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 56

“Yep, this is definitely their ambassador to the Earth Republic,” Reyn confirmed after inspecting the photograph in the magazine more carefully.

The other two third-classes and Almanda gave him impressed looks. 

“Are you sure?” Goten wondered. “I can hardly tell them apart; all of them look the same to me. If not for the fact that he blew up the station, I’d have never remembered him.”

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Reyn muttered. “You’re a bit of a racist.”

“Not really,” Almanda said. “Not giving a damn about someone’s race can’t be racist. I can’t tell these green lizards apart either.”

“Umm…” Kakarott drawled, staring at the three photographs underneath the spaceship. “Well, the faces are the same but their hair is different. One has purple, another has pink. This one’s hair is also pink but it’s short. And the jewelry is different. What?” he wondered at the look Reyn gave him.

“When does he arrive?” Goten asked.

Kakarott shrugged. “I need to find out which ship he’s on first.”

Goten dropped the documents back onto the floor and sat down next to the magazine. He couldn’t care less what the people in the control room thought. Sitting on the floor, he stared at his lap. The situation was getting more and more complicated. They had found the perpetrator, but whose orders was he following? Goten doubted he was acting alone. Had this been planned from high above? Maybe their prince himself ordered this? Stopping this attempt was going to loosen a huge boulder and make it roll downhill, crushing quite a few heads. If they killed this ambassador, it could be the perfect pretext for the Leiadors to withdraw from the alliance. 

Reyn cast a careful look at the people around them. He squatted down to whisper to Goten. “He’s got diplomatic immunity, you know. We can’t so much as check his ship. I don’t think anyone can. It’s considered a part of the Leiadorian Republic.”

“You’re not helping,” Goten muttered.

“Okay, so we just blast him out of the sky and be done with it,” Kakarott said cheerfully to the two of them.

“Shhhh!” Reyn shushed him.

“Riiight,” Almanda drawled. “Any other bright ideas? Preferably ones that would not cause an intergalactic conflict; we don’t have many allies as it is.”

“If it comes to war, then it comes to war,” Kakarott said softly. “Nothing can be done.” He settled in the chair Goten had been sitting on a couple of minutes ago and opened the search system. He turned to Reyn. “Maybe you know what his name is?”

“Zeya-something,” Reyn told him. 

“Let’s see what it spills,” Kakarott hummed, typing it down.

The flight officer gave Goten a look as if asking if his father was serious. Goten nodded glumly. Kakarott knew the culprit, had the means of stopping him, and that was it. As far as Kakarott was concerned, it was all straightforward.

“Yeah, that looks like the same guy – Zeiran Nunghmihnh,” Kakarott said after a few minutes of research. He shook his head. “Not sure about the pronunciation; sounds a bit like… Well, he’s supposed to arrive today at night,” he informed them with the same cheerful smile plastered on his face. “At approximately ten o’clock. We have about nine hours to get ready.”

“I’m going to make a call,” Almanda said abruptly. She was already fingering the side of her scouter.

Surprised, Goten and Reyn watched her leaving the control room hastily. 

“What’s that about?”

“Let’s hope she won’t ruin it for us,” Kakarott said.

“Ruin?” Reyn repeated.

“You know who she is going to call?” Goten asked him, though it was more of a confirmation than a question.

Kakarott shrugged. “Her father probably. It would be nice if he could get this Zeiran checked and arrested or at least delayed, but I doubt even he can do that. He’d be breaching all possible protocols.”

Goten saw Reyn staring at him from above. Goten shook his head at him. “I’ve got no idea what he’s on about.” He shrugged. “And how can he arrest this guy anyway? We’ve got no proof. I can’t just say I dreamt him. They’ll just think I’m insane.”

“As per usual,” Kakarott confirmed. “Well, most of the time.”

The older man was starting to irritate Reyn. He turned to Kakarott. “Who exactly are we talking about? Who is Almanda’s father?”

Kakarott blinked at them in surprise. “Huh? Veden Grendal, the head of National Security, of course.”

Goten and Reyn met each other’s eyes.

“Ah, gods,” Goten sighed. He pulled his legs up and dropped his forehead to his knees. “Screw this. Nothing surprises me anymore.”

“It surprises me, for sure,” Reyn muttered, turning to stare at the door Almanda had just left through. “Mainly because I never realized. There aren’t many elite females named Almanda and… Actually, I think she’s the only Almanda I know.” He turned back to Kakarott. “I don’t think they’ve been in touch? I heard they don’t really get along.”

“Not exactly,” Kakarott said. “They have their ups and downs, but he speaks very fondly of her. She is just at that stage when kids rebel.”

Goten rolled his eyes. He couldn’t help feeling curious though. This was personal information and he wondered how his father could know.

“Ah.” Kakarott said when he noticed Goten and Reyn staring at him. For a moment, he looked uncomfortable. “Ah,” he repeated, “as I said, I have this friend in National Security and he sometimes shares various rumours with me.”

Goten and Reyn gave each other amused looks. They could both already guess who Kakarott’s “secret” buddy was. 

The door opened but, rather than Almanda, a group of Humans and second-class Saiyan officers walked in. Goten rose off the floor and started diligently gathering documents. The group headed straight for the third-classes’ desk.

“Are you done looking?” the Human whom Goten knew as James Berlington addressed Kakarott. Berlington was head of the security personnel in the center and was also in charge of security during the meeting. He was a very busy man but still found time to check on them, even though Kakarott and he were supposedly the official representatives of the Saiyan side of security.

“We’ll be done when the meeting is over,” Kakarott told him firmly. “Any news on your side?”

The Human’s eyes left the terminal screen with the ambassador’s profile and gave Kakarott a level stare. He shook his head. “Everything’s going smoothly so far.” He lingered, his eyes flitting over the documents on the floor, in Goten’s hands, and on the desk. “What happened here? A tornado?”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Goten said, picking up the last few sheets, feeling the instinctive need to pacify a superior officer no matter the race. “We’ll be done in a second.” He straightened and lowered the documents back on the desk, smoothing the papers down and forming a neat stack. 

“Here,” Reyn said, grinning at the Human. “Just like new. You can count them if you want.”

Goten’s eyes went wide. He felt the urge to kick Reyn in the butt. He knew that Reyn didn’t particularly like Humans, but he had no idea he’d be so stupid as to try and piss one of them off when they needed to lay low. Goten prayed to all gods that Berlington wouldn’t ask Reyn to show his ID or demand his name and do some serious investigation. Until now it had been enough that Reyn had Kakarott’s approval.

“That would only be helpful if I knew how many of them there were in the first place,” James said. 

Reyn tsked regretfully. “Oh well, there’s always room for improvement,” he said in a soothing voice.

After looking around and leaving some instructions with the people at the terminals and his group, Berlington left the control room. The two second-class Saiyans and a Human that Berlington had left behind to watch over Kakarott’s group were giving Reyn disapproving looks.

“That was uncalled for,” one second-class told him. 

The flight officer rolled his eyes. “I just teased him a bit. He’s a really nice guy for a Human.”

Goten grunted and seized the chance. “Were you flirting with him?” he asked, raising his eyebrows theatrically.

First, Reyn gave him a confused look, then grinned. “Not really. Just making sure NS’s reputation as the biggest assholes in Saiyan history stays untarnished. What? You jealous?”

Goten snorted. “Ha! As if. It’s just that you have this strange tendency to purposely annoy people you like.”

“No, no,” Reyn said shaking his head. “Rest assured. That was solely in your case.”

The two second-class Saiyans were grinning, their eyes going from Reyn to Goten and then back. 

“Hey, if you’re unhappy with him, I’m free,” one of them said with a wink at Goten.

“And you’ll stay free,” Goten told him irritably, not missing the look the other second-class was giving Reyn. “Hopefully forever.” Goten turned back to the flight officer. “I told you I’m not jea…”

“Shut up, all of you,” Kakarott told them. “Goten, go and check on what Almanda is doing.” He looked at the two second-class Saiyans. “Give us some room here, I can’t work with you two breathing down my neck.”

The second-classes nodded. “Yes, sir.” They sauntered off to talk to one of the Humans at the terminals.

That had been too easy. With a roll of his eyes, Goten patted the stack of the documents one last time and headed for the door. Reyn and Kakarott met each other’s eyes, then the older man concentrated back on the ambassador’s profile. 

“How many people are there on board?” Reyn asked.

Kakarott shrugged. He changed the window, opening the NS database. “It says it’s an MIRG 396. Nothing about the passengers or the crew.”

“Could be up to a hundred.”

“I really doubt it. Probably around forty, at most,” Kakarott said. He turned back to the ambassador’s profile. With these second-classes and the Human around, they weren’t able to discuss any possibilities. They had absolutely no proof that Zeiran was about to destroy the station. Anything they said would sound like the ravings of madmen.

Goten returned to the control room about ten minutes later. “I gather it didn’t go well,” Reyn said at the sight of the younger man’s face.

“Oh, it went just fine,” Goten said. “I couldn’t find her, then I remembered I have her number. I called her and she told me to piss off and hung up on me.”

Reyn patted him on his shoulder. “Sounds like what an elite would do.”

“She must still be talking with him,” Kakarott said. It was not possible to convince her father that there was something wrong with the ambassador. She didn’t even know why Goten had singled him out. No one had ever told her about the dreams. It was rather strange that she had believed Goten. He could understand why Reyn believed his son. This elite female, though…

“You two, keep looking,” Kakarott told the other two third-classes while leaving his chair. “I’ll go have a word with her.”

“Good luck finding her,” Goten grunted, annoyed. Wondering what his father was up to, he slid into the empty chair. The ambassador’s profile was open to a section about his seven spouses and his twice as many children. Goten had to ask himself whether the man had been driven crazy by the bunch of them or someone had kidnapped all of them to make him destroy the station and at the same time kill himself in such a manner.

Kakarott and Almanda were taking a while to return and the two younger third-classes used the time to get to know their enemy. It didn’t matter how this attempt would end, any outcome would probably mean war with the Leiadorian Republic. It was very likely that this had been arranged by the Leiadorian officials, namely, their current prince, Zarbon Nandith. They were losing a war with Ice-jins and the prince had probably decided he had made a mistake and switched sides along the way.

Zarbon Nandith was the eighth prince in the Nandiths’ royal bloodline. Despite its name, the Leiadorian Republic had always been ruled by kings just like The Saiyan Empire. When asked about it, they would just shrug and say “Republic” sounded more refined. It was all about finesse with the Leiadors. 

Zarbon Nandith already ruled the entire Republic unconditionally. According to their traditions, he could only be called a king after reaching the age of forty. Technically, it would make no difference in his rule. The only things to change would be the way of addressing him and that his clothes would get even fancier. Goten found that hard to imagine, since the latest photographs showed that the prince already dressed like a rainbow.

The prince had no children and no spouse. In fact, this was not uncommon among the Leiadors as, just like the Namekians, an individual could produce offspring on their own. Still, as far as Goten knew, they were a very passionate species and usually intermingled amongst each other, enriching their genetic pool. Goten wasn’t certain how all of that worked and, to tell the truth, he wasn’t very keen on learning. Although the Leiadors were fearsome warriors, he found them weird. 

Goten leaned back in his chair and gave Reyn a sideways look. The flight officer was reading the latest news from the Leiadorian Republic. Naturally, nothing there indicated that the Leiadors intended to change their stance concerning the war. 

“I’ll go eat,” Goten said, standing up. “Do you want me to get you anything?”

“Nah, wait a few minutes. I’ll go with you; it’s almost time for lunch anyway.”

Reyn finished reading the article, closed the window, and the two of them left for the cafeteria. They had half-expected to find Almanda and Kakarott there, but there was no sign of either of them. They got their food and sat down in the corner, at the very end of the canteen, so that no one would bother them. 

The food was peculiar here and Reyn noticed Goten pushing the salad around on his plate. The portions were also small, barely able to feed a grown Saiyan. It was a good thing that lately neither of them had much of an appetite either way.

“So do we really just blast him out of the sky?” Reyn wondered.

Goten’s fork stopped mixing the salad and he looked at the flight officer. “And what else do you suggest? We can’t get any evidence against him in such a short period of time.”

“I suppose not. It doesn’t…” he trailed off at the sight of two familiar second-class Saiyans entering the cafeteria. “It seems like we succeeded,” he said with an unhappy sigh.

“Huh?”

“Behind you.”

Goten turned to see the same two Saiyans from Berlington’s team. “So they really rose to the bait, huh?”

“Who knows? I think they have been told to keep an eye on us and, conveniently, we’ve given them a pretext to approach us.”

The two second-classes were already picking their way to Reyn and Goten’s table. Goten pushed his plate of salad leftovers away from him.

“And it’s only your second day here,” Reyn couldn’t help biting.

The younger male rolled his eyes. “Actually, I think they are coming here for you. The one with short hair seems to have taken a liking to you.”

The flight officer turned his head to give the aforementioned second-class a curious look. Besides being a second-class, the man wasn’t his type. Not that he liked any type in particular.

“So what do we do now?” Goten whispered.

“We smile a lot,” Reyn told him.

The two Saiyans approached their table and Goten’s bright smile lit up the entire cafeteria. The intruders took this as a good sign and immediately asked if they could join them at the table.

“Feel free,” Reyn told them, motioning toward the empty seats. Goten had been right, the older of the two second-classes was interested in him. His gaze was openly inviting. The flight officer lowered his eyes to his unfinished cutlet. This was going to get bothersome.

“I don’t think anyone introduced us,” the younger of the second-classes started. “I’m Areno Kamira. He’s,” he pointed at his older companion, “Raidri Mandera.”

“Reyn Dueri,” Reyn said with a nod. He pointed at Goten with his fork. “Goten Bardock.”

Areno went to buy some food while Raidri stayed at the table. In awkward silence, Goten reached out and pulled his plate closer to himself and started mixing his salad. He took one more tentative bite and gave up entirely – he was not one to waste food, but the taste was scandalizing.

“What the hell did they put in it?” he grunted, pushing the plate away again.

“Seems fine to me,” Reyn said with a shrug. He finished his cutlet and put his plate on top of Goten’s discarded salad. His coffee was lukewarm but he didn’t mind that and took a few pleasing gulps.

“How long have the two of you been together?” Raidri asked.

Reyn looked at him over the rim of his mug. The man didn’t beat around the bush. “Seems like forever,” the flight officer muttered.

Goten seemed too young for that statement to be true and Raidri’s face acquired an expression of uncertainty. Not sure how to take it, Raidri averted his eyes to Goten. The younger male shrugged. Office romances were never easy and Raidri could bet they’d had their own share of difficulties.

“Are the two of you…?” Goten asked softly, his index finger discreetly pointing at Areno and then Raidri.

Reyn was impressed. It was not often that he saw Goten taking initiative like this. As long as it was business, Goten didn’t seem to be bothered by any topics.

Raidri laughed in surprise. “Who? Me and Areno? Oh, no. No way.” He laughed again. “Do we really seem…?” He turned to Areno, who was unloading the plates off his tray. “Hey, they said that we…”

“No, you don’t look it,” Reyn said. He lowered his mug and chuckled. “He sees romance everywhere.”

“I don’t,” Goten denied. “I only asked. Why do you keep picking on me?” he complained.

“Are the two of you having some sort of crisis?” Areno asked curiously while sitting down.

Reyn shrugged. “You could say that. Probably the mother of all crises.”

“Maybe you just need some time apart to work it out?” Areno suggested. “Or some changes? A bit of experimentation, maybe?”

“Experimentation?” Reyn repeated. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

“Well,” Areno drawled carefully, “our shift ends in two hours. How about we all meet after that?” His look was nothing short of suggestive and it was impossible to misunderstand. 

The flight officer turned his head to look at Raidri, who had cleared his throat to get his attention. “Just a little bit fun,” he said with a short smile.

Amused, Reyn snorted. “I can certainly see how that would help work everything out,” he said sarcastically.

Goten blushed. He didn’t know why his face had suddenly become red but, when everyone at the table turned to look at him, he blushed even more. What the hell was wrong with him? He lowered his eyes to his mug of tea but not before he caught sight of Reyn’s raised eyebrows.

“Seems like he doesn’t mind,” Areno concluded with a chuckle. 

“Yeah,” Reyn muttered darkly, “he’s an exhibitionist at heart.”

Goten opened his mouth to protest, then decided not to and just let out an awkward cough. Reyn was probably right anyway.

Raidri wasn’t so certain about that. From what he was able to sense, there was an anxious and embarrassed air about Goten. That was not a combination one would expect from a man eager to go on a sex-driven adventure. It was, however, to be expected from an inexperienced youngling who wasn’t certain how his partner would react to this escapade. Reyn, though, smelled of sheer annoyance, which Raidri was able to understand better in this situation. 

“So how about we meet here in two hours?” Areno suggested.

Raidri shook his head at his coworker. “Maybe it’s not such a good idea,” he said. It was now obvious to him that they were intruding where they shouldn’t. 

Reyn gave him a level stare. “No, why, we’ll come,” he said challengingly. “But we are finishing late today, so how about we come at eleven?”

Areno’s face brightened with eagerness, then immediately clouded over. “Can’t it be earlier? The assembly is tomorrow and we’ve gotta get up early.” He saw Reyn shrug dismissively and it was clear that he could either take what he can get or stay with nothing. Areno glanced at Goten and nodded. “Sure.”

There was a sudden commotion outside the cafeteria. The noise kept growing, which seemed impossible considering they were able to hear it while sitting at the very end of the hall. The Saiyans looked at each other and rose from the table. Once they left the cafeteria, they were nearly swept away by a wave of reporters.

“What’s going on here?” Goten wondered at the people crowding the hallway.

“Some bigwig must have arrived,” Reyn said, looking above the Humans’ heads towards the end of the corridor.

A few tall Saiyans soon appeared. The white-tipped tails wrapped around their torsos indicated them as elites and, automatically, Goten leaned forward in order to see them better. The elites were wearing traditional Saiyan armor with the royal symbol on their breastplates. The royal guards. Now Goten’s eyes set on the short man walking amidst the guards. The crown prince was exactly as he remembered from his dreams. The prince was even wearing the same armor. His hard face and eyes were impossible to forget. 

At the appearance of Prince Vegeta, the reporters and photographers went wild and rushed forward. They would have jammed the hallway but for the protective shield that was maintained by one of the royal guards. The reporters bounced into the protective shield and were pushed sideways while the distinguished group continued to proceed down the corridor. The reporters were shouting questions but the prince chose to remain silent. One of his guards informed them that the prince was going to make a public speech after the assembly. That didn’t appease them in the least and they continued to shout questions.

Without stopping, the group advanced along the corridor and was now next to the cafeteria. As the prince was walking past the Saiyans, they automatically saluted the royalty. The prince and his guards ignored them but then the prince’s eyes caught the side of Goten’s face and he turned his head to look at him, his pace faltering. Goten met the long surprised stare that was clearly wondering what he was doing there. The next moment, the prince turned away and continued walking down the corridor.

Not sure what had happened, Goten stared at the receding backs of the group until they disappeared.

“What was that?” Reyn asked him softly so that the other two Saiyans wouldn’t be able to hear. “It seemed like...” He frowned, unsure. “As if he recognized you?”

Goten nodded slowly. “But this is the first time I saw him. Well, outside my dreams, I mean.” There had been something strange about the last dream, though. Usually no one was able to see him but the prince had been able to see him clearly. They had even talked. Maybe it was not only him who was able to see these dreams? Maybe that was where the prince remembered him from? 

A panic attack shot up Goten’s spine when he thought of another possibility. Was this the purple-haired bastard’s doing? Could he have told his father about some random “second-class” he took a liking to on the base? Surely, he wouldn’t have… Goten felt like slamming his head against a wall. Really, he wouldn’t have… That would be as good as death sentence.

“What is it?” 

Goten raised his head to look at Reyn’s worried face. He shook his head. “No, everything’s fine. I just… Ehh… Never mind.”

Reyn didn’t seem to be convinced in the least but put it down to stress. The other two Saiyans were nearby as well and maybe it was something that Goten wasn’t able to share at the moment. In any case, Reyn couldn’t do much about it, so he just left it at that.

All four of them returned to the cafeteria. Reyn and Goten talked to the second-classes for a couple more minutes, then exchanged their hotel numbers and left. They didn’t plan on going to the second-classes’ hotel room but, if the men were waiting for them, they would not interfere with whatever they would be doing on this side of the station complex. 

“Do I really look so helpless?” Goten wondered when they were walking out of the cafeteria. 

“I think you know the answer to that question,” Reyn told him.

Goten rolled his eyes.

Neither Kakarott nor Almanda was in the control room. Goten tried contacting his father but his scouter only emitted a few pathetic burps. Almanda’s scouter connected but she cut him off again. Giving up, Goten took a look at the empty seat at the terminal. He thought about doing some more research, then realized that it wouldn’t change anything and left the room. They headed to their hotel room but it was also empty. They fed the cat and left again. On their way back to the control room, Goten’s scouter beeped and he took the call. It was Kakarott, who asked him and Reyn to go to their hotel room. His voice sounded urgent and Goten with Reyn rushed back.

They found Kakarott in the hotel room as arranged. A few moments after they entered, Almanda also appeared in the doorway. She was carrying a bundle of documents and was meticulously shuffling them while seemingly searching for something.

“It’s here,” she said finally, picking one of them and lifting it into the air for Kakarott to see.

The third-class nodded. “That was fast.”

“What’s going on?” Goten asked, frowning.

“We are leaving in…” Kakarott trailed off, checking his scouter, “…probably an hour and a half. May take longer, though. Depends on how fast he can arrange the visit.”

Goten stared at him then turned to Almanda. “What’s he on about? Are we about to run away? What visit?”

Almanda carried the documents to the bedside cabinet and lowered them. Then she thought better of it and, after gathering them back up, stored them inside her breastplate. As long as she didn’t stay on the Station, it was arguably the safest place in the universe.

She met Goten’s eyes. “No one is running away. My father is currently pushing the government of the Leiadorian Republic for permission to see that ambassador.”

Goten and Reyn looked at each other. “Umm…” Goten drawled. “Is that even possible? And if it is… What then?”

Kakarott shrugged. “Well, if we aren’t shot down before we even set foot on that ship, I hope we can prevent them from annihilating the Station.”

“By killing everyone on board?”

Kakarott nodded. “If it comes to that. I do hope that the ambassador will be more cooperative than that.”

“Ugh.” Goten suddenly developed a headache. He sat down on the mutilated bed. “Okay, so we kill everyone on board and then?”

“No, not ‘we’,” Kakarott corrected him. He motioned at Goten and Reyn. “You two stay here in case Almanda and I fail. You will need to destroy the ship with the Station’s defense system.”

“You’ll have to tell us the passwords and show us how it works,” Reyn said.

Kakarott nodded. “Yes, we’ll do that now.”

“Wait, wait a moment,” Goten said, putting his hands up. “From the beginning again. So you go and try to stop him. What happens if you can’t? How are you even going to get up there?” he asked, pointing at the ceiling with his finger.

Almanda patted the breastplate of her armor where she had stored the documents. “We’ve just been issued a ship.”

“If we can’t talk him out of it, we kill him or destroy the ship and run,” Kakarott said. “If we can’t destroy it, you will. You will need the coordinates, though, and they will only be known when the ship reaches Bruminan. Unlike I expected, it appears you can’t enter its identification number and just aim at it automatically.”

“And why not?”

“Well, that ship is supposed to be neutral territory and it seems that it’s got some kind of a security protocol within the Empire,” Almanda explained. “Bruminan’s security system simply won’t allow you to execute the assault order. For all we know, it may also record the attempt and send it directly to NS.”

“Yeah, that’s what would most likely happen,” Reyn confirmed.

Finding out the coordinates of the ambassadors’ ship wasn’t going to be a difficult task: Bruminan’s security system was going to start recording them automatically as soon as the ship entered the Station’s orbit. If the computers failed, then Kakarott or Almanda would send the data. If everything went fine, neither Reyn nor Goten would even need to use the laser cannons. In the worst case scenario, they would have to blow up the ambassador’s ship with Kakarott and Almanda still onboard.

ooOoOoOoo

“Look,” Almanda explained, losing her patience, “you press this and this, and then this blinking dot.”

Goten stared at the screen in front of him. He could see the blinking dot and pressed it.

“Not now!” Almanda yelled at him when the blinking dot disappeared and a chart with thousands of numbers sprung up onto the screen. “You have to mark it first!”

“Sorry.”

“Do it from the beginning again.”

Carefully, Goten closed the table of numbers. He stayed very quiet while wondering where “this and this” had gone. They weren’t on the desktop anymore. From the corner of his eye, he stole a look at the elite’s face. She looked as if she could start killing any time. He concentrated back on the screen. “This and this” were still not there.

“Oh my fucking god!” Almanda growled. Beside herself with anger and desperation, she rammed her finger into the screen. She rubbed it demonstratively, a greasy fingerprint marking the necessary icon. “Here it is! Press it, for the love of gods!”

Goten clicked on it to make a familiar chart with graded windows appear. This part was easy. He started entering the coordinates quickly. The elite next to him started nodding approvingly then, suddenly, she frowned again. 

“No!” she yelled, shaking Goten by his shoulders. She pointed at the screen again. “You press that only after you enter them in this line!”

“I can’t enter them anywhere if you keep shaking me like this!” Goten growled back at her. With a snarl, he closed the window and stared at the empty screen again. He kept cursing in his head for about half a minute, then clicked the first icon again. He had never been good with technology. He was awful with it and the additional stress, hunger, and the lack of sleep made his brain freeze.

The orders that Kakarott and Almanda were so desperately waiting for had yet to come. It was taking much longer than expected to arrange a meeting with the Leiadorian ambassador. His ship had arrived about two hours ago and now was hazardously orbiting the station with many other ships. It was nearly midnight already and there were only three other people in the control room. It was a good thing that they were Humans, but even then they kept staring at Goten’s and Almanda’s backs in wonderment. They had, so far, withheld any comments. 

Goten and Almanda turned to Kakarott and Reyn, who had entered the control room. Reyn was carrying a few bags with what Goten’s nose picked up as food.

“The cafeteria is closed, so that’s all we were able to get,” he said, lowering the bags in front of Goten’s terminal. “They call it McDonalds.”

“It’s edible,” Kakarott confirmed. “I’ve eaten five bags and feel fine.”

“For now,” Goten muttered, reaching out for the bags. He opened one and delved inside of it. The smell was peculiar, synthetic, but it wasn’t bad.

“Goten will screw it up,” Almanda informed them. “He sucks balls. The more we try, the worse he gets. It’s been two hours already and he’s learned nothing!”

Goten’s moody face told the rest of their comrades that it was possibly true, and Reyn took a look at the screen. The operating system seemed to be similar to the one on _Starcut’s_ shuttle. Besides, he had already seen Goten repeat the actions at least five times. “Let me try it,” he said, pushing at the younger male’s shoulders to get him out of the chair. “I won’t be allowed into the conference hall without any ID anyway. So you go to the conference hall while I stay at the terminal.”

“You will also be closer to the launch pad and the ship,” Kakarott added. “In case you need to escape, you can start the engines while waiting for Goten to reach you. It will be faster this way.”

Goten raised his half-eaten chicken nugget into the air approvingly. “Good idea.” He’d rather run all the way to Earth if it were possible than have to stay at this accursed terminal. He watched Reyn open the task manager, choose the chart of nearby ships, find the ambassador’s ship, and start entering its current coordinates. The screen went black for a moment and then the fixed orbiting course that the ship was currently following appeared.

“Now enable the engage mode and boom,” Almanda said with an approving clap on the flight officer’s shoulder. “At least one of you has the brains.” She turned to a pouting Goten. “I’d say you’re the one with the looks, but you’re not. You just suck in general.”

“Screw you.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten watched people assembling in the conference hall. He rubbed at his bloodshot eyes and blinked vigorously, trying to shake off the fatigue. He’d had an opportunity to rest for a few hours before the beginning of the conference but had barely caught a wink. He shouldn’t have gone to sleep at all because now he felt even more tired than he had before going to bed.

The third-class had chosen a seat near the door in the middle of the rows – it gave him a decent overview of the hall. Goten raised his head to take a look at the platform in front of the many rows of chairs. It was all how he remembered it – there was a tribune on the platform and, on the right side behind the platform, a line of leather armchairs for distinguished guests. There was also a short set of stairs to ascend the platform.

It was just a little past nine o’clock but the red-carpeted hall was already being filled with people. For now, these were mostly Humans, who were rushing to take the front or the back seats. Reporters weren’t allowed to attend the assembly. Everyone entering the hall was also checked for all possible recording devices. Goten had to give up his scouter as well. This was definitely going to cause problems – he wasn’t able to contact Reyn or find out any vital news.

At about five o’clock in the morning, Kakarott and Almanda had finally received confirmation that the Leiadorian ambassador was waiting for them. They boarded the ship that had been issued to them and set off. Since their scouters were out of range, they had to keep in contact via the nearby satellite using the ship’s transmitter and the computer in the control room. There hadn’t been any surprises while they approached the ambassador’s ship, but when they docked they had to cease all transmissions.

At least they had entered the ship safely. If something had happened after that, there was no way Goten could find out. His task was to thwart any possible backup plan that the enemy might be ready to execute after the unsuccessful attempt to blow up the station. The third-class only knew the approximate time that Bruminan was supposed to be destroyed. He could vaguely remember that it was during the crown prince’s speech.

At about half past nine, people started flowing into the conference hall in throngs. Goten could only imagine how efficient the security personnel had to be to be able to let them in so fast and, at the same time, to make certain no one unwarranted entered. The decision not to let any reporters or journalists in had caused quite a stir amongst the Humans, but the Saiyans hadn’t stepped down. Unless it was in any way beneficial to the government, it wasn’t common in Saiyan society to share important pronouncements with the media. The present material was going to be compiled in the way the officials wanted after the assembly and only then fed to the masses.

Here and there, Goten could spot several National Security agents. Just like Goten, most of them chose locations that didn’t hinder their vision. Up until now, he and the other third-classes had managed to maintain their distance from the real agents and hadn’t roused any suspicion. Goten hoped it would stay that way, at least for the length of the conference. There were also the two Saiyans from Berlington’s team to contend with. One of them stood quite close to the third-class and Goten hoped that he wouldn’t think of approaching and asking him why he and Reyn hadn’t come to their room. 

Soon the hall was packed with varicolored uniforms. Most were the blue and khaki Saiyan uniforms for air and land forces. The Leiadors with their gray and green uniforms made up a large part of the crowd as well. The rest of the haphazardly colored uniforms belonged to the Humans and a few other allied nations.

The Prince of All Saiyans arrived at five to nine. The people saluted and were quick to move out of his path since it was common knowledge that the royal guards were quick to push the gawkers out of the prince’s way. Side by side, the younger Vegeta of Vegeta House was walking with one of the most distinguished Leiadorian generals. The prince’s head barely reached the general’s shoulder.

The conference started right on time. The first to ascend the short stairs and stand at the tribune was the head of National Security, Veden Grendal. The lights above the platform intensified to emphasize his distinguished persona and the plethora of medals on both sides of his chest. Unconsciously, Goten tried to find some resemblance between him and Almanda and, naturally, found some even though they were probably just his imagination.

“Good afternoon, honorable guests,” he greeted, “I’m Veden Grendal. Most of you know me as the head of National Security. Today, we’ve gathered here to discuss the progress of the war with the Ice-jin Empire and its allies, was well as further plans and measures to be taken. First, however, let me introduce our most venerable and distinguished veterans.”

The third-class was aware of the droning microphone but his mind didn’t register the words. He was looking around, trying to spot any potential danger and, at the same time, was ready to run straight for launch pad 3, where Reyn would be waiting for him. Goten’s heart was going wild and he was sweating. He kept wiping his sweaty palms onto his uniform. He wished he knew whether any danger existed at all. Maybe everything had already been resolved and he didn’t even need to worry.

Vaguely, the third-class became aware of the silence and, from the corner of his eye, glanced at the stage. It was Prince Vegeta’s turn and he was walking to the tribune where Grendal stood. Goten saw the prince lower his white-gloved hands onto the tribune. Goten’s anxiety increased tenfold. He could distantly recall this part of the conference, the prince’s speech was also familiar.

Then Goten felt a spark. Without any clear thought in his head, he plunged towards the platform. People behind him started clamoring. A wave of shouts crashed through the hall as someone released a ki-blast from the middle of the room. While the royal guards and the National Security agents were reacting to the danger only now, Goten was already on the stage, extending his protective shield over the nearby people. The powerful blast bounced off it and ricocheted into the opposite wall, taking it down. The whole complex shook and the ceiling collapsed, raining cement blocks and dust onto the people below. The hall quickly submerged into complete chaos.

The royal guards attempted to bar Goten’s way and manhandle him to the floor but the third-class knocked them away as if they were pins in a bowling alley. Another blast bounced off his ki-shield and Goten turned around to face the crowded room, trying to spot the enemy.

TBC


	57. Part 57

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 57

The largest part of the conference hall was submerged in dust. Chaos reigned, but glowing spots here and there indicated that the elites had raised defensive shields to protect themselves and people around them from the falling ceiling. Before the conference, the door had been locked down for security reasons and no one was able to leave. The back wall was missing now. Visibility wasn’t good enough to try and climb outside, yet a few people could be seen trying to get past the rubble. Some of the decorations, chairs, and the red carpet close to the wall were on fire.

Not certain where the enemy was, Goten was scanning the smoky hall from the platform but he wasn’t able to see past the white fog. Some people were running for the door or the back wall and the perpetrator could be amongst them. Goten’s ears were ringing with Humans’ shouts while his head was buzzing unpleasantly. He didn’t know how much he’d powered up, but he was certain that if anyone had one of those old scouters that they’d used at the school, it would have already malfunctioned.

A blast bounced off Goten’s shield and the third-class turned in the direction it had come from. Another explosion shook the hall when the ricocheted ki-blast hit the far corner of the room. There he was. Goten’s eyes set on a Leiador with a gray uniform. It seemed that the man had realized that no matter how powerful, his ki-attacks were futile against the shield surrounding the prince. Now the Leiador was flying towards the platform.

At the sight of the assassin approaching, three royal guards rushed out into the hall to bar his way. Prince Vegeta managed to catch one of his guards by the arm and hauled him back.

“Stay inside!” he growled as much for the man he had grabbed as for the rest of his guards. It was too late, though. At the sight of the two advancing royal guards, the Leiador launched another blast. The elites summoned their ki-shields but the force of the collision tossed them backwards, the more powerful enemy destroying their shields easily.

Furious, Prince Vegeta glared at Goten’s glowing back. However, before the prince could shove the younger man aside and take matters into his own hands, the reinforced door to the hall and the front row of empty chairs exploded. A Saiyan flew in. 

Amidst the settling dust, Reyn concentrated on the stage. His attention was preoccupied by a powerful Saiyan male. Something in the back of his mind recognized him as Goten but he could not help but growl. Then a ki-blast flew at him and, concentrating on the hostile Leiador, he forgot the troubling Saiyan. 

A little amused, Goten watched the assassin launch a second blast at Reyn. The flight officer batted it away and bore down on the Leiador. It was over in seconds. Goten grimaced at the sight of the green neck snapping in Reyn’s hands. Someone applauded. Others kept cursing the dust and smoke that was getting into their eyes and lungs.

Goten could feel the burning glare on his back. It was over, but he was afraid to power down. He turned around slowly to meet Prince Vegeta’s stare. The third-class saluted smartly.

“Honored to meet You, Your Highness!”

Then Goten ran. Or rather he flew, because running could not get him away as fast from this accursed hall as he would have liked. Confused, Reyn blinked at the other third-class’s back, then decided to follow him. The royal guards and other security personnel reacted according to the principle “ _if it runs from you, chase it down_ ” and rushed after the two third-classes. Halfway down the hall, though, the prince’s command stopped the royal guards.

While whipping through corridor after corridor, Goten was trying to fit his scouter back over his left eye. It didn’t go well as he had to concentrate on flying and his fingers were shaking with tension. Cursing, he finally fitted it over his eye and dialed his father.

“How did it go?”

At the moment, Goten wasn’t able to wrap his mind around the question. “I don’t know!” he hissed, agitated. “The prince was alive last time I saw him! We are heading to the launch pad! Where are you? What happened to the ambassador?”

“That’s great!”

“What’s great?” Goten panted, turning a corner at full speed, nearly crashing into a soda vending machine headfirst. 

“That the prince is alive,” Kakarott repeated patiently. “And concerning the ambassador – hasn’t Reyn told you?”

Goten turned to Reyn, who gave him a blank look. “I didn’t ask,” Goten grunted. Smiling down at a few confused passersby, he picked up speed again.

“Why are we running away?” Reyn asked, frowning.

“I don’t know!” Goten spat. “Wasn’t that the plan? And you are supposed to be in that ship waiting for me! Can you imagine what would happen if they find out that we’ve only been pretending to be NS agents?!” he asked, pointing at the security personnel chasing them.

“We get a medal for saving the prince?” Reyn offered.

“No! Knowing my luck, we get kitchen duty in prison for life!” Goten hissed at him.

Reyn rolled his eyes. “Stop flying, Goten. We can’t escape. Their security system is fully functional – there was no reason to turn it off. The ambassador agreed to cooperate as soon as he was promised the safe return of his family. It appears that one of the Leiadorian radical military factions took some of them hostage. Their government is dealing with the situation on their side and we sent a rescue party.”

“Oh.”

They were rapidly getting closer to the launch pad, but Goten started to realize that it was, indeed, pointless. They would only be able to board that ship if they dealt with the security personnel that were chasing them. No one would let them board the ship without a fight and there was no need for innocent victims at this stage of events. Besides, with Bruminan’s security system fully functional and hundreds of ships orbiting the base, there was not even a tiny chance that they could survive long enough to use a hyper jump.

At some point, Kakarott’s voice had died out in Goten’s scouter without him noticing. He tried to contact his father again. It took a moment or two to connect and then there was so much crackling that Goten couldn’t hear anything and ended the call. Almanda, though, answered right away.

“Yes, Goten?”

“Where the hell are you?” Goten demanded through the static noise. He heard Almanda sigh.

“On our way to Earth. We just set off.”

“Don’t tell me you two are still on that ship…”

“Well, of course we are,” the elite confirmed. “Where the hell else do you want us to be?”

Goten rubbed his forehead in frustration. “On Bruminan, of course!”

“Do you want them to arrest us or something? I’m not supposed to be there, remember?”

Goten groaned. “We are not supposed to be here either! And my father crashed the last plane he piloted.”

The elite cleared her throat meaningfully. “You are supposed to be there, remember?” There was a short pause in the conversation that let the implications of that fully sink into Goten’s mind: the orders would be checked and the shaii was going to find out that, surprisingly or not, it was he who had sent two third-classes to protect his father. Goten was drawn back to the present by muffled voices, then Almanda continued: “He says he’s become better at landing.”

Goten glared straight ahead. “Well, of course he has! Which part of ‘crashed’ didn’t you understand?”

“We’ll be fine and…”

The static noise was becoming louder and Almanda’s voice started crackling; the scouters were reaching their distance limit.

“Tell me you took Mister Elite with you,” Goten asked. He heard Almanda laugh.

“When do you think we could have done that? That thing’s still on Bruminan.”

“Goddamn you! You promised!”

Almanda laughed again. “We had no time. Anyway, it seems the connection will be cut off shortly. Take care, Goten. It’s your treat next time we meet.”

There was a click and the conversation was over. Goten turned one more corner, then started slowing down. He landed on his feet and switched his scouter off. They were right at the door to launch pad 3. He turned to Reyn, who landed next to him.

“If they crash…”

“They won’t,” the flight officer said. “I taught him how to use the autopilot.”

Goten’s eyes widened. “I am sure he planned this ahead of time.”

The flight officer shrugged. “Probably? Or maybe he was just getting ready for all transmutations of fortune.” He chuckled softly. “At least Almanda should make it safely to Earth.”

The two of them watched the security personnel scurry past them and further down the corridor.

“She’ll probably just tell them she had passed out in the shuttle and woke up on Bruminan,” Goten said, wondering if they could really be that lucky. “Something like that anyway, and they would not want to start anything so trivial with an elite female and would just leave her alone.”

“That’s them!”

No, they wouldn’t.

“We’ve wasted so much money in getting all that food and supplies into that damn ship!” Goten groaned, pointing at the door leading to the launch pad. “This sucks! This sucks balls!” He threw his arms apart. “Everything’s gone!”

“I moved everything to our hotel room as soon as I received the news about the ambassador,” Reyn consoled him while the security personnel surrounded them. “I also extended our stay.”

“The cat?”

“Back in the hotel room.”

Goten sighed. “I’d say it was a very smart move, but the cat will die there of neglect and, I’m afraid, we won’t be able to use any of that rescued stuff while in prison anyway.”

ooOoOoOoo

The prince was just out of the shower, his lavender hair still damp. Heaving a sigh, he flopped into the couch and sprawled comfortably. It had been a hard day. He rolled his head around his shoulders, making a few sleepy bones let out a soft cracking noise. He stared at the ceiling for a minute, then straightened and took the remote from the glass coffee table in front of him. He directed it at the large TV screen that was situated along the wall and, with a soft press on the power button, turned it on.

Nothing interesting was on. The prince stared at the screen blankly without really registering two half-naked Human women preparing some kind of a supposedly exotic meal. The camera was more focused on their breasts than what their hands were producing. The prince switched the channel to a herd of elephants thriving in a jungle. The room was filled with loud trumpeting and growls. Changing the setting to watch Saiyan television didn’t improve things one bit: now the prince was subjected to a weather forecast for the Saiyan colonies.

He dropped the remote back onto the coffee table and rose to his feet. Ruffling his hair with his fingers to dry it faster, he went to the cupboard by the window. Apathetically, he cast a glance over his liquor collection – it had been reduced considerably during the last two months. He picked a bottle of wine, grabbed a glass, and carried them back to the TV. After a few seconds of quiet struggle with the bottle, he opened it and poured himself a glassful. Leaning back against the couch, he brought it to his mouth and nearly spilt it over himself at the insistent pounding on the door.

“Sir! Sir! You’ve got to see this!”

“Wha-?”

Ealdira rushed into his chambers before the prince could give his permission. The prince adjusted his bathrobe but his former mentor wasn’t interested in his disorderly appearance. The elite crossed the room like a flash of lightning and went straight to the TV. He was carrying something in his palm.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes!” Ealdira grunted excitedly, already tinkering with the TV’s ports.

“I might have been watching that,” the prince said reproachfully when the weather charts disappeared from the screen.

Ealdira snorted derisively. “You’d rather be watching this!” He backed away from the TV and grabbed the remote off the coffee table. With a few clicks, he chose the necessary folder and then the video file. “It was aired only some twenty minutes ago.”

Trunks lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip. Passively, he watched the video start, and a news announcer’s face filled the screen.

“Just seconds ago,” the announcer began ominously, “we received a report about a terrorist attack on Bruminan Station, where a very important assembly was being held. Our sources report many injured and several fatalities. If any of your relatives attended the meeting, please call the number provided at the bottom of the screen.”

“Is Father alright?” the prince asked worriedly.

“Yes, yes, he’s alright,” Ealdira muttered, waving him off impatiently.

“We will now try to contact our correspondent on Bruminan Station for more information. Thomas, can you hear me?” 

As soon as the announcer addressed the correspondent, the view on the display split in half, one part of it showing the announcer’s head while the other screen was still black. 

“Yes, this is Thomas Robinson live from Bruminan Station for More News,” came the crackled reply from the black part of the screen. The screen flickered and went black again before a middle-aged Human reporter appeared. “Just minutes ago, Bruminan Station was shaken by a series of explosions. It is known that the attack on the station was carried out by one of the Leiadorian radical military factions. Presently, none of them have stepped forward to claim responsibility for the attack.”

“Most of them want out of the alliance,” the prince muttered sombrely.

“Shh!” Ealdira shushed him. “Here comes the best part.”

With a roll of his eyes, the prince sipped more wine and concentrated back on the screen.

“We are on the very scene of the recent terrorist attack,” the reporter continued animatedly, motioning at a large hole in the wall surrounded by a crowd of uniformed men and other reporters, “where it has been reported that two brave Saiyan soldiers thwarted the murderous plot of Leiadorian extremists that would have left the Allied Nations without their political leaders.”

The reporter turned to the wall again and the camera left his face to zoom in on the wreckage. There was a sudden clamour, voices rising, and the camera zoomed out from the smoking wreckage to set on the back of the news reporter, who started pushing past the crowd.

“Yes, yes, here they are!” the news reporter squealed in excitement. “Here they are!”

It took a few seconds of vigorous and skilled crowd swimming before, finally, the reporter broke free. The camera concentrated on a startled Saiyan. The Saiyan’s eyes ran to his left and right, then he nudged someone at his side. The camera slid sideways and concentrated on Goten’s face. The third-class’s eyes went wide.

“I told you it’s gonna be good!” Ealdira said smugly when the prince choked on the wine and started coughing.

Trying to catch his breath, the prince reached out for the coffee table to lower the glass before he could spill the rest of the wine. Ealdira smacked the prince on his back a few times when he didn’t stop coughing. Sputtering and wiping the wine running from his nose with the sleeve of his bathrobe, the prince pushed Ealdira’s hand aside and tried to follow the events on the screen. Currently, the camera was pointed at the man, whom the prince now remembered as Reyn Dueri, the man from the same project as Goten. The one Goten had claimed to get along with tremendously.

“Were you the ones who helped to arrest the terrorists?”

“No.”

The camera shifted back to Goten. At the sight of the microphone, the third-class’s big eyes grew even wider. “I didn’t do anything,” he said quickly.

The reporter gave a blinding smile to Reyn and pushed the microphone over to him again. Reyn gave him a bright smile back.

“There was nothing much left to arrest,” he said. “I snapp-”

“We know nothing!” Goten declared, cutting Reyn off.

Someone laughed loudly behind their backs, making all three of them turn around. A bulky Human standing a few steps away clapped Goten and Reyn on their arms heartily.

“If not for them, this conference hall wouldn’t exist anymore!”

The reporter was giving him a skeptical look, obviously thinking that there already wasn’t much of the hall left. He attached his microphone to the other Human’s face for more information but then someone called him over and the Human ran off. The reporter stuck the microphone back into Goten’s face.

“Could you tell everyone how everything happened in detail?”

“This is confidential information,” Reyn said. “The investigation is still being conducted and we suspect that there might be more people responsible for today’s attempt.”

Goten stared at the microphone as if transfixed and Reyn elbowed the younger man to bring him out of his trance. 

“Yeah, right,” Goten mumbled, endorsing Reyn. “Top secret. Is this live?” he asked suddenly, pointing at the microphone. 

The reported nodded happily at the prospect of a meaty treat. “Yes, it is. Is there something you want to tell the viewers?” he said encouragingly. “How do you feel after having saved so many lives?”

Goten looked directly at the camera. “Monteira, I mean, Fawa, sir, we’ve accidentally taken Mr. Elite with us. But don’t worry, sir, the cat is safe and sound. I promise we will find a way to send him back.”

Confused, the reporter blinked at the Saiyan, who was still staring at the camera with the most honest and apologetic look on his face.

“What cat?”

“Mr. Elite,” Goten repeated.

“What has…?”

“What are you doing here?”

From the reporter, the camera went to two second-classes with National Security cards attached to their armour. One of them motioned at the camera.

“Turn the camera off or it will be confiscated. No press is allowed in here; go back to the other side of the wall.”

When his scouter’s translation ebbed away, the view on the screen went black but the reporter’s sly bartering voice could be heard in the background. The video ended. 

“That’s all of it,” Ealdira said, walking back to the TV, intending to unplug the unit.

“Play it again,” the prince demanded. 

The elite chuckled and returned to the couch for the remote to replay the video.

The prince didn’t receive any of the answers he expected after watching the video for the second time. The mystery of what Goten and his buddy were doing on Bruminan had only intensified. The prince had received a report from _Starcut_ that Goten had left the ship a few days ago. He had immediately checked what had happened and found nothing. Goten had disappeared only to materialize on Bruminan at the center of events. The third-class was good at that.

“The ‘cat’ is obviously a code,” the prince told Ealdira. “Find out what it means.”

“Yes, Sir,” the elite said with a nod, already walking towards the door with the task on his mind. 

“Oh, yes,” the prince said, making the other man turn around. “Book me the earliest flight to Bruminan station, will you?”

The elite frowned, already regretting that he had shown the prince the video. “Sir, due to security rea-”

“Get me a ship.”

“Crazy Authentic Twat,” the former mentor muttered under his breath softly, closing the door. “Creepy Abdominal Twister,” he spat again.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten looked around nervously. He and Reyn were in a luxurious hotel room that they had been lead to by one of the royal guards soon after the awkward interview. The royal guard hadn’t explained anything, just told them to follow and then wait. The lavish suite was giving Goten ideas. With its heavy curtains, thick carpets and freshly conditioned air, it strangely reminded him of his dream with the poisonous tea party.

Reyn tested the fluffiness of the carpet with the tip of his boot, then went to sit on the leather couch against the wall. His eyes went wide in surprise when the couch nearly swallowed him whole. The royal guard gave him a disapproving look but said nothing. 

“This is amazing,” the flight officer said, impressed by how his entire body was suddenly lulled into a comfortable leisure. He motioned for Goten to join him. “I want one of these on Starcut.”

“Provided you ever return there,” Goten muttered. Ignoring the invitation, he cast Reyn a somewhat jealous look – the man didn’t seem to be nervous at all. Was he only pretending, to keep both of their spirits up? Goten felt himself getting annoyed by that possibility.

Before they were ensnared by the reporter, Berlington’s team had questioned them for about an hour but, to both Reyn’s and Goten’s surprise, released them. To their even bigger surprise, the National Security agents didn’t even bother interrogating them. By this time, it had to be known that none of them belonged to National Security. Goten suspected that the matter had been taken care of by Veden Grendal, courtesy of Almanda. 

And yet, here they were, in this scary and ominous hotel room where a night’s stay would probably cost Goten’s annual salary. This didn’t bode well.

Goten was about to sit down when the door opened and two more royal guards entered. Behind them was Prince Vegeta himself, followed by Veden Grendal and a few more elites. From up close, the prince didn’t seem short. He also seemed to be much more intimidating. Feeling his stomach churn and twist, Goten straightened and saluted. Next to him, Reyn was the epitome of diligence – Goten had never seen him salute so smartly before.

“It seems you’ve survived the reporters,” the prince said, walking further into the suite. With a white-gloved hand, he motioned for the two third-classes to follow him. 

Neither Goten nor Reyn knew what to answer to that or if they were expected to answer at all, thus they just followed the prince quietly to the elegant glass table in the middle of the suite. The prince motioned at the leather armchairs, then turned to his guards.

“Leave us.”

Uncertain, Goten stood at the armchair, but then the prince turned around and took his seat at the table right in front of Goten, and there was nothing else left to do but sit down as well. A bottle of unidentified liquor and a plate of eats materialized on the table at once. Another elite rushed to the buffet to get the glasses.

“You have put my guards to shame,” the prince said, reaching out for the bottle. The elite closest to him hurriedly reached out as well, intending to open it, but the prince batted his hand away. “Two of them are in the infirmary now.” The prince opened the bottle and a wineglass was helpfully placed in front of him. He filled it and motioned at Goten. The elite took it over to the third-class.

Goten gave the glass an apprehensive look. The prince was already filling another one. The third-class cleared his throat, the forced sound making him even more uncomfortable. “Thank You very much but… Your Highness will have to excuse me, but I have to refuse.”

Prince Vegeta gave him a level stare, then shrugged. “Your friend?” he asked, motioning at Reyn.

Reyn glanced at Goten and, taking note of the huge ‘no’ in his eyes, shook his head. “No, thank You, Your Highness.”

Amused, the prince motioned for Goten’s glass and it traveled back to him. He took a sip and leaned into the comfortable leather chair. The other elites remained standing near the table.

“Unfortunately, Zeiran Nunghmihnh’s family perished during the rescue mission,” the prince said and Goten was amazed that he managed to pronounce the surname without stumbling once.

“Oh.”

Prince Vegeta nodded and sipped his wine again. “As did the whole rescue squad. I suppose someone forgot to take the Leiadors seriously.” 

The last words were meant for the head of National Security and he coughed politely. “I did not, Your Highness. In fact…” The prince motioned for him to be quiet and he closed his mouth.

“Then you will have the pleasure of informing the ambassador that we have screwed up and that his sons are dead,” the prince told him.

Grendal nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Goten suddenly had a feeling he knew where this was going. Prince Vegeta’s attention returned to the third-classes and he saluted them with his wine.

“The Saiyan Empire welcomes your initiative and praises your efforts,” he said sombrely. “You will be awarded Medals for Merit to the Empire. The ceremony will be held in an hour outside the assembly hall,” he finished with a roll of his eyes and took another sip.

Goten blinked. “Huh?”

“Your Highness, with all due respect,” one of the elites protested. “They aren’t National Security agents. They are imposters! It is outrageous to…”

The prince looked at the elite over the top of his glass. “Of course they are National Security agents. They are our best secret agents. And they are so good and so secret that no one knows of their existence.”

“Huh?”

“This is the Deputy of National Security,” Veden Grendal introduced the protesting elite. “I am certain that you know who I am.”

Goten nodded dumbly.

“Yes, Sir, we do,” Reyn muttered.

The deputy accepted the explanation with a scowl. He was obviously tempted to ask his chief whether he knew the two men but held back. He tried to smooth his face out. He didn’t succeed, but neither the prince nor the head paid him attention. In protest to the course of events, he bowed, excused himself and left the suite.

The prince looked over at Grendal. The deputy was a very reliable and discreet person but had an unbendable tendency for order. “He won’t rest until he finds proof of their existence,” the prince said. “Make sure he finds it.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Prince Vegeta turned back to look at Goten. “Did Trunks really send you all the way here?” he asked, finishing his wine. He pushed the glass aside. 

“Ugh.”

“I suppose I shall just ask him,” the prince said when Goten’s ashen face stayed blank. “You seem unwell.”

“Yeah,” Goten agreed. “I mean, yes, Your Highness. I can’t say I am well.”

Prince Vegeta smiled. Goten’s stomach churned and he felt that he was about to start vomiting on the expensive carpet under his feet. He could not shake off the feeling that the man knew him personally. He was somehow… For one, the prince was ignoring Reyn. Usually, it was the opposite – Reyn looked somehow more serious, more important and, between the two of them, people chose to talk to Reyn. He was already used to that. Yet the prince wasn’t paying Reyn any attention. There were those dreams too. Asking the prince directly seemed to be the epitome of absurdity, though.

However, before Goten could come up with anything tangible, the prince stood up, indicating that the meeting was over. Goten and Reyn stood up as well and bowed.

“Until the ceremony, then,” the prince told them, already walking towards the door. The other elites followed him. In a few moments, the prince stopped. “Give regards to your father. We seem to keep missing each other.”

Wide-eyed, Goten stared at the door that had closed behind the prince’s back. The voice had been somewhat sarcastic. Goten wondered what exactly the prince had meant.

“How does he know your father?”

“Beats me.” Agitated, Goten waved his hands about. “I’ve got no freaking idea what’s going on!”

“Well, the only thing that is certain is that we’re getting medals,” Reyn summed up. He could not help adding: “Told you.”

“I’m more worried about what we’re getting after that,” Goten muttered. “They might arrest us after.” They were indeed imposters. Not only that, they weren’t even second-classes. In a sensible Saiyan world, they would have never been allowed to even look Prince Vegeta in the eyes.

“That would be a grand waste of military power,” Reyn pointed out. “Not that anyone would care,” he said, deflating.

Goten stared at the red carpet quietly. “I have a feeling that they will send us to deal with those fucked up Leiadorian extremists,” he ventured a few seconds later.

“Hmm… I doubt it. I think they’ve already sent your father.”

Goten stared at him. “Ohmyfuckinggodscrewit!” he spat, realizing that the flight officer was right. “He will drop Almanda off and then will go deal with those assholes. But why didn’t they give him a pilot?”

“They probably wanted to. Only that this way they would have discovered Almanda.”

“Ah. So he rushed off without waiting. Can he do that?”

“Um, well, he did?” Reyn scratched the back of his head. He wasn’t sure about anything anymore. It felt as if they were in some kind of a nonsensical dream – logic didn’t matter here. He felt no less confused than Goten. He shrugged. “On the other hand, hasn’t she already been discovered? Grendal knows that they were here. I don’t know, maybe Kakarott’s really just dropping her off and that’s it.”

Goten walked to the door and, carefully, opened it. He closed it slowly and turned to Reyn. “There are two guards outside,” he informed the flight officer. “Are we under arrest?”

Reyn sighed. “Ask them?” he suggested.

It appeared that they weren’t under arrest. The guards politely explained that they were guarding the suite. It appeared that this suite had only been booked as a distraction for possible assassins while Prince Vegeta, in fact, lived in comparatively modest apartments two floors above. Goten thought that it was a complete waste of all possible resources and wished that he were able to switch rooms.

They went to check on Mr. Elite and have something to eat. The cat was fine, albeit very discontent about his box confinement. He started meowing demandingly as soon as he heard the door to the bathroom open, then went berserk when Reyn turned on the light.

“You need to clean the box,” Reyn said, pinching his nose at the stench. “I think he’s also rolled all over his shit.”

“Why do I have to clean it?” Goten grunted unhappily from the other room, searching through the bags of food that Reyn had stacked all over the floor.

“Because I cleaned it last time.”

Goten frowned at a large piece of smoked ham. He wanted to say that it was actually Almanda’s turn but it was pointless. “Fine,” he muttered. Longingly, he put the ham aside and went to the bathroom; he’d rather deal with the shitty situation before his meal than after.

“Ugh,” he said at the horrific sight of the cat. “I’ll have to wash him as well.”

“Yeah,” Reyn agreed. “Last time it didn’t end so well, did it?”

“I will just have to lock the door and spray him down with the shower head.”

Sarcastically, Reyn gave him thumbs up. “Good luck with that.”

ooOoOoOoo

Everything felt surreal. From a makeshift scaffold, Goten cast his eyes over the throngs of soldiers and reporters in front of him. They were standing behind a thick, red rope that encircled the platform. There was also a generous amount of security agents there to make sure no one breached the border. Goten turned to Reyn, who met his eyes just as uneasily as Goten felt.

“I can’t believe we are really getting those medals,” Reyn whispered.

“Either that or we’ve been tricked, and it’s a public execution,” Goten whispered back.

“Shit.”

The ceremony started as soon as Prince Vegeta and his entourage appeared. Grendal was carrying a small square tablet that was covered with red velvet. Two triangle medals sparkled on the tablet. Prince Vegeta and his suite approached the platform and stopped. While the royal guards and the rest of elites stayed back, Prince Vegeta and Grendal climbed onto the platform. The prince took one of the medals and walked over to where Goten and Reyn stood. The reporters kept taking photographs while the rest of the spectators waited with baited breath.

When Prince Vegeta stopped in front of Goten, the corners of the third-class’s lips twitched uneasily. As one of the elites had taught him beforehand, Goten was standing at ease and staring straight at a wall further ahead. His shoulders felt bare like never before and he could not even begin to imagine what the spectators were thinking.

“Goten Bardock, I, Prince Vegeta, the Prince of All Saiyans, present you with the Medal for Merit to the Empire for the bravery and honor that you showed today.”

The third-class bowed. “I humbly accept.”

“In the name of the Saiyan Empire,” the prince said, attaching the medal to Goten’s uniform. Cameras went wild. Once the prince was done, he took a step back and, pressing his fist over his heart, Goten saluted.

“It’s an honor, Your Highness.”

The Saiyans present at the ceremony saluted. The prince saluted Goten as well, then sniffed and frowned slightly; Goten stank. The prince stopped saluting and turned to Grendal. At the signal, the head of National Security approached and held out the tablet carrying the remaining medal. The prince unpinned it and stepped closer to Reyn. He repeated the same procedure and, a minute later, the medal was glinting on the flight officer’s chest.

And that was their five minutes of glory; fast and efficient. Nonetheless, five minutes still counted.

“What about my father, Your Highness?” Goten called softly when the prince was about to leave the platform. “Won’t he get a medal as well?”

Prince Vegeta turned to face the third-class again. The question seemed to have both surprised and amused him. “Kakarott?” he chuckled in light disbelief. “I don’t think he’s interested in medals. And as for Grendal’s daughter, she is lucky to have avoided house arrest.”

Once the prince left the platform, he was surrounded by the royal guards and the group moved back towards the hotel they had come from. Several Saiyans and Leiadors rose from behind the red rope separating them from the platform and, ignoring the meek protests of the local security, moved onto the scaffold. Goten could hear the dissatisfied reporters’ impatient clamor but they were not allowed to step over the rope.

Both third-classes accepted grateful and congratulating pats on their shoulders and backs. Most of the soldiers were high-ranking officers but Goten was lost amongst the varicolored uniforms and countless shoulder-straps. He felt lightheaded. The question “What now?” kept spinning in his head. He didn’t know what to do and, in addition to that, it seemed like he had gotten Ranvera into trouble; Prince Vegeta said he was going to ask his son for more details. The shaii might confirm that it was he who sent them to Bruminan Station, but then he would look into the matter himself. Hopefully, Ranvera knew how to hide his trail.

When Reyn and Goten rose into the air and headed for their hotel, the reporters surged after them.

“One second, please!”

“How did you find out about the intended attack?”

“How does it feel to receive a reward from Prince Vegeta Himself?”

“What are your plans?”

“Where are you staying?”

The last question disgruntled Goten. He could already see throngs of reporters besieging his hotel room. The whole hotel would be infested with them – they would easily make a connection between him and Kakarott Bardock. Reyn had probably come to the same conclusion as he was giving Goten a questioning look. Goten shrugged and landed in front of the hotel. With a few security agents that had trailed after them, the third-classes entered the building. The reporters rushed towards the hotel. Goten looked around frantically, hoping to find something to block the door with. There was nothing, the transparent automatic door opening and closing as soon as anyone approached. He patted the closest Saiyan to him.

“Can you hold them ba-?” Goten started saying but when the Saiyan turned around he saw that it was Raidri Mandera. Goten cleared his throat guiltily. “Never mind.”

The second-class laughed softly at the awkwardness on Goten’s face. Motioning to his colleagues, he stood in the doorway, barring the reporters’ way. “Of course, Sir. Go on, we’ll keep them busy.”

“Let me through!”

“You’ve got no right to stop us!”

“Oh, really?” Raidri turned to the security agent next to him. “Don’t you think that he looks suspicious?”

The Human nodded. “Very.” He reached out for the reporter’s ID but the reporter stepped back.

“I’ll sue you!”

“Very suspicious!” Raidri said, lunging forward and grabbing the reporter by the back of his collar. He tore the ID off his chest and tossed it over to his partner. “Check it thoroughly.” The second-class turned back to the reporter. “It will only take a minute,” he assured, lowering him back to his feet.

When Goten and Reyn went further into the lobby, they were met by another security agent from Berlington’s team. Areno walked up to them and saluted quickly. “Sirs, they know where your hotel room is and are already waiting there. It’s best you stay somewhere else until they give up.” The look on his face told Goten that he didn’t think it was going to happen any time soon.

Thinking about what to do, Goten looked around. People were streaming past them, coming and leaving mostly through the hallway connecting the hotel to the launch pads. They had minutes, maybe seconds, until the reporters ambushed them from the underground.

“Let’s just find a bar and wait for the night,” Reyn suggested. “Most of them are bound to leave and if we still find some at the door, we will throw them into the bathroom, lock them up, get our shit back, and find another place.”

Goten, who wanted nothing more than to rest, nodded enthusiastically.

“I can show you to a really neat place, Sirs,” Areno offered. He smiled sheepishly at the suspicious looks the third-classes gave him. “In apology for yesterday, Sirs. We didn’t mean to bother you.”

Reyn and Goten looked at each other. “Umm…” Goten drawled. He wasn’t certain why the second-classes were treating him and Reyn so differently all of a sudden. “It’s fine, we’re cool now,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “So how about that bar? It would be awesome if we got there before those damn reporters found another way in.”

TBC


	58. Part 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 58

The bar was located a few blocks away from the spaceship station. First, they had walked through the underground passage, then resurfaced at the local public transport station. After that, it had taken them ten more minutes on foot to reach the bar. There was nothing exceptional about the outside of the bar. The inside was dimly lit but one could see that it was quite a shabby establishment, the peculiar acidic smell of something decomposing permeating the room. The soft, enthusiastic musical background reminded Goten of those old patriotic movies where Humans were shown winning wars over hordes of foes. They didn’t have much of a clientele, and the five Humans who were present seemed to be quite suspicious. The bar’s name sounded very common – _Two Dragons, Three Friends_ , or _Two Shields_ , or something of a similar manner, and it had already slipped Goten’s mind. The third-class presumed that the security agents had discovered this place during an arrest.

It served mostly strong drinks and when Goten asked if he could get some food, he was offered some kind of salted nuts. After looking at them in their worn bowl, Goten guessed that it was the nuts that were giving off that acidic smell. He refused politely. Reyn, though, had no problems ordering a large pot of coffee. The flight officer would have preferred something much stronger but figured that, due to the recent stress and weariness, he would simply pass out or, worse, beat someone up.

The three of them settled at the far corner of the bar, away from the door. Areno’s eyes went wide when Reyn started going through his wallet. He knew the higher class was rich, but it was something to behold when one could see their whole year’s pay in cash. And it was obviously meant only for everyday expenses.

“No, we didn’t rob a bank,” Goten said, easily guessing what the second-class was thinking when his wide eyes kept following Reyn’s wallet. In fact, Goten was also walking around with quite a large sum of cash. The amount was nowhere close to Reyn’s, but Goten felt unsafe carrying it around and wanted to transfer it back into his account as soon as possible before he lost or someone stole it.

Areno grinned. “Then what did you rob, Sir?”

Goten was about to offer a smartass comment including the national budget but then Reyn shook his head. “Nothing,” he said. “We are moving, so we withdrew some cash.”

Areno slurped at his beer and shrugged. It was stupid to travel with such an amount of cash but it wasn’t his business. He watched Goten unpin the medal from his uniform and turn it around in his hands curiously. There was the medal’s title and the name of Vegeta-sei on the front side. The reverse had the royal symbol. It bore no engraved name of an honored person. After a few moments of inspection, Goten pocketed the medal.

“Already bored with it?” Reyn asked. He lowered his head to look at his own shiny triangle piece of metal dangling on his chest. “Seriously, I’d have never thought I’d get a medal.”

Goten hummed quietly. “You could probably sell it and buy that sofa that you liked so much.”

Reyn gave him an insulted look and scratched at the medal with his fingernails. “I’ll never sell it. We did deserve them. Besides, I’ve got enough money to buy that sofa anyway.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “Show-off.” Maybe they had deserved these medals and maybe they had not. He wondered about that. Slowly, he sipped his beer. Despite his suspicions, the beer tasted passable. Apathetically, he stared at the froth clinging to the walls of the mug. If not for those weird dreams, he’d have never known what to do. Did having those dreams deserve an award? Kakarott had done most of the job and everything else had been a string of lucky coincidences. As per usual. It was incredible to what extent they had been lucky with how the whole situation had been resolved. So lucky that it was both amusing and scary. And, instead of explaining anything, Kakarott had done a runner. In fact, even more questions had accumulated. ‘ _Give regards to your father_ ’, Goten repeated Prince Vegeta’s words in his head. Next time he saw Kakarott, “regards” was not going to cut it. Damn bastard.

“It would be a pity to sell it, Sir,” Areno told Goten carefully after hesitating for a few moments. Frankly, he was appalled at the blasphemous idea of irresponsibly giving something away that had been gifted by the crown prince himself. Areno, though, wasn’t certain he was entitled to give an opinion. 

“Oh, right, that,” Goten grunted, raising his eyes off the mug. “Why do you keep calling us that? We don’t rank higher than you.” He grew confused when, after his words, Areno kept staring at him.

“Err…” the second-class blinked uncertainly. “But… Excuse me for saying so, Sirs, but I think that by this time everyone has figured out that you are elites working under cover.”

“Say what?” Goten managed dumbly while Reyn nearly choked on his coffee. It was clear now why the agents’ attitude had changed towards them so much and why Berlington had released them so quickly. Goten felt like face palming.

“I don’t want to pry, Sirs,” Areno continued, “but it is also the first time I’ve seen repainted tails. Does it happen often? I can’t imagine it being…comfortable. Not to mention…well…embarrassing?” 

Goten’s tail tightened around his waist protectively. It was no wonder that the agents had come to this conclusion – it was impossible for a second-class to stand up to a Leiador of such a caliber as the one in the conference hall; even the royal guards had been outmatched.

Amazing. Goten was impressed at the way he had figuratively climbed the social ladder. First, a second-class, now an elite. It was convenient as well. However, the problem was that pretending to be an elite was a treason punishable by death. Goten slurped some more of his beer moodily and reached out to ruffle through the fur on the tip of his tail. The idea itself of painting his tail seemed to be absurd.

“No, it doesn’t happen often,” Goten said. “Very rarely, to tell you the truth. It’s preposterous for an elite to mix with commoners.” He heard Reyn snort into his coffee. It was probably best, though, that they kept this illusion about them than try and explain the impossible – they weren’t going to stay on Bruminan for much longer anyway.

“Of course, Sir.”

“You stink of shit,” Reyn informed the other third-class after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

Goten glared at him. “So do you!”

Reyn shook his head. “No, not that, I mean you stink of cat shit.”

“Oh.” Goten lifted the front of his jacket and sniffed at his clothes. Uncertainly, he sniffed again. It was faint but it was somewhere there. Wondering, he pushed his chair back and took a look at himself. If anything, it had to be the trousers since he had taken his jacket off while washing Mr. Elite. Yet he couldn’t see anything on the blue material.

“It’s probably your boots.”

Goten raised his feet into the air and had to scrunch his nose – he had clearly stepped in something. “Why in the world didn’t you tell me sooner?” Goten grunted out miserably. “There I stood in front of Prince Vegeta stinking like a pile of shit!”

“Well…” Reyn drawled. “This war is a shitty situation in itself, so I don’t think he minded.”

“Screw you,” Goten muttered stubbornly, taking one more gulp from his mug.

“Is Reyn Dueri here?”

Everyone turned to the door where a Saiyan had appeared. The soft music continued to play in the background while everyone in the bar kept staring at the visitor quietly. It was a National Security agent. When no one answered, the agent repeated the question, louder this time.

“Maybe?” Goten answered vaguely. 

The agent’s eyes set on him but Goten had unclipped the National Security card from his chest as soon as he had escaped the conference hall.

“Is it you?”

“Hmm… Could be me,” Goten agreed. “Or could not be.”

“You got a call from Eiyan Dueri,” the agent said, looking at Goten, ignoring his words. “He says to call him back immediately.”

“Oh, fucking great,” Reyn cursed with a roll of his eyes. “The news must have spread; some phone drama to look forward to. Can’t he just keep experimenting on crops or something, that senile bastard?”

“Is that your father?” Goten wondered after the long tirade. Except for one or two times, Reyn didn’t talk about his father. Up until now, Goten hadn’t even known his name. He seemed to be a source of aggravation for the flight officer.

“Thanks,” Goten said with a nod at the agent’s back; he was already marching out of the door. 

“Is there a place I can make a call?” Reyn asked Areno. The second-class motioned at the bar, and Reyn shook his head. “No, a call that would not cost me half a year’s pay.”

Areno stood up. “There’s a post office near the station, Sir. They’ve got terminals there. You’ll still have to pay a certain fee, Sir.”

Reyn nodded, and the two of them walked away. Goten was left alone at the table with their half-finished drinks but, as usual, he was alone not for long. His invigorating plans to take a short nap in the corner alongside the wall were thwarted by Raidri, whose shift had ended just a few minutes ago. If he was disappointed that he had just missed Reyn and Areno, he didn’t show it. He went to get a tumbler of beer and settled opposite Goten comfortably. The third-class had a feeling that, bit by bit, as the sleeping hours drew closer, more people were going to gather.

“To you and Reyn, Sir!” he said raising the tumbler to salute Goten. He lifted the beer to his mouth and inhaled half of it at once.

“Um, thanks,” Goten agreed, impressed by the sight.

“That was the first time I saw a Leiador die so fast, Sir!” Raidri said excitedly, lowering his tumbler back onto the table with a loud thud. “Most remarkable!”

Goten answered the compliment meant for Reyn with an amiable smile and toasted Raidri back with his empty mug. “So what about the conference?” he asked. “Are they going to reschedule it or cancel it altogether?”

Raidri gave a rather curious look to Goten. “Sir, I don’t think we can afford to cancel at this stage, can we?”

“I suppose not,” Goten agreed. “It’s tomorrow then, isn’t it?” he ventured a guess.

The security agent nodded. “Same time, same place, Sir. They are repairing the wall now.”

“Splendid,” Goten muttered darkly. He wasn’t even certain why he suddenly felt helpless. He was probably just too tired. The other man gave him a questioning look but Goten answered it with an uncertain shrug.

“More beer, Sir?” Raidri suggested when Goten tapped his empty mug. “My treat, Sir.”

Goten moved his hand away from the mug; he had not even been aware that he had been touching it. “No, thank you. One more sip and I’ll be down under the table.” All he wanted now was to wash off the stench and go to bed. He doubted that was going to happen any time soon, though.

“Tired?” Raidri asked sympathetically.

Goten nodded.

Confused, Goten blinked at Reyn, who was bent towards him. “Uhh…” Goten rubbed at his face blinking while Reyn sat down at his side. He looked around the bar. “I nodded off, didn’t I?”

“More like ‘slipped into a coma’,” the flight officer said. “I’ve been trying to wake you up for nearly a minute.”

“Ah.” Goten shifted in his seat, reclining. “Where are those two?” he asked when he noticed that it was only him and Reyn at the table.

“Areno went to order something, and Raidri is in the toilets.”

Goten felt like he was going to fall asleep again, and shook his head, yawning, trying to ease the irresistible pull at least a little bit. “So what did he want?”

Reyn frowned at once. “The usual,” he spat. “He bitched and moaned an awful lot about me leaving the ship and coming here without informing him. Then he kept on whining and complaining about you.”

“Why?”

“He is certain that we’ll kill each other. And it was his own stupid coworkers that put us together on _Starcut_ in the first place!” 

“Did he confirm that?”

“Um, no. I don’t think anyone told him. Well, who else? I bet it was some nice experiment for them! Those shits!”

Goten shrugged. At this moment he didn’t even care about those conspiring bastards. He leaned his head against the wall.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, just tired. Can barely keep my eyes open.”

“My shoulder is probably softer than that wall.”

Goten opened one eye to give said shoulder an evaluating look. “Hardly. And you look no less haggard than I feel.”

Reyn agreed to the words with one last sip from his already empty coffee mug. He spat the coffee granules back into the mug. He felt Goten pat his shoulder in a testing manner, then the other third-class’s head thumped against him.

“We make such a cute couple,” Reyn couldn’t help chuckling. Fondly, he patted the back of Goten’s head.

“Fuck off and keep still.”

ooOoOoOoo

Half-asleep, they had managed to stagger to their room somehow. Goten had been ready to beat into a pulp all those who would stand between him and his bed. Curiously, there was no one besieging their room, there was no one present in the corridor at all. Goten stared at Reyn, who was going through his pockets in search of the keycard.

“Faster,” he moaned impatiently. He was going to sleep for a week. No, two!

The door finally opened and Goten half-fell and half-swam into the room. He dove into the first soft thing that entered his vision, which happened to be the carpet. The third-class hugged it lovingly and claimed it as his forever.

“Are you really alright?” Reyn wondered at the peculiar sight.

Nearly asleep, the younger third-class rubbed his cheek against the carpet. “No, but I will be after a day’s rest.”

“Goten.”

Even if not intended for him, the voice commanded Reyn’s whole presence. Alarmed, he raised his head to look deeper into the room. They had been too tired to take notice of the dim lights that had already been on when they entered. A purple-haired man was sitting on the chair in the corner, next to the window. The man rose slowly and Reyn tensed up. The blue-eyed gaze slid past Reyn not really taking him in and concentrated on Goten still sprawled on the carpet.

Reyn found Goten’s reaction to the purple-haired man, to put it mildly, strange. He seemed to be stunned at first, then shot to his feet so fast that he fell over again. Just before he flopped over, the expression on his face had started to turn into something Reyn had never seen before.

“Sir?” the third-class mumbled, clumsily getting to his feet. “Your Highness,” he corrected himself quickly.

Approaching, the prince threw a quick look at Reyn. “‘ _Sir_ ’ will do just fine.”

“Sir, what are you doing here?”

The question was absolutely valid and made sense and, while waiting for Goten to show up, the prince had asked himself the same exact question at least ten times. It had only made him angry. “You need to ask?” he snorted. “You disappear from _Starcut_ and then, voila – you’re a national hero!”

“Oh, that. Pure luck, Sir,” Goten said convincingly. He patted his pocket with the medal, then patted it again just to make sure the medal was still there; it was. Then, he pulled it out of his pocket and proffered it to the prince for inspection. “I got a medal,” he said, proud.

“Good for you,” the prince spat. “You seem to have a knack for saving princes. I think this is the third time already? You can make this your occupation.”

Stuffing the medal back into his pocket, Goten gave him a bright smile. “You think so, Sir? Would it pay well?”

“Stop this crap this instant!” the prince ordered, suddenly enraged.

“Sir?” Reyn tried to pacify the man, not certain what the exchange was about. “Let’s calm down here, shall we?”

“Well, what the hell do you want me to say?” Goten hissed back at the prince.

“The truth!” The stormy blue eyes bore into Goten’s, then he turned to Reyn. “Could you leave us for a moment? Sir?” he added, glancing at the flight officer’s shoulders.

Reyn turned to Goten, who met his eyes uncertainly then gave a hardly discernible nod. Reyn grunted in disbelief. “Where the hell am I supposed to go?” he muttered, walking back to the door.

Goten looked guilty and lost, and the prince took pity on both of them: “To the lobby?” he offered. “They are watching football there.”

Reyn turned around to give him a look. Then he nodded. “What the hell is ‘football’ anyway?” he muttered, slamming the door shut.

“Fucking hell,” Goten said, flopping onto the nearest bed. He covered his face with his hands. That, however, didn’t make the prince in front of him disappear. “Why are you here?”

“You’re as respectful to your superiors as ever” the prince said sarcastically.

Goten moved his hands away from his face and opened his mouth with the intention of telling the prince to finally decide whether he was his superior officer or his… At that point, his thought broke off and Goten giggled hysterically. He stared at the prince’s surprised face for a few moments then sighed.

The prince was much more real than Goten remembered him. There was something painful about him being so real. He wore his beloved jeans and the black denim jacket. His hair had become considerably longer and it was obvious that the prince was growing it back out – he was going to pull it into a ponytail as he used to. He carried no guns and wore no jewelry. There was no indication that he was the second heir to the throne of Vegeta-sei. The white tip of his tail, though, was demonstratively on display. 

The third-class rubbed at his temples, trying to ease the horrible headache behind his eyes. Reyn knew now. The flight officer was no fool and had it all figured out. Goten felt both terrified and relieved.

“I think we need to talk, Goten.”

Goten shivered at the way his name rolled off the prince’s tongue. “Must it be now, Sir?” he said with a soft groan. “I’m dead tired. My head’s bursting and I can’t think.”

The prince ignored Goten’s complaints. He leaned against the wall opposite Goten’s bed. “Dueri,” he said, motioning at the door with his head, “what’s he to you?”

“Ah, shit,” Goten said, his headache intensifying tenfold. In the past, he had believed that if he met the prince later, it would all be different. He would be wiser, more experienced, and more self-confident. He would just be more of everything than he was back then. He couldn’t have been more wrong. 

“Well?” the prince demanded impatiently. He already knew the answer. Furious, he waited for Goten to spit it out.

“My boyfriend,” Goten said obediently, not quite daring to look into the lavender-haired man’s eyes.

The prince looked around for something to launch at the third-class. And that was after all the effort he had put into making sure this brainless idiot didn’t forget him, after all the meaningful conversations, after all attempts to make it clear that…that…he had to wait for him! The prince’s finger’s wrapped around the wall sconce but the absurd end of the sentence in his head made him falter. He turned back to Goten, who was staring at the light fixture apprehensively. When it stayed attached to the wall, Goten’s attention concentrated back on him. 

The prince was thinking, his angry eyes keeping Goten hostage. Without the prince noticing, his fingers were rapping onto the metallic base of the wall sconce. While waiting for Goten to return to the hotel room, he had looked around. He had seen about a month’s food supplies, and he had also discovered a cat which, despite all of his suspicions and interpretations, appeared to be nothing more than a common cat. He had also found the cookbook. It was still there, amongst Goten’s very few belongings. And it looked worn, the inscription page strewn with fatty and dirty fingerprints. 

He knew it all, all Goten’s fears and insecurities. He knew them all because he had exactly the same fears and insecurities. And what he did not know, he could presume.

“I am not going to let go of you,” the prince said, finally.

With a loud groan, Goten flopped onto his back, the bed giving a painful wooden shriek. “You’re insane,” he said. “I’m a fucking third-class, you’re a fucking prince of the fucking Empire, and we’re in the fucking middle of a fucking war! None of that has changed!”

“You do have a way with words,” the prince complimented him with a snicker. He crossed his arms, settling his back more comfortably against the wall. The wisest solution was to retreat, and yet, he was not going to give any of them the satisfaction. Not Goten, not to this damn Reyn, not to himself. To no one, to absolutely no one. Goten was going nowhere. “So nothing has changed except for you getting a boyfriend,” he concluded, watching Goten.

The third-class gave the ceiling a disbelieving look. “I can’t believe we’re even discussing this.”

“You’d better believe it.”

“And what the fuck are you gonna do?!” Goten growled at him, sitting up, flailing his arms about. “Introduce me to everyone as your third-class fuck-buddy and then watch it all collapse around us? Or will you be hiding me in your toilets until we get bored and tired of each other? What the hell is wrong with you?!”

The prince was taken aback by the vehement string of harshly truthful words and his face turned red in helpless anger. This was not how he had imagined his reunion with Goten. This was not what he had expected to hear. Even if it was no surprise and he did know that the third-class had always thought something along those lines, he had not expected Goten to voice it all. Instead, he had foolishly hoped that the third-class would be so happy about seeing him that he would be at a loss for words. As if. Goten was flinging words left and right. Hurtful words, at that. And he had been looking forward to so many possibilities, to so many opportunities before coming to Bruminan.

“You did keep the cookbook,” the prince said softly after the silence had lasted for quite a while, Goten just staring at him accusingly.

“Shit.” Goten rolled his eyes upwards as if expecting to receive some kind of divine help from the ceiling. “Stop it. I thought about it long and…and very long and it won’t work. Let’s just leave it at that.” 

“Yeah?” The prince shook his head. “I know it’s not going to be easy but I refuse to give up. I wanted to take you to Earth. There…”

“You’re insane,” Goten repeated, interrupting him. “We are in the middle of a war and even if we weren’t, it’s just…insane!”

“It’s one of the possibilities.”

“There are no possibilities!” Goten yelled at him, his suddenly shrill voice echoing through the room. “None!”

“Do you like him?” 

The prince was aware of the effort it took the other man not to tell him to go fuck himself. Goten had pressed his lips together and just stared at him, agitated. He had missed pissing Goten off. The problem was that this was not the thing he wanted Goten to be pissed about.

“Yes, I do,” Goten said finally. “I said that already during that call.”

“Do you like him more than me?”

“Fuck you!” Goten exploded, grabbing and throwing a pillow from the bed at the prince. “Why are you doing this?!” Panting in agitation, he suddenly didn’t know which he wanted more: to strangle this damn lunatic or to press him to the wall and fuck him senseless. 

The pillow hit the prince in the face but he paid it no attention, his stormy, blue eyes concentrated on the third-class. His skin felt hot under Goten’s gaze and he knew perfectly well the thoughts that were whirling in the third-class’s head. And then the spell was broken, Goten lowering his eyes and turning his head slightly aside. 

“I’m not going to leave him,” Goten said softly.

The prince stared at him quietly, then turned and started walking towards the door. “We’ll see,” he said, opening it.

“Don’t you dare!” Goten shouted after him but the only answer he got was the door slamming shut.

ooOoOoOoo

So that was Goten’s elite.

Reyn saluted the purple-haired man, who was passing the reception. It seemed that whatever Goten and he had wanted to discuss had been discussed. The man, though, seemed to be disgruntled and acknowledged him with a curt nod. On the other hand, Reyn hadn’t even expected to be acknowledged. He watched two bulky elites leave their seats at the TV and follow him outside. The bodyguards.

From the details that Goten had given about his hypothetical boyfriends, he had been under the impression that one had to be an important elite, but a prince, the youngest Vegeta of Vegeta House...? Everything just had to be complicated with Goten, complicated to an impossible level. How did he even manage to catch the prince’s attention? Maybe it wasn’t such a big mystery anymore as to how and why Prince Vegeta knew Goten.

Huffing in annoyance, Reyn set off back to the hotel room. Goten was full of shit and the situation was simply absurd. He was angry with Goten, angry to the point that he was going to sock him once or twice and yet… 

Those damn hypothetical boyfriends had turned out to be more real than he would have ever suspected. And he had never demanded Goten give up and forgot them, he had only insisted that he might have forgotten them by the time they met again. That turned out to be a big, fat lie.

The room was empty when Reyn entered but he could hear the sound of the shower coming from the bathroom. He locked the door, stepped forward and tripped over a pillow on the floor. Cursing, he stood up and reached out for the switch to increase the light. Tossing the pillow back onto the bed where it belonged, the flight officer looked around. It was dark outside and he went to close the blinds even though he was almost certain that the window pane was made of glass that was impossible to see through from the outside. The yellow, decorative curtains seemed to be useless against the light and Reyn just left them at that. Then, trying not to think about the mussed up bed or mysteriously airborne pillows, he sat down on the free bed and waited.

Goten was taking too long. 

When Reyn entered the bathroom, he was taken aback by the sight before him: Goten was half-sitting and half-lying in the shower, a blue puddle spreading underneath his naked and unmoving body. The water was spraying around him, the air steamed up, the mirror next to the shower covered in dew.

Forcefully, Reyn had to remind himself that Saiyan blood was red and not blue. He shook off the initial affright and rushed to Goten’s side to rouse him.

“Mnn?”

“Don’t sleep here, you idiot.”

Goten raised his head to give the flight officer a sleepy yawn. He was warm and comfortable. “Mnnyy?”

“What the hell is this thing?” Reyn grunted when the blue color underneath Goten intensified. He pushed the other third-class sideways to discover the source of the dye. It was an overflowing jar of something that his scouter identified to be _Moon Bath Salts_. Reyn shoved it to the farthest corner of the shower so that the water didn’t reach it.

“Meow!”

“Oh, shut up,” Reyn said to Mr. Elite, who was staring at him from the towel that had been swaddled around the heater to make a warm and soft cat bed. The cat seemed to be dry already. “I’ve got other things to do.” He turned the shower off and grabbed one of the towels from the rack. He somehow managed to lift and swaddle Goten into it without stumbling and falling into the shower.

Goten was trying to be cooperative from what Reyn could see and yet the younger third-class nearly ripped the bathroom door off when his towel got caught on the doorknob. Finally, Reyn got them to their mutilated bed. Goten fell asleep as soon as he was laid horizontally. Reyn cursed a few times then went to turn the lights off. He shed his uniform, then thought for a moment, and ended up settling into the same bed as Goten; Kakarott’s mussed up bed or Almanda’s abandoned air mattress didn’t seem to be appealing at all.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten woke up barely in time. He shot out of bed, took a second or two to remember where he was, then launched himself towards the bathroom. Reyn grimaced at the sound of retching and covered his head with the duvet.

“Meow.”

Something fell onto the duvet and Reyn pushed it off his head to meet Mr. Elite’s fluffy backside. The cat turned around, sniffed at his face, then meowed again.

Reyn sighed. “Hungry, aren’t you?” He turned to the window but, with the blinds down, it was impossible to tell what time of day it was. Besides, it was not as if he knew the planet’s rhythm. Yet it seemed like light was trying to seep through the blinds.

He fed the cat and went to check on Goten, whose prolonged stay in the bathroom was worrying. He found the other third-class sitting next to the porcelain throne. Goten had put a towel underneath his behind so that the cold tiles didn’t freeze his ass off. He had also wrapped himself in a bigger towel and poured himself a cup of water. The cup was obviously meant for storing toothbrushes but Reyn doubted that Goten knew or cared. The younger man looked pale and sick.

“I’m sorry,” Goten muttered, pressing the cup with the cold water to his forehead.

Reyn stared at him for a few moments, then sighed. “You’re worse than a pregnant female,” he said, sitting down next to Goten.

Goten chuckled weakly. “I’m really sorry,” he repeated. He flinched when Reyn’s hand settled onto his back. He tensed but it only drew a few soothing circles then stayed there, supporting him. That made Goten feel even guiltier. He’d have preferred Reyn hitting him over this.

Goten hadn’t believed that they would meet again. He had hoped to, of course, had imagined it happen in his wildest dreams but hadn’t believed it really would. Those had just been harmless fantasies. 

And yet they met. Unlike Goten had feared, they hadn’t turned out to be enemies either. However, the reunion went horribly wrong. All of what Goten could remember now seemed like a staged play – it was as if the two of them had been trapped in one of those large domed squares that Humans so loved. A bull and a performer with a red cape – that was what the two of them had turned out to be. 

It was all so stupid. He was already regretting so many things that he had said to the prince. He had told the truth but…should have been kinder, should have found different words. He had really been happy to see the prince. Terrified too, but mostly happy. And yet his words had been offensive, cruel. On the other hand, it was probably for the best. Was it possible to convey what he wanted to convey in any other way?

Goten wasn’t meeting his eyes. Reyn patted his back again. He could presume what Goten was thinking, and it wasn’t as if he couldn’t understand the reason. It pissed him off, of course, and yet he could understand.

The younger male’s face frowned in discomfort and he bent over the toilet again. Uncertain, Reyn watched him for a few moments then left the bathroom. Pushing the cat off the duvet, he slipped back into the warm bed; he had checked the clock and it was still early. They should have left the hotel room before those reporters besieged them again but with Goten like that, it was impossible.

At some point, he became vaguely aware of the bed moving when Goten joined him, then fell asleep again.

ooOoOoOoo

They woke up to something crashing somewhere.

“Lights!”

“That won’t work,” Reyn muttered, turning to his side, trying to spot the source of the noise.

Disoriented, Goten blinked at the dark room. Right. He was on Bruminan, in their hotel room.

“It’s that stupid cat,” Reyn said, having found the problem. “He pushed the lamp off the desk.”

“Meow.”

After discovering that the previously useless bodies were animated again, the cat jumped off the desk and to the floor, then jumped onto their bed. 

“He’s probably hungry again,” Reyn decided when Mr. Elite let out another demanding meow.

“Where does he put all that food?” Goten grunted in disbelief.

“In the same place where you put yours. The toilet,” the flight officer clarified. He got up and, with the cat in tow, went to the bags of food that were stored in the wardrobe. He found the bag with the cat’s food, fished out a roast chicken leg and lowered it into the ashtray that they were using as a bowl for the cat. Mr. Elite tore into the chicken as if he hadn’t been fed for days. 

Reyn headed to the bathroom, then returned and went to the window. “How do you feel?” he asked, opening the blinds. The light flooded the room.

Goten snuggled deeper into the bedding. “Better.” 

“Good,” Reyn said, returning to the bed. He took his scouter from the bedside cabinet and checked the time. It was nearly eleven in the morning. Wondering what they were supposed to do now, he sat down on the bed. They had no orders to follow but they had to somehow return to _Starcut_. Gods only knew how all of this was going to turn out. They had followed the “orders” that Goten’s friend from National Security issued and it was very likely that, by this time, it was clear that they had been forged. Now it depended on National Security to sort it out. He had told him not to, but his father might create quite a commotion and try to separate the two of them.

Goten’s arms wrapped around the older male’s bare back and chest, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Mmm?” Reyn hummed when he felt Goten’s chin rest on his left shoulder. It was rare for Goten to be so affectionate. It was pleasant to feel the warmth spreading from Goten’s body into his.

“What time is it?”

“Eleven.”

Goten muttered something, his breath tickling Reyn’s ear. The younger man hugged him firmer and suddenly all Reyn was capable of thinking was that Goten was completely naked under the duvet. He ran his palm along Goten’s left arm. Goten’s lips pressed to his shoulder to leave a damp spot there, then moved to the side of his neck. 

Not letting go of Goten’s arm, Reyn turned around and toppled them onto the bedding. He pushed the duvet away and his hand slipped in between them to grasp Goten. He was already at half-mast. He stroked lightly, making Goten squirm underneath him. Reyn lowered his head with the intention to kiss Goten but the younger male pushed at his chest lightly, not letting their lips meet.

“Better not,” he said. “Unless you want to taste yesterday’s vomit.”

The flight officer rolled his eyes, yet was grateful for the warning. He continued to stroke Goten while the younger man just lay on his back and watched him. After a few moments, Goten’s left hand settled on his shoulder, the other slipping south. It brushed past Reyn’s hand, slipped into his underwear, and seized the hardening cock there. He gave it a few strokes, trying to adjust to the older man’s rhythm, but it was uncomfortable and Reyn moved aside to slip out of his underwear. Goten’s palm wrapped around Reyn’s jutting length again and started pumping it. The flight officer returned to his task as well and they set up a very comfortable pace.

Lightheaded, Goten closed his eyes. His fingers were gripping the older man’s shoulder firmly, nails leaving crescent marks. He could feel heat spreading all over his body quickly, though mostly around his cock and the upper part of his chest, close to his neck. He hummed softly in pleasure and a warning – he was about to come. Reyn’s hand slowed down a little. It felt frustrating for a few moments, then Goten’s body adjusted to the slower rhythm.

There was desperation in Goten’s hold on him, in the way his unsatisfied body strained against his. Reyn refused to care. Goten had opened his eyes again but was avoiding looking at him, his dazed stare directed somewhere above his shoulder. 

This was a bit of payback.

Yet, Reyn could not prolong this even if he wanted – he was about to come as well; Goten was stroking him faster in hopes of receiving the same treatment. Disengaging himself from Goten’s hands, Reyn leaned away and kneeled in between the younger man’s legs. He continued stroking Goten for a few seconds, then brushed over the oozing slit with his other hand. After wetting his digits, he slipped them in between Goten’s buttocks. At the feeling of them slipping inside, Goten’s mouth fell open in a soft gasp. He was coming the next second, his body clamping down onto the invasive fingers. Reyn’s fingers were forcefully massaging his prostate and Goten kept coming for a while. Finally, he relaxed into the bedding, opening his eyes to give the flight officer a foolishly satisfied grin. 

During his orgasm, Goten had spread his legs wider. Reyn’s fingers were still moving inside him and it felt nice. Reyn, though, was obviously far from comfortable: his red swollen cock was straining against his stomach, drooling with precome. 

Goten raised himself up onto his elbows and Reyn’s fingers slipped out of him. With his legs at Reyn’s sides, Goten sat up. Figuring out what Goten intended to do, Reyn shifted closer to him so that his cock was at about the same level as the younger man’s face.

“Shit,” Reyn muttered when Goten’s mouth engulfed the head of his penis. Goten’s skill at oral was hardly passable but it felt like the best blowjob of his life – Reyn was too far gone and it only took a few clumsy licks and sucks and he was coming. Goten managed to move his head aside in time but not before getting a shot on his chest. 

With a loud, content huff, Reyn flopped next to Goten. The younger man shifted closer to him, their shoulders and arms touching. Goten lazily groped around the bed but the only suitable object he discovered was Reyn’s underwear. Deciding it was good enough, he started wiping his chest and stomach.

The sexual satisfaction was quickly giving way to uncertainty. Reyn was annoyed. He realized that he might have taken advantage of the younger male, but he didn’t feel guilty in the least. Goten was too obvious with the way he was acting. This was hardly about their relationship, it was more about Goten clinging to something known, something familiar. The third-class was holding onto his sense of security, his last shred of sense. 

“Is he a fucking idiot?” Reyn gritted out finally, his patience snapping. “What business does he have chasing a third-class? Is this his idea of a joke? And you? What the fuck do you think you’re doing, messing around with a damn Vegeta?”

Goten closed his eyes; he had been dreading this conversation. Reyn was right. Of course, he was right. Even the prince would think he was right if he heard him.

“I told him to forget it,” Goten said after a spell of silence. “Nothing will come out of it.”

“I gather he wasn’t happy about it,” Reyn grunted, remembering the prince’s discontent face just before he left the hotel.

Goten’s lips twitched. “That’s putting it mildly,” he said, fighting the stupidly worried grin off his face; he simply didn’t know how to react to their confrontation. “He said something about…” Goten trailed off. It was probably unwise to tell Reyn what exactly the prince had said. Reyn could be quite vindictive and the last thing they needed was Reyn confronting the prince over something he had foolishly said in the heat of a fight. That would not end well at all.

“So what did he say?” Reyn asked impatiently.

“Umm… He said he would think about it.”

Reyn sputtered in disbelief. “That’s one insane fucker.”

“Well, I did tell you that he is quite selfish.”

“He’s not selfish, he’s just plain stupid! Wait till Prince Vegeta finds out. And did you tell him how it ended for your brother?”

Goten flinched. “Ugh.”

Reyn rubbed at his face with his hands in frustration; he knew he was being mean now. “Ah, shit, sorry.”

“It’s fine. You’re right.”

In silence, they lay in the bed and stared at the ceiling. “Let’s leave here,” Reyn suggested suddenly. “Let’s leave as soon as possible.”

“How? Where to?”

“To _Starcut_ , of course. Ask your friend to transfer us back.”

Goten shook his head. “I can’t do that. It’s very likely that I’ve already gotten him in trouble for sending us here. And I’m not even sure if we’re still friends. He found out that I’m a third-class, remember?”

Reyn cursed softly. 

TBC


	59. Part 59

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.  
>  **A/N: thanks for my friend White_Youkai for the idea with the cockbook.**

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 59

Goten shifted lightly, and, expectantly, Reyn turned to look at the bed. The younger male slept on. Reyn approached the bed and shook him again, but that gave no results. For the last six hours, Goten hadn’t reacted to any attempts to rouse him. 

They had taken a shower in turns, then had gone through their supplies and had a satisfying breakfast. At around one o’clock, Reyn had visited the bathroom, and when he returned, Goten was already asleep on the bed with his uniform on. Now it was almost seven in the evening, and the younger third-class showed no intention of waking up.

At first glance, it didn’t seem that there was something wrong with Goten: his breathing was deep and regular, his skin color looked healthy, his body temperature seemed to be normal. It was exactly the same as Reyn remembered it happening on _Starcut_ – Goten just slept and was completely oblivious of his surroundings.

Reyn wasn’t certain what he was supposed to do. As far as he remembered, Tamahi hadn’t been able to help Goten; the doctor had just let him sleep. When Goten had finally woken up, he had woken up on his own, and there had been no damage. Yet, the flight officer could not help but feel anxious.

ooOoOoOoo

Something touched Goten’s face, and he hummed in response to the soft caress. He was still half-asleep, teetering between falling back into a deep sleep and rousing from it. Then something cold wrapped around his right wrist and he shivered at the unpleasant feeling it caused. He opened his eyes to see shadows drifting in the dark room. Completely disoriented, he tried to understand where he was or what was happening, then something fluffy pressed against his face.

Was that a pillow?

It took him a few seconds to understand that someone was trying to murder him. He tried to push the pillow off his face, but his arms were restrained. Kicking out gave no result either as weights suddenly pushed his legs down. The lack of oxygen was already burning his lungs, but when he tried to power up, instead of gathering and increasing, his ki kept dissipating as soon as it rose up to a certain point.

That was how ki-cuffs worked. 

Goten continued struggling, his movements more and more desperate until they turned into spasmodic seizures. His lungs were on fire. He was already faint. It was a horrible way to die but he wasn’t really aware that he was dying, the adrenaline and panic overruling his brain and body. 

His last disjointed thought was that this was probably exactly how Gohan had died.

Goten lay in the bed, unmoving, his glassy eyes open, his heart still, body cooling.

“How long are you going to lie there?”

The third-class turned his head to the side, towards the familiar voice. It was Gohan. No, it was the imposter with his painted-on face and his transparent body. The imposter was glowing in the completely dark room. None of them were supposed to be here – Goten could tell that instinctively. The third-class gave the imposter a long, confused look, then turned his head back and continued staring up into the darkness. They were not supposed to be here.

Wasn’t he dead?

Obviously, he wasn’t. Tentatively, Goten moved his hands. The room went bright suddenly, the darkness dissipating in a flash. Blinking, Goten rolled out of the bed quickly and looked around. There were four male Saiyans in the room. All of them were elites, and Goten knew two of them: Berada and Ealdira. He had barely talked to Berada, who, under the prince’s orders, had seen him to the headquarters of the National Air Force. He remembered Ealdira much better from his visit to the officer school – he used to be the prince’s mentor and rumor had it that they shared a bed. 

There was his body lying on the bed. He was covered up to his chest by a duvet. The pillow was back under his head and one of the unnamed elites was taking the ki-cuff off his limp wrist. Fascinated, Goten stared at his dead body – he was unfamiliar with afterlife or ghosts in general. He didn’t believe in them. Not exactly, at least.

Goten’s eyes left his body and took in the rest of the room. He could hear the Saiyans talking, arguing about something, but his mind failed to grasp what it was about. The room was quite large, the furniture wooden. A big mirror hung on the wall near the door while one of the other walls was taken up by a gigantic TV screen. Very expensive. There was also an open window with softly moving curtains at each side. Since it was dark outside, and the lights in the room were on, Goten wasn’t able to see out of it. The air coming from outside smelled of rain and trees, though. It was a heavenly combination, and Goten inhaled deeper.

“You can’t avoid this one.”

Goten turned to the imposter. “What do you mean?”

The imposter’s transparent hand motioned at the dead body on the bed. “This will happen one way or another.”

Frowning, Goten stared at his body. “So you mean I’ll die no matter what?”

The imposter shrugged. “This is absolute – you can’t escape this. Whether you die or not… No matter which reality you take, all of them come down to this.”

“You aren’t making much sense.”

The imposter shook his head, his face blurring even more. “You can feel it too, can’t you?”

Quietly, Goten stared at his body on the bed. He nodded. “So just like that? In my sleep?”

“Yes.”

The third-class turned to the imposter. “Was it the same for Gohan? Did he know how he was going to die?”

“Yes.”

“And he couldn’t do anything?” The imposter was quiet and Goten grunted impatiently. “Tell me!”

“He could and he almost did but it wasn’t enough.”

“Same is for me, isn’t it?”

“Same was for your grandfather.”

Surprised, Goten frowned. He suddenly whirled around, throwing his arms apart. “What is this? Why is this?” he demanded in a growl.

The imposter spread his arms apart as well. “This is a reality, one of them. Why…?” He seemed to be confused for a moment. “This is our contract. Don’t you remember?”

Goten laughed, then he was suddenly in front of the imposter, grabbing him. His hands went right through the invisible body. “Fuck!” Goten growled, enraged. He tried to hit the blurry shape in front of him, but it was in vain. “Do you think I’d be asking if I remembered?!” he yelled. “Stop fucking around!”

“Goten?”

“Not now, goddamnit!”

“Goten, wake up finally!”

“Not now!”

With a gasp, Goten sat up in the bed. He was holding his palm over his burning left cheek. “Why did you wake me up?!” he demanded, glaring at a wide-eyed Reyn. “I almost…” confused, Goten trailed off. “I almost…” His brain squeaked in effort, trying to decipher the jumble of information that he knew was very important but suddenly made no sense. “I almost…” 

Bewildered, Goten gave the other third-class a helpless look. Reyn just shook his head at him. The flight officer stood up and went to the bathroom to get a cup of water. When he returned, Goten was still in the bed, rubbing his left cheek; Reyn had hit him hard.

“Was it one of those?” Reyn asked, holding out the drinking cup for the other third-class.

Nodding, Goten grabbed at it greedily. Closing his eyes, he sipped at the water and swallowed. With recent irregular eating patterns, sleep, and sickness, he was dehydrated and the lukewarm tap water felt like it was the nectar of the gods. In greedy gulps, he emptied the cup and held it back out for Reyn.

“More?” he asked.

When Goten nodded, the flight officer took it and went for a refill. He thought that they needed to go to the cafeteria before it was closed and get something warm and worthwhile to eat instead of all the dried, smoked, or processed food that they had stocked up on. Yet, Goten seemed to abhor the local cuisine.

“Do you remember the dream?” Reyn asked, watching Goten finish up the second cup. It was probably pointless to ask, though. From the confusion he had seen on Goten’s face earlier, he could guess that the third-class didn’t remember a thing.

“Someone killed me in my sleep,” Goten muttered, pushing the empty cup back into Reyn’s hands.

“Say what?” Reyn frowned at the younger man. “Did you see who did it?”

Goten exhaled and lay down. “I saw their faces but I can’t remember who they were. I think I know them, though.”

“How many were there of them? Who?”

Goten’s eyes darkened unpleasantly. “I think three or four. I said I can’t remember who. They used a damn pillow and a ki-cuff. Fucking ridiculous.”

Thinking, Reyn sat down on the bed next to Goten. “Where did it happen?”

At first, it seemed that Goten wouldn’t remember, then his face smoothed out. “Some kind of a luxurious room. It smelled like rain.”

The flight officer gave him a confused look. “Rain?”

Goten nodded. It meant that it was going to happen on some kind of a planet instead of a spaceship. Rain was quite a rare occurrence on most planets. 

“Any idea when?”

Goten shook his head. “No.”

Further attempts to extract something else from Goten’s memory proved to be futile and it was decided that the best course of action right now was to have dinner. Goten agreed with Reyn’s idea concerning warm food instantly. He dressed and, leaving Mr. Elite slumbering on their bed, they left for the cafeteria.

The cat, as far as either of them could tell, was perfectly fine. He seemed to have gotten used to them as well, especially, for some reason, to Reyn. Twice, Mr. Elite had tried to get outside the hotel room but meowing at the top of his lungs and scratching the door only earned him a flying boot aimed at his back. Mr. Elite got the hint quickly and contented himself with sleeping on one of the beds or in the warm bathroom.

It was ten o’clock in the evening and the cafeteria was closed. No surprise there. Reyn led Goten to the McDonalds that he had visited with Kakarott. They ordered the food, picked it up, and carried their trays to one of the free tables in the middle of the dining hall. There weren’t many customers in the hall. At first glance, those who were present were either passengers waiting for their late-hour flights, or some kind of officers. There was also a very young Human couple sitting near the door, oblivious of their surroundings. They were holding hands and drinking soda from one large cup while using two straws.

Discreetly, Reyn pointed them out for Goten, then motioned at his cup. “Want to share?”

Goten looked at the couple, then at Reyn’s mug. “Go to hell. That’s freaking embarrassing!”

Reyn chuckled. “Yeah,” he agreed. Trying not to shake anything out of it, he picked his burger up and gave it an evaluating look. It was large and smelled of strange synthetic material. “How do you eat this?” he wondered, turning it this way and that. “All the vegetables are just going to fall out of it.”

“Prhrmhm?”

The flight officer raised his head to look at Goten, who had already chowed down most of his burger. The table in front of him was strewn with drips of sauce, half-bitten pieces of cucumber, and onions.

“Well, you’ve always been a pig,” Reyn concluded, concentrating back on his burger. He wasn’t going to buy this again. At least they could have given him a knife to cut it into smaller pieces.

“Yrmh now hrim?”

Chewing, Reyn gave Goten a questioning look. With his free hand, the other third-class was pointing at something on his left. The flight-officer followed the gesture to meet a curious stare. It was a Leiador. Not one he could remember, though. The Leiador gave him an acknowledging nod and Reyn found himself nodding as well to return the respect shown. He and Goten were famous now.

“Huh,” Reyn muttered uncomfortably and took another bite of his burger. In fact, he had been a little surprised when no one bothered them in their hotel room. Keeping in mind how insistent the chaotic swarm of reporters had been, it was even a little bit mysterious. Unless, something much more interesting had happened, of which neither he nor Goten was aware. Reyn also had another theory explaining the phenomenon – the prince’s bodyguards. It was probably farfetched but he suspected that it was the prince who had gotten rid of the reporters in the hotel. The thought annoyed Reyn.

“How did the conference go?” Goten asked, licking his fingers. Then he spotted the napkins on the tray and took them.

“Oh, the conference,” Reyn muttered. He had completely forgotten about it. “I have no idea. I was kinda busy worrying about your regular hibernation.” Right, the reporters might have gone to hunt after information from the conference.

“Hmm…” Goten mumbled, reaching out for his soda. “Think we could ask Raidri or Areno?”

“They creep me out.”

Goten rolled his eyes at his cup of soda. “It’s not their fault they think we’re elites,” he said after taking a few sips through the straw. “Why the hell can’t they drink it normally?” he wondered, removing the lid. “It’s not like we’ve got zero gravity in here.”

Reyn shrugged. He pointed at the lovey-dovey couple at the door again. “Humans,” he said in a self-explanatory manner.

ooOoOoOoo

Something fell on Reyn and he woke up with a start. Alert, he found himself staring at Mr. Elite on his lap.

“Goddamn you,” Reyn grunted, lying down again. He exhaled then took a deep breath, trying to calm down his drumming heart. “How could Monteira stand you?” He turned his head to the side to see Goten still peacefully asleep next to him. They had a free bed now, two of them, in fact, including the air mattress, but, after yesterday’s quickie, just fell asleep in one. That was for the best, though, since Goten’s dream was unnerving both of them.

The cat meowed and Reyn turned to him again. “Food, right?” With a discontent grunt, the flight officer rolled out of the bed. After searching the floor, he finally discovered his underwear under the bed. He put it on and went to the wardrobe to find Mr. Elite something to eat.

Reyn took a long, thorough shower filled with uneasy thoughts about their next course of action. Yet, when he returned to the room, he still had no solution. Despite all their worries in the past, they hadn’t been arrested, hadn’t been court-martialed, hadn’t been punished in any way. They received their medals, and everyone in the military forgot about them. It was quite incredible.

Reyn wanted to return to _Starcut_ , but the problem was that he didn’t know how to do that. Even if he was reluctant, he would probably have to ask his father to find out the ship’s route and its possible stops. After that, they would have to come up with a plan on how to reach it.

Despite Reyn’s worries, Goten was already up and about when he left the bathroom. The younger man was lively, ransacking the wardrobe, scavenging for food suitable to his taste.

“Finally!” Goten exclaimed at the sight of Reyn. He rushed to occupy the bathroom. 

“Feel alright?” Reyn asked when Goten returned.

“You didn’t ask me that yesterday,” Goten told him, grinning cheekily.

Reyn rolled his eyes. “Obviously, I was too busy getting into your pants.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Goten assured him. “Actually, I haven’t felt this good in awhile.”

The flight officer gave the other man an evaluating look. Indeed, Goten looked well-rested and was in such high spirits that Reyn suddenly felt like landing a super fast kick to the other third-class’s head; the bastard was an inborn actor. As if the prince never happened. Reyn had to agree though, that, currently, they had even more pressing matters than the unpredictable royalty to handle.

“Good for you,” Reyn spat. “Let’s have breakfast and then try to figure out how to return to _Starcut_.”

Goten gave Reyn a look but didn’t say anything. Instead, just like the flight officer had suggested, he went to the wardrobe and started searching through the bags of food.

A few minutes later, the third-classes were sitting on the air mattress, chewing at chicken legs, the bag of food lying between them on the floor. The cat jumped onto the mattress, settled next to Reyn, and started cleaning his asshole.

“He likes me better than you,” Reyn said smugly around the chicken bone. He tore a little piece of meat off the bone and held it above the cat’s head.

Goten rolled his eyes. “No surprises there – you feed him while I give him baths.”

“Huh, that’s true,” Reyn agreed, watching Mr. Elite react to the smell. The meat was gone in a blink. “He’s quite simpleminded.”

“It’s a freaking pet, you can’t expect him to be smart.”

“True. I don’t even expect _you_ to be smart.”

Goten gave him the finger. Both of them turned to the door at the loud knock, then looked at each other.

“You expecting anyone?” Goten asked.

“Nope.”

“Who’s that?” Goten shouted towards the door while looking around, searching for something to wipe his greasy fingers on.

“Daimara Backeri. I’m bringing orders for Bardock and Dueri.”

“Huh…” Goten muttered softly, looking at Reyn. The name sounded Saiyan, but the language had quite a heavy accent. “You know anything about that?”

“No.”

When the visitor stepped into the room, it became clear why he didn’t give his full title: he belonged to the Royal Guards. Working as an errand boy probably wasn’t included among his favorite pastimes.

“Umm…” Goten muttered, staring at the exclusive armor. 

“You Goten Bardock?” the elite asked, holding out an envelope for him. He looked around the room: it was quite messy and reeked of sex, stale food, and some kind of an animal.

Goten nodded. “Yes, sir.” He took the envelope and opened it nervously, pulling out a piece of paper. He unfolded it and held it out so that he and Reyn could read it.

DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL SECURITY

_Headquarters, Interstellar Division_

_Vegeta-sei, Velora 3568-25_

_86 Moridia, Year 7235_  
 _REASSIGNMENT 214_

_Goten Bardock (officer No. unknown) and Reyn Dueri (officer No. 5378124) are released from their current assignment in the Renera section (KIF 693, codename Starcut 147) and reassigned to active duty in the Royal Division for the period of time shown below. You will proceed from your current location to report for duty on the date shown below._

_Report to: Harada Lorimara, Head of the Royal Division_  
Reporting date: 89 Moridia, Year 7235  
Attached to: Royal Division, Velora 2563-45, Vegeta-sei  
Period: unknown  
Purpose: active duty  
Additional instructions: unknown 

_FOR MILITARY USE_  
Classification: classified  
Authority: Harada Lorimara (officer No. 4752364) 

“That fucking bastard!” was all Reyn was able to say after reading the orders. “This is in the fucking Royal Palace!” 

Reyn remembered the royal guard’s presence only when the guard sent him flying. The sudden punch to his head stunned the flight officer so much that he didn’t even think of summoning his ki and his back hit the wardrobe painfully.

The next second, the royal guard was slammed into and through the door. Then, together with the door, he whooshed through the corridor and hit the wall across the hallway. The door burst into pieces.

“I’ll rip your head off if you do something like that again,” Goten assured the elite. He turned to Reyn. “You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Reyn said, getting up from the floor. “The fucking wardrobe broke.”

Goten eyed the mutilated wardrobe – the side that Reyn had crashed into was split in half, now mostly hanging. The door had been unhinged and had fallen onto the bed near the window.

“I doubt it costs a lot,” Goten muttered. “Ah,” he said, turning to the hole where the door used to be. “Shit.” One of the doors down the corridor opened a crack but, at the sight of a hole and a staggering Saiyan amidst chunks of wood, it was shut again. The elite was getting to his feet and, pissed, Goten walked up to him. “You’re going to pay for that damned wardrobe and this fucking door, got it?”

“Fuck you!”

Goten’s knee went through the armor and into his gut, making him double over in pain. The elite retched, saliva flooding his mouth.

“I didn’t quite catch that,” Goten hissed. “You fucking elites, you think everything’s allowed to you? I’m gonna fuck you up so bad that…”

“The fucking cat is about to run away!”

“Ah, fuck it!” Goten growled, turning around. Indeed, Mr. Elite was already quickly making his way down the corridor, Reyn chasing him. “Screw it all!” Goten spat, slamming the guard into the wall one more time for good measure. He dropped the elite and ran after Reyn and the cat.

“Power down, you idiot!” the flight officer shouted when Goten whooshed past him. “It’ll explo-”

Except it didn’t. Goten suddenly powered down and grabbed the cat. Wearing an insulted look, he turned around. “I did learn something, you know.”

Reyn’s eyebrows rose. “You’re bleeding, you idiot.”

“Huh?” Goten lowered his head to see the cat’s claws embedded into his left arm. Blood was dripping onto the carpet. The sight of his blood suddenly dissipated the anesthesia that had been provided by the adrenaline. “That fucking hurts!” the third-class yelled. “Get it off me!”

Reyn grabbed the cat by the scruff of the neck and, after some struggle, managed to dislodge him from Goten’s arm without tearing out chunks of his flesh. Goten glared at the cat. 

The silence caused two more heads to appear in the doorways, but the sight of three squabbling Saiyans and a cat seemed not to agree with the Humans and they showed no desire to interfere with whatever was happening. Undisturbed, the third-classes returned to their room and Reyn shut the cat in the bathroom while Goten grabbed a sheet off the free bed, tore a good chunk off, and clumsily wrapped it around his arm. The royal guard was still leaning against the wall where Goten had left him. Reyn was of the opinion that the elite was unwittingly waiting for a kick in the nuts that Reyn felt more and more compelled to give him with every passing second.

“Why are you still here?” Goten asked, mirroring Reyn’s thoughts. He wondered if the elite was really considering reimbursing the damage to the hotel – that would be a first.

The royal guard glared back at them. “I am to see you reach your destination safely.”

The third-classes shared a look, then Goten bent down to retrieve the call-up papers off the carpet where he had tossed them when he punched the elite. They scanned the orders again.

“It doesn’t say anything about you,” Reyn concluded quickly.

“I wouldn’t know anything about what it says – it’s classified,” the elite said. “I have, however, received the prince’s personal orders.”

“Which prince would that be?” Goten asked.

“Do you even need to ask?” Reyn hissed in disbelief.

“Trunks Vegeta’s,” the guard said.

“We won’t go,” Reyn said suddenly, his voice strangely calm. He took the papers from Goten and shoved them into the elite’s hands. “Here, take them back.”

“It’s an order, Reyn. We can’t ignore orders.”

Reyn’s eyes snapped to the younger man’s face. “An order for what?” he laughed unpleasantly. “The nerve of that bastard… What fucking order? What’s he gonna do? Arrest us? Surely he…” Reyn fell silent at the look on Goten’s face. “Oh yeah, the bastard would! That’s exactly what he wants, isn’t it?”

His mind reeling, Goten scratched his cheek awkwardly. “I suspect whether we go or not won’t make a difference in the long run, but by not going we’ll give him an opportunity to interfere even more.”

“That fucking bastard!” Reyn cursed again. “I can’t fucking believe this!”

It took the royal guard all his restraint not to hit the flight officer again. The repetitive insults against royalty and the disregard of common courtesy was making his hands itch and the only reason he hadn’t punched the loud-mouthed man was the powerful youngster at his side.

Goten wondered where the prince’s plans about Earth had gone. This was quite a jump from what he had heard last time. He couldn’t believe the prince was doing this. He had suspected it hadn’t been over with that one spat between them, but for it to take such a turn… What the hell was wrong with the man? Did he even realize what he was doing?

Goten took the letter from the elite’s hands again. “So you’re supposed to see us off?”

“No, I am supposed to make sure you reach your destination safely. Where is it that I have to see you to?”

Goten snickered. The prince was making sure there were no more surprises. Well, since there had been many of those in their brief history, it was no wonder. He held up the call-up papers for the elite to read.

The guard let out a groan. “You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

Goten gave him a mirthless grin. “Pleased to meet you, dear colleague.”

Reyn patted the guard on his shoulder in a not exactly friendly manner. “Let’s get along, shall we?”

ooOoOoOoo

“So how about you make restitution for the door and the wardrobe?” Goten asked the royal guard. The third-class’s wide eyes were still trying to comprehend the bill that he had been presented with. Disbelieving, he raised his eyebrows at the receptionist, who kept smiling politely but, in fact, appeared to be quite nervous. Goten concentrated back on the bill.

Daimara offered Goten’s back a well-measured glare. “Yeah, if you buy me new armor.”

Goten’s eyes left the frightening bill and set on the armor. It was bent inwards and now had a hole in its lower abdomen. One of these armors probably cost the same as a small house somewhere on the outskirts of Velora. “On the other hand,” the third-class said, “I’d rather just pay for the door and the wardrobe.”

The elite snickered. “Thought so.”

With a sigh, Goten lifted his suitcase and set it onto the front desk. He unclasped and opened it. He pushed the cookbook and the uniform aside to retrieve a small bag that was filled with cash. He shook the credits out onto the desk, making them land in a heap.

The receptionist’s face was flooded with relief. Together with Goten, he started counting the money.

After settling the bill, Goten was left with ninety-seven credits. That couldn’t even buy him a ticket to the capital. He still had the necklace and the ring from the rescue mission that he had stashed deep under the lining of his suitcase but those were an emergency asset not to be used lightly. Goten’s shoulders hunched at the unfairness of it all and he sat down on the sofa to wait for Reyn to come down from their room.

The flight officer soon appeared carrying his suitcase in one hand and the box with the cat in the other. They weren’t certain about the animal – Almanda had easily smuggled it to Bruminan but getting it back into a spaceship was, very likely, going to be impossible. Mr. Elite wasn’t overly joyous about them traveling again either, throwing annoyed stares this way and that through the grating on the box. 

“Do you really need it?” Daimara wondered, pointing at the cat.

“Absolutely not,” Goten said. “But we’ve taken it with us by accident and now we have to somehow return it to the owner.”

The elite grunted. “Tough one.”

They took their belongings and set off towards the launch pad. They had checked with the receptionist and had been assured that flights for Vegeta-sei were scheduled twice a day. They had missed the morning flight but there was still one hour until the next departure. They also hoped that, due to the conference, there would be many more ships returning to Vegeta-sei than usual, and they expected that the orders they carried would allow them to get onto one of those ships.

The royal guard didn’t look happy about being made to carry two large bags stuffed with food supplies, but didn’t voice his discontentment in any way. The thought of leaving the food behind had never crossed either Reyn’s or Goten’s mind – wasting food was inconceivable in war time. In general, wasting food was never a good idea.

The wide underground hall branched out into five corridors and they took the left hall, turning towards the docks. There was a hobo just around the corner and both third-classes stopped at the sight of what was supposedly a Human covered in thick layers of clothing. The stench was so strong that Goten couldn’t believe at first that all of it could come from this humanoid form. Shit and piss and whatnot.

“Spare a credit?”

“Get lost before I blast your sorry ass to dust!” Daimara growled at him, his tail around his waist puffing out in obvious disgust.

It wasn’t cold, but the bundled up creature was wearing a coat and thick trousers with stains of unknown origin. The hobo’s hand rose into the air as if to grasp at Reyn’s boot but he never did, the hand hovering just next to it while the Saiyans were passing him.

Daimara snorted again. “At least he remembers not to do that with Saiyans. Last time he touched one, he found himself flying into the fountain over there,” he said, raising his hand to point at the small fountain in the middle of the hallway that was turned into a waiting hall with a domed skyroof.

“They touched him?” Goten asked, incredulous; the revolting smell was still haunting him even though they were about ten meters away from the creature.

The elite shook his head. “You insane? He just kicked that fucker all the way there.”

Goten looked at his boots. “Eww. Even cat shit is better than that.”

“Why are they allowed in here?”

Daimara rolled his eyes. “Humans. Something about it being everyone’s right to go where they want. At least they cleared them out of here for the conference.”

“How about my right to breathe clean air?” Goten wondered. “Or my right not to catch the bugs that thing obviously has?”

“You don’t have any rights,” Reyn elaborated to the other third-class. “Neither do I, in fact.”

Daimara grunted. “Should be against the law to turn oneself into that pile of shit.”

They had just reached launch pads four, five, and six and the elite went towards launch pad six. There was an Imperial Destroyer docked there. Reyn and Goten shared a look but followed Daimara. There were five people standing guard at the ship but one look at the royal guard’s ID and a few words from the elite and they were allowed to pass.

“You wait here until I have a word with the captain,” the elite said, going up the lowered boarding dock. 

Goten cleared his throat.

“Hey!” Reyn called after the guard.

Daimara turned around and saw them staring at the bags he was carrying. He rolled his eyes. He would have tossed the bags back to them, but it was unwise to get on their bad side. He lowered them onto the ramp and proceeded into the cargo hold.

Goten was staring at the Imperial Destroyer in awe. It was the largest ship he had ever laid his eyes on. Imperial Destroyers were incredibly fast and true to their name, carrying enough power to destroy a small planet. The problem with them was that their large size didn’t allow for easy maneuvering. Their defense shields, though, could withstand days of direct attacks.

“Can you pilot it?” Goten wondered, stepping back from the ship to be able to take it in better.

Reyn shook his head. “No, I never got around to passing the required tests. Its main computers have different software than I’m used to. I suppose, if the need arose and we were in open space, I could learn by trial and error easily.”

Goten gave him a dubious look but didn’t say anything. Leaving Reyn to stand and guard the bags, he ran back a little to see the spaceship better, then started circling it from his left. The destroyer was nearly a third the size of his old school. The third-class had nearly made the full circle when he heard Reyn call him. Goten powered up and rose above the ship to land near Reyn and Daimara.

“We are good to go,” the royal guard informed him. “It is going to reach Vegeta-sei on the 89th.”

“Wow,” Goten exclaimed happily, “we might even have two spare minutes to ourselves before we need to report! Amazing! I want to kill the bastard! The cat?” he asked, picking up his suitcase and the bag.

“There’s no need for them to know, is there?”

Hoping that the cat would stay quiet, the three of them went up the trapdoor and into the cargo hold where they were suddenly met by the ship’s captain. Reyn and Goten were about to salute but, at the sight of them carrying the bags, the captain motioned dismissively. 

“At ease. Your documents and orders,” he demanded, stretching his hand out.

“Right, sir,” Goten muttered, setting his luggage to the ground. He retrieved his ID card and the call-up papers and passed them to the captain while Reyn was still searching for his wallet in the bag of food he had been carrying.

“Here it is, sir,” he said finally, retrieving his wallet.

The captain took their documents and motioned them to follow him to a vehicle waiting for them. A Saiyan at the wheel gave Reyn and Goten the once-over and told them to store their luggage at the back of the vehicle. The third-classes took seats at the back while the other three managed to squeeze in at the front of the car. Goten tried to decipher the stripes on the driver’s uniform and decided that it was probably one of the many Maintenance Technicians that they had to have on board.

“Meow. Meow?”

“Is that your stomach again?” Reyn asked Goten. The driver started the car, the soft hum filling the hangar, and Reyn cursed the cat mentally for not keeping quiet for at least two more seconds.

“Yeah, lately I haven’t…”

“It’s funny how it sounds the same as the cat that you obviously have in that box,” the captain said loudly, the hum of the generator intensifying when the car picked up speed. 

“Umm…” Goten drawled. “Well, yeah, about the cat, sir. Can we keep it?”

The captain shrugged. “Keep it locked.”

They left the hangar, then proceeded down the main hallway until they had to turn left. The hallway turned into a hangar, the metallic walls suddenly giving way to reinforced steel beams and bars crisscrossing the spacious area. While they were driving above the hangar, Goten was looking around, amazed by the sheer size of the ship. He could see five shuttles beneath them, one of them being worked on, sparks flying from under the welder. His eyes caught movement further on his left – it was an elevator coming up.

They crossed the hangar and continued down one of the halls until the living quarters came into view. At first, the technician stopped the car in front of cabin marked 209 to drop Daimara off. Then, he stopped at the door marked with the number 221 and a dozen dirty handprints.

“I’ll send someone back with the documents,” the captain said while Reyn and Goten were unloading their luggage. He wanted to run the orders through the National Security database.

Goten watched the captain and the technician drive away, then carried his bags inside. Reyn had been fast to make himself at home: the bags with food were already inside the open wardrobe at the opposite wall and he was checking the bed closest to the door. He let out a satisfied grunt and sat down on it, claiming it as his.

“Meow?”

“Right,” Reyn grunted. He stood up again and went to the box containing Mr. Elite. “Shall I let him out?”

“Umm…” Goten drawled uncertainly. He was testing the other bed – the springs in the mattress were worn and there was a sizeable indentation in the middle. He couldn’t imagine that it would be comfortable to sleep on. He threw the duvet back onto the mattress and turned to look at the cat carrier. “I’m afraid he’ll just take off and we’ll never find him again. Did you see the size of this ship?”

Reyn did see it, but keeping the cat in the box for two days wasn’t going to cut it – Mr. Elite was going to keep demanding to be released and would also shit all over the box. It was going to stink and now they had no adjacent bathroom to just stick him in.

“When do they have lunch here?” Goten wondered. “Would be a pity to miss it.”

“Let’s go look around?”

“Sure, but let’s wait for our documents to return, first.”

The captain was taking his time and the third-classes, meanwhile, inspected the cabin. It was small and stank of dirty clothing and something mouldy. There were only two chairs and a minute desk with an old terminal. The terminal worked and was quite fast, of which Reyn was assured as soon as he turned it on. After searching the wardrobe, Goten found a few books and magazines in an unknown language. He also discovered a porn magazine under his mattress. 

“Well, we’ll only be staying here for a few days,” he said, putting the magazine back where he had found it. He opened his suitcase to remove a large bag of food. The few clothes that he had inside already smelled like sausages and bread. He rummaged through them and his fingers touched the recipe book. Goten wondered if he would ever stop feeling nostalgic about it. Probably never – the book somehow marked all the things he’d had and, at the same time, everything he could never have.

The third-class opened the cover and frowned in surprise. “You drew a dick…” Goten said in disbelief. He looked at the flight officer, then lowered his eyes back to the front page. The dick was still there, black on white, a ginormous dick with a hairy ballsack. He looked at the flight officer again. He wasn’t even certain what to say. To Goten’s surprise, he neither felt angry nor annoyed. He knew why Reyn had drawn it and it was better to just leave this be. Yet, it was astounding to see Reyn do something so absurdly childish.

“What?” Reyn asked indignantly when Goten kept staring at him. “Staring at your _cockbook_ again? I’m surprised it isn’t covered in cum-stains yet.”

Goten couldn’t help chuckling. In a way, Reyn was right. “Maybe it is, what do you know?” he said, amused. “You do realize that it’s not my book, don’t you?”

“Who the fuck cares? If two of your hypothetical boyfriends marked their territory in it, I am more than entitled to do the same.”

Goten grinned at him. “Well, you just did. Does it make you feel better?”

Reyn let out a discontent grunt. “It makes me feel stupid. I’ve just put myself on the same level as those idiots.”

Goten chuckled again. “Where did you even get a pen?”

TBC


	60. Part 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> **A/N: Thanks to my friend White_Youkai for the idea of Reyn and a pillow in Goten’s head.**

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 60

They left Bruminan Station about thirty minutes after boarding the Imperial Destroyer. From the chair where he had belted himself in, Reyn gave the other third-class a look. Goten was pale and was obviously trying not to get sick. One would think that Goten would have gotten used to take-offs after all this time, but he hadn’t and was probably never going to.

The ship stopped jolting and the flight smoothed out. The loudspeaker above the door crackled.

“We’ve successfully cleared Bruminan’s atmosphere. Do not unfasten your seatbelts. Engaging hyperjump in two minutes. Commencing automatic countdown.”

“One fifty-nine. One fifty-eight. One fifty-seven…”

Goten closed his eyes and tried taking deep breaths to calm down his frantic heartbeat. That only resulted in excess oxygen in his blood and soon he felt lightheaded.

“…Twenty-one. Nineteen. Eighteen…”

“You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Goten grunted unhappily. “I just fucking hate flying! Hate! Hate! Hate!”

“…Eight. Seven. Six…”

At the count of one, Goten braced himself and felt the familiar shift of surroundings. The ship kept shaking lightly for about a minute, then suddenly stopped quivering and evened out. At about the same time as Reyn unfastened his seatbelt, the red light above the door disappeared and the loudspeakers crackled.

“Hyperjump cleared successfully. You can resume your activities. We’ll be entering Vegeta-sei’s atmosphere in forty-seven hours. Out.”

“‘ _Activities_ ’ he says,” Goten sniggered, still lightheaded. “The only activities I can do now are lie on the bed and try not to be sick.”

“Then stop whining and lie down,” Reyn, who had heard similar complaints only too many times, said. “Where is that blasted captain with our documents?” he muttered; he wanted to look around the ship and was just as enthusiastic about it as Goten, if not more so.

The documents were returned about ten minutes later by the same mechanic who took them. Curiously, he peered into the cabin to see Goten sprawled listlessly on one of the beds. Reyn took the documents and closed the door before the mechanic could find an excuse to enter the cabin.

“Well, let’s go look around?” he said, tossing Goten his identification card. He spared the cat a glance but, fatigued by the constant changes in his surroundings and the hyperjump, Mr. Elite was asleep in his box.

The halls and corridors were mostly empty. The third-classes found their way back to the hangar and went down to look around. There were five mechanics working on one of the shuttles. After making themselves familiar with the hangar, they returned to the upper deck. Goten was surprised by the large number of Humans working on the ship. Three of the six mechanics he had seen were Humans and the number kept rising as they continued down the halls.

They were passing one of the corridors when an aromatic whiff of air made them falter and turn their heads. The third-classes met each other’s eyes. The canteen. Despite their large food supplies, the thought of a warm, fresh meal was much more appealing.

The canteen was almost empty but for a few Humans and two second-classes. It was no wonder since the ship had just taken off. It was more surprising that the canteen was open at all. Reyn and Goten went to the counter to take a look at the available meals. They were pleasantly surprised to see that the cooks were Humans. You could say many things about Humans, most of which weren’t good things, but, generally, Humans made wonderful cooks.

The third-classes’ enthusiasm faltered somewhat when their plates were filled with strangely shaped steaks. Without questioning, they thanked the cooks and quietly went to settle at one of the empty tables. Goten went back to grab some drinks, then sat down. Reyn was already eating.

Curiously, Goten inspected his steak, then looked over at Reyn’s. “What’s with this shape?” he wondered.

The flight officer speared his steak with his fork a few times and shrugged. It was edible and tasted good, too. In fact, it was much better than he had eaten in ages. The strange shape didn’t bother him.

“It’s a heart.”

The third-classes looked over at two Humans at the adjacent table. Two males, seemingly about thirty years old, were having lunch, too. They were wearing scouters as well, but the peculiar design was similar to those that Goten had seen on the drifting SUB 316 infested with the alkani. One Human was quite buff with short dark hair, while the other was lanky with orange-colored hair and freckles all over his white face. The Humans had already eaten their meals but one of them was holding a bun of the same strange shape.

“A heart?” Goten repeated. “That’s not what a heart looks like.” Next to him, Reyn nodded in agreement.

“Well, it represents a heart, feelings. It’s just a symbol for Saint Valentine’s Day,” the lanky Human explained.

“What’s that?” Goten asked. He prodded his steak again. It was becoming more and more suspicious.

“Um, it’s a day when you’re supposed to express your love. Usually, it’s spent with your loved one.”

Goten’s eyes travelled to the dark-haired Human, who waved his hands in front of him. “No, no. We aren’t like that. It’s just a celebration. Well…a bit like Christmas?” he tried.

“What’s Christmas?” Reyn asked.

“Uh. It’s a religious celebration.”

“Oh, religion.” Goten nodded in understanding. That was something he could identify with. There were quite a few religious groups amongst Saiyans as well.

“Don’t you think their Valentine’s Day is similar to our Alignment’s?” Reyn wondered, grinning at the Humans.

The Humans, who vaguely knew that Alignment’s was usually a free orgy for all and sundry, flushed red. “Not exactly,” the freckled one said. “You just do it with the one you like.”

Goten tried to wrap his mind around it, then just shook his head. “I don’t get it. Isn’t that what we usually do?”

“Well… It’s just a special celebration day for couples.”

“A day where sex is guaranteed, right?” Reyn speculated. “Like you can’t refuse?”

“It’s not like I ever refuse,” Goten muttered, not understanding. “This Valentine’s Day is some kind of bullshit.”

“Uh. You just like…” the orange-haired Human drawled, thinking. “You appreciate each other during this day. Exchange gifts and confirm your feelings.”

Goten gave Reyn a look. “Gifts?” Now this was more interesting.

“Gifts?” Reyn seconded.

“Well, like flowers or chocolate.”

The two Saiyans stared at each other, thinking, then concentrated back on their food. 

“Total bullshit,” Goten muttered again. “Why would I need flowers? The hell would I do with those? And chocolate? That’s not a gift. That’s food.”

“Wouldn’t know what to do with flowers either,” Reyn concluded as well. “Chocolate would be nice, though.” He looked at Goten. “Should we buy some?”

Goten shrugged. “Do they have any here?”

The orange-haired man was giving the Saiyans a curious look. “I doubt it. The closest to chocolate you can get here is probably coffee with milk.”

“Hmm…”

“By the way,” the freckled man continued, “you put the flowers in a vase with water and they brighten up the room.”

“Do they?” Goten wondered. “I’ve seen flowers once. Red ones and they smelled funny. Gave me a headache.”

“They rot pretty fast, too,” Reyn agreed with him. “You just throw them away.”

“Oh, there are many colours and types of flowers.”

“Yeah? I saw only red ones.”

“There are different meanings to flowers, too.”

“What meanings?”

The dark-haired Human elbowed his friend in the ribs to stop him. Mathew liked teasing Saiyans and could keep similar conversations going for hours. There was something innocent about the way most Saiyans reacted to various cultural differences. Most of them tried to find pragmatism in them and had difficulties grasping the concepts. In the end, they would simply get confused about them just like this Saiyan couple. One of these days Mathew was going to end up with a broken neck.

“Coffee and milk it is, then,” Reyn concluded.

“I want tea,” Goten said. “And a bun.”

Reyn shrugged.

ooOoOoOoo

“You think he was making fun of us?” Goten wondered while they were walking down the main hallway.

“No more than we were making fun of him.”

“Fair enough, then.”

The hallway opened into the hangar and the sight that opened below the ramp made Goten freeze. 

“Stop!” he hissed at Reyn, grabbing at his arm.

“What?”

“Shh!” Goten hissed at him again, pointing down. Quietly, he sidled up against the nearest steel pillar and pretended that he didn’t exist. 

Without even checking, Reyn followed the other third-class’s example instinctively, then stole a glance from around the pillar. He rolled his eyes. Down below, Prince Vegeta and his son were discussing something. Their escort, five royal guards, was lounging about, trying to pretend that they weren’t listening in. The purple-haired bastard was as lively as ever, explaining something to his father in a heated tone, waving his hands about. So not cool.

Goten pursed his lips in distress. From high above, he wasn’t able to hear what they were talking about, but he could presume. Now he also understood why the transfer date had been so sudden and why this ship had appeared to be so conveniently ready for the journey to Vegeta-sei. It was no wonder no one gave two shits about the cat either.

“Screw you,” Goten muttered, angry. He felt manipulated and betrayed, but it was all permeated with uncertain fondness, which irritated him even more. “Screw you sideways, prick!” Goten repeated.

Reyn glanced at the other third-class. These past two days he’d had various scenarios running through his head about waiting for the purple-haired bastard somewhere around a corner and beating the crap out of him. It had only been his imagination. Now, he had an opportunity. The urge wasn’t smart at all, he realized that. Yet, it was how Saiyans dealt with things when talking gave no results and he was no different. The problem was that there was nothing to talk about with this purple-haired bastard. Goten and the prince were so far removed that it was supposed to be impossible to even imagine something happening between the two. And yet, here they were, heading to Vegeta-sei to muck about in the palace as royal guards just because the damn princeling had an itch only Goten could scratch. Discussing something like this, demanding he leave Goten alone, was ridiculous. No matter how dense the prince was, he obviously understood his own foolishness. He just needed the right, and clearly quite painful, encouragement to drop the idea.

“What’s his power level?”

Goten turned to Reyn. He shook his head worriedly; this was what he had been dreading. “Don’t even think about that!” he told Reyn.

“He pisses me off.”

“Yes, I know that,” Gotten muttered. “He’s been extremely good at that recently and I’m no less pissed off but… He’s a damn prince and… Err…his power level is about a million.”

There was a long, shocked pause then Reyn said, “Ah.”

Feeling foolish and guilty, Goten scratched the back of his head. “Well, at least he said so. But I don’t think he lied.”

“Then, beating the crap out of him is not going to work,” the flight officer summed up. “A pity.”

“I’m afraid that it’s not going to work even if it’s the two of us against him. His fighting skills aren’t dazzling but with that kind of power level we won’t be able to even put a scratch on him. He’d wipe the floor with us and then leave the rest for the guards to finish off. Not that there would be much left to finish off. Frankly, any kind of attempt to beat some sense into him is futile. He won’t…”

“I get it, I get it already!” Reyn grunted angrily. “I’ll just have to talk to him, then.”

“Err…” Goten scratched his head frantically; it was only too easy to predict any kind of conversation between the prince and Reyn ending in a fight. “That’s not a good idea either,” he said. “He doesn’t listen. He just says what he wants and expects you just do what he says.”

“He does seem the type,” Reyn agreed morosely. “What the fuck did you even see in him?”

Goten shifted uncomfortably. “Errm…” Reyn was still staring at him expectantly and the younger man felt his face starting to heat up. “Well, he…”

The flight officer glared at him. “You do realize that was only a rhetorical question and I really don’t want to hear it?”

“Then don’t ask me!”

“You’re a fucking idiot.”

“Fine!”

With a snort, Goten concentrated back on the royalty. They had stopped arguing and were now discussing something in much lighter tones. There were rumors of unknown origin that the father and son didn’t get along. Similar rumors implied that the prince was on much better terms with his grandfather, the king. Maybe it was like the rumors suggested, but Goten could also remember his conversation with the youngest prince where he had complained about his grandfather trying to force him to marry in order to form more alliances. In fact, Goten was surprised that he still hadn’t. It was a sensible decision and, no matter how cornered or discontent the prince felt, he had an obligation to the Empire. Refusing to form alliances with suggested forces had probably had a negative effect on the prince’s and his grandfather’s relationship. It was certainly having a negative effect on the whole Empire. Goten could only imagine how conflicted his former shaii felt. He had lost some weight too, even though one couldn’t notice that over the Saiyan armor that he was currently wearing. Yet, Goten had noticed it in the hotel room.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten lifted his dirty uniform out of the suitcase and frowned at it. It smelled. He had nothing to change into but his body felt itchy already.

“Hmn?”

Goten turned his head to Reyn, who shifted in his bed, turning to him. “Sleep,” Goten said, “it’s still early. I’ll go take a shower.”

Reyn yawned and rolled over on his back. “You can take one of my uniforms.”

“I can’t. They’ve got officer’s stripes on them.”

“No one gives a fuck. Just take one and wash yours.”

“Really?”

“Really. You can just cut those bloody stripes off. Take it and get the hell out of the cabin. And take the damn cat with you. Can’t freaking sleep in this noise.”

“Sorry, thanks a lot!” Goten blurted, darting around the cabin to grab the uniforms, a few toiletries, and the box with Mr. Elite. He rushed out of the door.

It was about six in the morning and most crew was still asleep. Goten and Reyn had an early night yesterday. Besides, Goten had slept for an entire day before coming to the destroyer, thus he didn’t feel like staying in bed any longer.

The bathroom was empty. Goten lowered the cat onto the tiled floor and reached out to the wall to brighten the dim lights. Once done, he took the cat and walked to the very end of the bathroom where he set the box down again. Toilets and showers were on opposite walls of the bathroom. There were five shower cabins along one wall, separated by thin panels of stainless steel. Out of reach of the shower’s stream, a basket for storing toiletries and clothing hung on each of the panels. Yellow labels of universal washing liquid were visible through the grates. Goten chucked all his belongings in the basket and started undressing.

A soft hiss emitted by the door indicated that someone else had entered the bathroom. The footsteps headed to the other side of the bathroom, towards the toilets. Goten shrugged his jacket off and started working on his belt. He kicked his boots off and got out of his trousers and underwear at once. Moving to the side, out of the shower’s range, he reached out to turn on the water. Yipping softly at the cold droplets that still caught him, Goten waited until the temperature became bearable.

Someone was watching him – he could clearly feel eyes on his lathered and frothy back. With a bottle of universal liquid in one hand and a sponge in the other, Goten turned around. He nearly dropped both of them at the sight of his former shaii. They stared at each other for a few seconds then, slowly, the prince turned away.

Stunned, Goten kept looking at his back. Seriously, in the bathroom? There were a hundred of other places where they could have met, and yet, a shower, where he stood bare-assed. 

“Have you been staring?”

“What? Of course, not,” the prince said, somewhat indignantly.

Goten rolled his eyes. “Liar.”

The prince pursed his lips, but any possible excuses evaded him. There was no point in lying anyway. He had recognized Goten as soon as he saw the familiar back. The cat in the box next to the shower stall had helped a great deal as well. He knew he should have either stopped watching or stopped Goten from undressing in front of him but did neither. It was unprincipled behavior, but he couldn’t care less, just like he hadn’t cared when Goten had been in the regeneration tank back on the base.

“Dress,” he said softly, without turning around. Then, thinking that the third-class might have not heard him over the flowing water, he cleared his throat and repeated the order.

“I just got in,” Goten protested. The silence he received in answer made it clear that the prince wasn’t having it. “What are you gonna do? Arrest me for pissing in the shower?”

“No, I’ll arrest you for falsifying orders. Did you know that it was me who sent you to Bruminan? I, for one, didn’t.”

“Ah. That.”

Goten dressed in about seven seconds. With the cat in the box, he followed the prince out of the showers and down the corridor towards the prince’s cabin. The third-class was wearing Reyn’s uniform and it was sticking to his wet body and constricting him in various places, but he barely felt it. While following the prince, Goten kept his eyes downcast, watching their feet move on the metallic ground. In a few minutes, his eyes rose to the prince’s waist and settled on the purple tail resting there. It did look exotic, even after all this time. The way it was brisling in anger and confused agitation was very satisfying.

Before they entered the cabin, the guard at the prince’s door gave Goten a mistrustful once-over. The cabin was three times the size of Goten and Reyn’s cabin and, naturally, much better furnished. The third-class gave an annoyed look to the potted plant on one of the enclosed shelves at the far wall.

A freaking potted plant on a warship.

But then, he was lugging a cat around.

The cat had a purpose though. What purpose did a plant have but to show off?

Interested, the prince watched the rainbow of emotions flit over Goten’s face. He motioned at the leather couch with a coffee table in front of it. The motion drew the third-class out of his reverie. He set Mr. Elite’s box onto the floor and went over to flop onto the far end of the couch. He looked rather unpleasantly surprised when he was nearly swallowed into the leather. The prince wished he could set a chair opposite the coffee table to be able to face the other man but everything was wired to the floor and he had to content himself with sitting at the other end of the couch. 

The distance from one end of the couch to the other was about two meters. Solemnly, the prince measured the huge gap between himself and Goten – mentally, it felt about the size of the Grand Canyon on Earth. He hoped that his actions didn’t look like he was trying to oppress Goten. He didn’t want to make that kind of impression on Goten; instead, he hoped that the third-class could think about it all …differently. On the other hand, that was exactly what he was doing – trying to oppress Goten and hoping that the man would actually be happy about it.

The prince was made to marvel at his own stupidity. No one had warned him about how complicated and out of hand things like this could get. His only saving grace was that he really believed that Goten was happy about it. One way or another.

In deafening silence, Goten inspected his fingernails. They badly needed cutting. Maybe he could borrow scissors from someone. 

“Was it Ranvera who falsified the orders?”

Goten frowned at the amount of dirt under his fingernails. Then he frowned in general. He was pissed off and tired and…and just… He shrugged indifferently.

“I have already checked, you know.”

“What are you going to do, Sir?”

It was amazing how respectful Goten could be when it concerned his friends. The prince found himself giving the third-class a rather irate look. The prince sighed and tried to school his face into a neutral expression. They weren’t going to get anywhere like this. Or rather they would, but not where he wanted them to get.

Trying to get his back muscles to relax, the prince leaned back into the couch. Goten was wearing his boyfriend’s uniform, the officer’s stripes most annoying and, what should be even more important, unsanctioned. Goten’s hair had almost grown back, but now it was wet and mostly plastered to his scalp. It was also dripping down his collar. Good.

“Was it you who asked Ranvera to transfer you?”

Goten nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

“Why didn’t you just ask me directly?”

Goten had already heard this question from Ranvera. It still sounded just as stupid as it did back then and he gave the prince an uncomfortable look. “Would you have transferred me, Sir?” Goten asked in a way that was closer to an answer than a question.

The prince’s blue gaze turned shifty. “Well, maybe. If you…” Goten rolled his eyes and he trailed off, dropping the subject. “Why did you suddenly decide to go to Bruminan?”

“That’s because I saw it explode in a dream. The same way I had seen you die. So I thought I’d give it a shot and somehow stop it and your father from exploding. The way I saved you twice, you know?”

The prince was giving Goten a careful look, not certain how to react. “Umm…”

“I bet you wouldn’t have transferred me if I had told you that, would you?”

There was something about the control in Goten’s voice that kept the prince from reacting in any way. The younger male’s determined eyes were daring the prince to protest. Goten was simply waiting for him to tell him stop talking nonsense. Goten wanted him to deny it, to pull his rank or status on him and just tell him to shut up.

“And then, you know,” the third-class continued maliciously when the prince just sat quietly, staring at him, “I also had this dream where your granddad or your father poisoned me. And there was another one where I was smothered by a pillow in my sleep. All of that probably happened in the Royal Palace. Exactly the place you’re trying to take me to. Do I need to add that I’m not very enthusiastic about going there?”

There was a long spell of silence, then the prince asked softly: “How much of this is true and which parts have you made up?”

Goten was staring at him with something akin to a researcher’s interest in a mouse deliberately taking the wrong path to get to the cheese. “All of it.”

“All of it is true?”

“The cheese is on the other side,” Goten advised him. “ _All_ of it is _made-up_.”

The prince glared at him. “Lay off the sarcasm. I’m not a bloody mouse and you’re starting to seriously piss me off. I did have that strange vision when I was nearly killed on the base. I saw myself lying dead on that damn asphalt in a puddle of blood with half of my face missing.”

Goten wondered if the prince really believed him. He was rather stunned and found that once anger and cynicism gave way to uncertainty, he was suddenly left without anything to say. “Umm…” he mumbled hesitantly. “You don’t really believe it, do you?” The lethal look the prince’s face suddenly acquired informed Goten that he’d better ask something else or, even better, not ask anything at all.

“So all of it is true, right?”

The third-class nodded dumbly.

What irked the prince most now was that Goten had readily expected him to simply call him an idiot and dismiss anything that came from his mouth. Anyone else would have. But not him. For one, there had been too many coincidences. Second, he had seen himself dead and alive at the same time. One could chalk it up to some kind of a hallucination from exhaustion or stress but that wasn’t what it had been. He instinctively knew it wasn’t.

“Now what was that about my grandfather and father trying to poison you?”

ooOoOoOoo

The prince had decided to see him back to the showers. Why exactly the shaii was following Goten, he didn’t know and didn’t question. It was awkward. The third-class was vaguely aware of curious looks sent their way. It was already eight o’clock in the morning and the ship was waking up. The gazes didn’t bother Goten, though. The world had lost its focus, had retreated, and it was only the two of them walking down the halls. He was more bothered by those few centimeters between himself and the prince that felt as if they were charged. It felt strange - it was awkward, it was odd, and it was exhilarating.

Goten felt guilty for the harsh words he had said on Bruminan, for badmouthing the prince in front of Reyn, for the whole situation in general, but, at the same time, he knew that there was no point in apologizing. If he did, he would be giving his permission to return to how things had been. On the other hand, there had never been anything.

There was a group of officers walking in front of them and Goten moved aside to make way. “Um, sorry,” he said as his shoulder bumped against the prince’s. The other man gave him a look but said nothing. The officers streamed past them and then they were alone in the hall again. Goten dried his sweating palms on his uniform. Some things never changed.

Once they were back in the showers, the prince awkwardly lingered around for a minute or so then left. Feeling silly, Goten resumed his shower, this time dried himself then, using the universal washing liquid, washed his uniform. It didn’t seem to clean clothes well and frothed too much but Goten hoped at his uniform would, at least, stop stinking.

When Goten entered the cabin, Reyn raised his eyes off the pamphlet he had been reading. The guilty way Goten’s eyes slid past him without really looking at him, made the flight officer grit his teeth.

“You saw him,” he stated.

Goten set the cat down. “We talked,” he said, crossing the cabin to hang the damp towel on the chair at the desk. He turned to the other chair to arrange his wet uniform there.

“About?”

Goten took his time answering. Reyn watched him placing his wet jacket and trousers over the chair. The other third-class smelled like universal washing liquid. Taking a shower had been exactly what Goten had intended to do when he had left the cabin, but now it could also mean that he had washed away the traces of any suspicious scents. The flight officer didn’t believe Goten could be unfaithful. Even if, in a bout of wild passion, he did sleep with the prince, that would only be a onetime mistake. Yet, the possibility of such a mistake made Reyn furious.

“I told…”

Reyn was suddenly right behind him and, alert, Goten turned to him, not finishing the sentence. The flight officer pushed at Goten’s chest, making him stumble. He shoved him again, driving the younger man backwards until his back hit the wardrobe.

“We just talked,” Goten said, aware how annoyed and jealous Reyn was. “About the dreams.”

This fact, for some reason, irritated Reyn even more. “And?” he grunted. “Did he believe you?” He was astonished when Goten nodded, confirming. 

“I’ve saved his life before. Seems that, like you, he had the identical experience of being dead and alive at the same time.”

The flight officer didn’t like the thought of having anything “identical” with that man. Yet, it was clear to him now, the prince’s weird fondness for the other third-class. “Amazing,” he snarled. “So did you tell him about the king and Prince Vegeta trying to poison you?”

Goten nodded again. “Yes. We came to the conclusion that it’s not going to happen now since I dreamt about myself dying in bed. Something has happened that’s changed the course of events. Now…well…” he trailed off, uncertainly. They hadn’t actually agreed on anything.

Reyn stared at him in disbelief. He chuckled darkly when Goten’s eyes turned shifty and slid past his shoulder, avoiding his. He planted his palms at Goten’s sides, caging him against the wardrobe. “And that’s it? Isn’t your precious going to send you back to _Starcut_ or just somewhere as far away from Vegeta-sei as possible?”

“He isn’t my precious!” Goten protested vehemently, glaring at him. “And… He’s done it before. It didn’t exactly work.”

“It was him who sent you to _Starcut_?”

“I think so. I think he lied when he said that he didn’t know why I was sent there.”

Reyn rolled his eyes. “So now he’s trying to keep you close to him instead? You know, there’s really something wrong with his head.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Goten agreed softly and felt guilty again. There really was something wrong with the prince’s head, there was something wrong with both of their heads. He understood why the prince was doing this. He also understood why he shouldn’t, and yet… 

Reyn kept Goten fenced in against the wardrobe, and the younger male inhaled sharply when Reyn’s body pressed against his. The flight officer’s thigh slipped in between Goten’s legs and pushed against his crotch. The younger male tensed at the contact at first. The thigh continued to rub him through his clothes, stimulating, and his shoulders set back against the wardrobe. He could feel Reyn hardening against him. A little uncertain, Goten lifted his arms to wrap them around the older man’s waist.

Pushing himself away from Goten, Reyn started working on the other third-class’s belt. Goten reached out for his as well but Reyn batted his hands away. He heard a soft chuckle and raised his eyes to see an amused look on Goten’s face. Irritated, he grabbed the younger male by his arm and tugged him off the wardrobe to lug him towards his bed.

“Wait a sec,” Goten mumbled when his trousers started slipping down his hips. He stumbled, then held his trousers. Reyn’s iron grip on his right bicep didn’t let up even when he stumbled again. The older man just hoisted him up and then Goten’s back hit the mattress, air leaving his lungs in a rush. Inhaling again, he looked at the flight officer’s face hovering above him. It was Goten’s turn to be on top but it was obvious that pointing that out would only result in an even bigger bout of anger and jealousy. 

Resigned, Goten sat up with the intention to take his boots off. He huffed when his back was suddenly pushed back into the mattress, his head barely missing the iron headboard. He wasn’t certain how to react to that: Reyn’s antics felt amusing and, at the same time, annoying. Yet, his lower part clearly loved it – he was hard. The front of his underwear tented even more when Reyn kicked his boots off and climbed into the bed to loom over him.

The flight officer eyed Goten’s unruly cock then set to taking the younger man’s boots off. Goten was easy to excite and he was already giddy with anticipation. Goten was clearly missing the point here. He couldn’t exactly teach him a lesson when Goten was so eager and willing. With an inward roll of his eyes, Reyn tossed the younger man’s boots down to the floor.

“Take your trousers and underwear off,” he commanded. 

Goten complied in a blink, lifting his hips and slipping out of both at once. He threw the clothes over the headboard. His eyes widened and he inhaled sharply when Reyn cupped his balls and squeezed him. It was on the brink of being painful. Reyn rolled them in his palm for a few seconds, then let go and turned his attention to the jutting cock. He gave it a few offhand strokes and let go.

“Turn around.”

Feeling awkward but no less aroused, Goten got to his hands and knees. Reyn pushed his jacket up his back so it would not get in the way, then moved his tail aside. Goten heard the familiar sound of a universal washing liquid bottle being uncapped then, in a few seconds, fingers pressed against his anus. They pushed in without any hesitation and Goten tensed at the invasion. It didn’t hurt but it didn’t feel pleasant either.

Reyn pumped his fingers in and out a few times, then pulled them out to pour more liquid on them. The digits slid in easily for the second time and he scissored them a couple of times to make certain that he had smeared his walls with the lubricant well. 

When the fingers left him, Goten looked over his shoulder to see the flight officer wiping his fingers. The older man was still wearing clothes and only now unzipped his trousers. He pushed his trousers and underwear down his hips, freeing his heavy erection, and positioned himself against Goten’s entrance.

The blunt head popped into him and, with it, the rest of the length glided easily inside. Their bodies came flush and Goten was amazed at how effortlessly he took it. He felt stretched lightly, his hole somewhat itchy with the pleasant sting. Reyn wasn’t wearing a condom again and it added to the numbing sensation of the penetration. 

Reyn pulled away slightly, then pressed back in. Trying to relax his muscles, Goten let out a soft sigh and lowered his shoulders down onto the bedding, his backside rising up, giving better access to the other male.

“You’re shameless,” Reyn grunted, pulling away again, then sliding back in. “How am I supposed to make a point when you’re like this?”

Goten chuckled into the cover. “Don’t worry, I am already aware of all the points you’re trying to make.” He let out a content hum when Reyn’s hand rounded his waist to stroke him. “Now you can just concentrate on fucking me,” he advised, laughing.

“Shameless,” Reyn repeated, grinning. He marveled at the feeling of Goten’s muscles clutching at him spontaneously while the younger male laughed. He squeezed the shaft in his hand to tease the other third-class while slowly grinding against him. 

Reyn’s jacket was hindering the view, not to mention it was going to get smeared with the lubricant, so the flight officer paused to take it off. Meanwhile, Goten kept stroking himself leisurely. Reyn’s jacket flopped down to the floor to join the rest of the clothes and Goten’s hands fisted into the bedding above his head when the older man’s hand returned to massage his cock.

For a few minutes, he stroked Goten in tune with his shallow thrusts, then let go of him again. Leaning back, he took a firmer grip on the younger man’s hips and increased the pace. Goten let out an appreciative groan. Transfixed, Reyn watched his glistening cock disappear into and reappear from between the two globes. He could hear Goten panting shallowly against the mattress. He was jerking himself off now, obviously nearing his peak.

Goten swallowed, the noise loud and booming in his ears. His ass was burning with the quick thrusts now, the pleasure spreading all over his lower body and up his spine, to his chest and neck where it blossomed pink. He groaned loudly at one particularly well-placed thrust against his prostate. Out of breath, he stroked himself just as fast as Reyn was pistoning in and out of him.

“Mnnah!” 

Goten’s ass was grinding against Reyn’s front desperately now, the younger man trying to get Reyn’s cock as deep into himself as possible. It took nearly all of Reyn’s self-control to stop thrusting into Goten. The other third-class let out a protesting whine, then continued to spear himself onto Reyn’s cock over and over. Overwhelmed by the sight, Reyn suddenly leaned over him to bite his back. Goten let out a startled yelp, then moaned loudly when the flight officer resumed thrusting into him. 

Panting, Goten blinked his eyes at the bedding in front of his face. He was almost there. His body felt heavy and weightless at the same time. He was out of breath. Goten suddenly wondered if it was possible for Reyn to smother him in the bed in the heat of the moment.

A little surprised, Reyn watched Goten’s back shake with laughter then, without a word of warning, the younger male started coming. Cursing, Reyn looked around for a rag, but there was nothing he could use and, when he concentrated back on the younger male, it was already over, Goten’s shoulders relaxing. 

His chest heaving for breath, Goten turned his head aside to give the cabin a blank stare. He rubbed his face against the bedding to wipe the sweat off. If Reyn hadn’t been holding his hips up, he would have probably collapsed. The older man was still inside him, hard and throbbing. Goten took a few deep breaths and willed himself to relax. Reyn gave him a few seconds, then tried thrusting again. 

“Mn!”

“Sorry,” Reyn panted impatiently. His hands were gripping the younger male’s hips so hard that the skin was white around his fingers. He released his grip somewhat; the skin was going to bruise. He tried pushing again and this time he sank deeper, Goten withholding any protests. It felt very tight now, Goten’s limp body trembling lightly. In and out, carefully. The slow pace was maddening. Any other time, Reyn would have pulled out and just stroked himself until he came. He was trying to make a point now, though. Probably. 

Reyn bent over Goten’s back again and sucked on the skin, fully intending to leave a hickey there. The other man didn’t protest. He sighed softly and raised his hips, wishing for Reyn to come faster. If the flight officer continued to play like this, they were going to have a second round and Goten wasn’t certain he would be able to walk straight after that.

The younger male had become much looser now and, leaving his back alone, Reyn resumed thrusting. He was rocking Goten’s entire body now, his hips slamming against the other third-class’s ass forcefully. The soft grunts that were leaving Goten’s mouth every time he’d hit his prostate made Reyn chuckle darkly. He knew Goten was oversensitive now and it probably felt disagreeable instead of pleasant.

Goten felt the other man stiffen against his backside, then he was coming while still continuing to haphazardly piston into him. Once he was done, Reyn went on thrusting into him leisurely for several seconds before pulling out. Goten felt the mix of semen and lubricant run down the other side of his balls. Reyn chuckled at the sight and patted the abused hole that had given him so much pleasure. The other third-class turned his head to give him a curious and amused look. That earned him another fond rub over his anus.

Goten pushed himself up, kneeled, and looked for something to clean himself off. His ass throbbed lightly. He saw Reyn inspect the sheets with a regretful look on his face. They’d soiled them, but it wasn’t any of his fault. It had been Reyn’s idea.

Goten left the bed and went to his drying towel to clean himself. His feet were somewhat shaky and he leaned against the chair for support.

“What were you laughing about?”

Goten turned to the flight officer. “When? Oh, that. I just suddenly thought that you’re about to smother me in bed, just like I saw in my dream.”

The flight officer’s brow rose. “Someone fucked you to death? That’s not what you told me before.”

Wiping himself off, Goten shook his head. “No, they just killed me with a pillow, no sex involved. It just somehow…resurfaced while…”

Wondering about Goten’s peculiar imagination, the flight officer shrugged. He climbed out of the bed and pulled the cover off. It was dirty anyway and he wiped himself and his hands on it. Sex with Goten wasn’t out of this world but Reyn loved it nonetheless – they felt good together. Goten was growing bolder with every time, too. This made him always anticipate the next time. The other thing that he liked was that Goten didn’t have anyone he could compare him to.

Goten gathered his clothes off the floor and dressed. He sat down on his bed and lowered his hands to his sides to grasp at the edge of the mattress. “You see, I don’t think it matters whether I’m on Vegeta-sei or not. It seems like I can’t avoid that last dream. It’s going to happen one way or the other no matter the place. At least that’s what he told me.”

The flight officer grunted in indignation. “Who? That purple-haired bastard? Now look here, he’ll tell you anything to make you…”

The other third-class shook his head. “Err…no, not him. It’s… I don’t really know. Just this guy that looks like my dead brother. I often see him in those dreams.”

“Your brother? Gohan?”

“Yeah, but it’s not Gohan, just someone that looks like him.”

“Hmm.”

“I know it sounds strange, but that’s how it is.”

Reyn nodded dismissively. The whole ‘precognitive dreams’ thing was beyond him. The only thing he could do about them was support Goten. Those pillow-killing bastards would have to get past him first if they wanted a piece of Goten.

TBC


	61. Part 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> **A/N: There is more fan art for Barracks drawn by pika92.** I also added some very sucky and crude sketches for the palace itself and Goten  & Reyn’s room. I hope one day I will redraw them and make them more bearable. You can check all those goodies out here: http://chayron.livejournal.com/photo/album/294/?page=1

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), betaread by quatreofdoom

Part 61

Goten jogged into the canteen, looked around, spotted the red-haired Human from yesterday, and rushed over to him. The canteen was bustling with about fifty people having their breakfast. A few of them raised their heads when the third-class trotted past their tables at high speed.

Once Goten was at the table where the freckled man was having his meal, he greeted him loudly, then flopped ungracefully onto the bench next to him. The Human and the two others at the table gave Goten surprised looks.

“I wasn’t able to sleep all night!” Goten complained to them. “I kept thinking over and over and…” Waiting for his scouter to translate, he leaned toward the red-head. “I can see it clearly now,” he said resolutely. While the Human was giving him a bewildered look, the third-class grabbed his hands. “We met on this Valentine’s Day – it’s destiny! We’re meant to be together!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” the freckled Human grunted, astonished. “To begin with, I’m not even gay!” He tried to pull his hands out of the Saiyan’s grasp but it was like trying to move a building. His eyes caught movement at the entrance and he saw the second Saiyan from yesterday barging through. Panicking, he turned back to Goten. “Let go of me, you damn lunatic! Your freaking boyfriend is here!” 

“He’s not my boyfriend anymore,” Goten informed him with a dreamy look on his face.

Frantic, the red-head tried to pull his hands away before the older Saiyan could reach them. “I’m not the least bit interested in you! I’m not interested in him, you hear!” he yelled loudly at the inevitably approaching Saiyan, drawing everyone’s attention to himself. “Not even a tiny bit!”

Alert, two second-classes from a nearby table got up and stood behind Goten and their colleague; in case this turned really nasty, it could escalate to a fight with ki-guns.

“Hey, no, that’s…” one of the second-classes started saying when Reyn reached out for the Human’s collar.

“It’s a misunderstanding!” the Human repeated.

Goten burst out laughing. “You should see your face!” He turned to Reyn. “Priceless, isn’t it?”

Straightening, Reyn rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Happy now? Let’s go grab some food.”

Goten winked at the freckled Human. “Just getting back at you a little for yesterday.”

The Human frowned at him. “I nearly pissed myself, you asshole. And it’s not like I made fun of you! I just teased a little.”

Reyn sniggered, “I can’t believe you fell for this overblown drama spectacle. Seriously? You and a Saiyan? Goten would just fuck you to death. Look at how tiny you are!”

The Human’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. “Now look here, I’d not fuck him even if…”

“Gah!” Goten interrupted. “There’s no need to be so insulting, both of you! I’d not fuck you either!” He turned to Reyn. “And I think he’s pretty normal, according to their standards.”

“Which part of it is normal?” Reyn wondered. “He’s freaking emaciated! Look – skin and bones!”

“Umm… You’ve gotta eat more meat,” Goten advised the Human helpfully since it occurred to him that Reyn might be right after all.

“Go to hell!”

The flight officer waved them off and, leaving the two arguing at the table, went to get his breakfast; he was too hungry for this crap. When he returned with his steak, Goten and the Humans had been joined by the two second-classes from the nearby table. All of them were already laughing at something the red-head’s colleagues had said. It always went like this with Goten. Saiyans or Humans, it didn’t even matter. You could leave him in a room full of strangers and he’d make friends with half of them in two minutes. The other half, though, would try to kill him.

Goten went to get something for breakfast as well and, several minutes later, returned with a mountain of puffy pancakes and a bowl of bilberry jam. Neither he nor Reyn was familiar with bilberries. 

“Oh, right,” Goten said, setting his tray down. “This is Reyn.” He pointed at the red-head. “This is Mathew, this is…ehh…”

“Kevin.”

Goten nodded at the Human who had waved his hand to introduce himself. “Right, Kevin. And this is Ryan. The name sounds a bit similar to yours, doesn’t it?”

Reyn shrugged; it didn’t. Once he had been told that his name sounded almost the same as their word for “rain” in one of the Humans’ languages. From across the table, the flight officer looked at the two second-classes. “You?” he asked.

“Kalan.”

“Endro.”

“Hey, this stuff isn’t half bad,” Goten said after trying his pancakes with the jam. “I think I like it.”

“Told you!” Endro said, content.

Goten pushed the plate with the pancakes towards Reyn. “Want to try?”

“Sure,” the flight officer said. He finished chewing his steak, took a pancake, dipped it into the jam and bit half of it off. “A peculiar taste,” he said after swallowing. “But it’s more like a dessert than solid food. You’ll be hungry again in an hour or so.”

“Yeah,” Endro agreed with Reyn, “I usually get pork or chicken as well.”

“Most men do,” Ryan said with a roll of his eyes. “Well, if they need a lot of energy, that is.”

“Saiyans always need a lot of energy,” Endro said with a snort.

“Yeah, be it fighting or fucking,” Kevin muttered.

“Is that a compliment or is that an insult?” Goten wondered.

“It’s a statement,” Kevin grumbled. “It’s true, isn’t it?”

“Aren’t you Humans the same?” the flight officer asked him.

“Yeah,” Mathew agreed, “but usually we aren’t so enthusiastic about fighting. And sex… Well, some are luckier than others, I suppose.”

“There aren’t so many women in the war industry,” Ryan clarified mournfully.

“And that’s a problem because…?” Goten wondered.

“Because we rarely fuck each other,” Mathew said, pointing one by one at himself, Ryan, and Kevin.

“No,” Kevin snorted, “we don’t fuck each other at all. Not that I can remember,” he added with a playful wiggle of his eyebrows.

Mathew chortled into his mug with tea while Ryan gave Kevin a disgusted look.

“It’s that ‘gay’ thing of theirs,” the flight officer tried to explain to Goten since his confusion was apparent. “Some really go only for females while most pretend they aren’t interested in males.”

“Hmm? Pretend they aren’t interested? Why?”

“Don’t bother your young head with it,” Kalan told Goten, waving it off. “I don’t think even they themselves know why. Do you?” he asked Ryan.

“You should rather ask Kevin,” Mathew him. “Ryan is openly homophobic.”

“Phobic of what?” Goten asked while chewing on his pancakes. “Homo? What’s that?”

“I’m not homophobic, you moron. As long as none of you tries to get close to my ass, I’m all good.”

Mathew saluted him with his tea. “Then we’re all good, I suppose.” He wanted to add that he wouldn’t go for Ryan’s ass even if it were the last ass in the universe but decided not to, since it would probably lead to Ryan flinging back some nasty comeback at him; Ryan had the deadly sense of humor of a brick.

Most of the men at the table were done with their meals and were just waiting for Reyn and Goten to finish theirs. They were reluctant to leave the table since there wasn’t much to do and, in general, the two newcomers provided more entertainment than cleaning water pipes, scrubbing the floor, or welding broken parts.

“There are quite a few royal guards around,” Reyn noted innocently while sipping his coffee. “Is that a normal occurrence?”

“Oh, no,” Kalan said, shaking his head. “Usually, it’s just second-classes and Humans around.” He leaned closer to the middle of the table and whispered: “We’ve got Prince Vegeta Himself on board!”

“Wow,” Reyn said as expected of him.

“No way!”

“Yes, yes,” Kalan confirmed, nodding respectfully. “I think also glimpsed Trunks Vegeta yesterday. Can’t be too sure, though.”

“How can’t you be sure when he’s got purpl-?” Reyn trailed off as someone kicked him under the table. “Isn’t lavender easy to recognize?”

“Larvanda? Lavanda? Levarnda?” Kalan tried, confused. 

“It’s a color,” Mathew supplied him helpfully. “Lavender.”

Kalan’s face brightened. “Oh, His Highness’s purple hair. Yes, but it’s not like He’s the only one with that hair color. I’ve seen some Humans dye their hair that way as well.”

Reyn glared at Goten; so much for the other third-class’s attempt to be sophisticated and polite.

“What do you actually think about the youngest prince?” the flight officer asked the Humans.

The Humans at the table met each other’s eyes uneasily; this was a very complicated topic in any Saiyan environment. 

Mathew cleared his throat. “Well,” he said, “even if, officially, he’s our prince as well, we don’t really… You see, we don’t have princes or kings as such. Well, not ones that really rule over something anyway. It’s mostly just a title.”

Goten blinked at him. “Just a title?”

“Umm… Well, not exactly. You see, while Bulma Briefs Vegeta is our elected president, her son is… Well, since Bulma is running her seventh term in office, Trunks is…quite well-known?”

“I don’t get it,” Goten said finally. “He’s a…”

“He means he has no power in any dealings as such,” Reyn drawled slowly. “Absolutely none,” he repeated, astonished. “I had no idea there’s such a big contrast in our politics.”

Mathew shook his head. “Not quite. They had to introduce a few changes to the Constitution and he’s got immunity for life, he and his offspring will also carry the title of a prince.”

“Which actually has no meaning,” Reyn concluded, feeling stupid. “Why do I feel that we’ve been duped? He’s got no influence in the Earth Republic whatsoever.”

“Well, look here,” Mathew said impatiently. “How much influence does Bulma have in Vegeta-sei’s dealings? Freaking zero. The only things we do together are trade and war.”

“Which actually amounts to quite a lot,” Goten pointed out. “By the way, what’s ‘constitution’?”

“Basic laws on running a planet,” Reyn told him.

“Umm… Mostly, on how to run a country,” Mathew corrected the flight officer while the rest at the table just sat quietly, not willing to contribute anything to this complicated discussion. Saiyans and Humans normally avoided this topic as if it were a plague since it tended to result in Saiyans attacking Humans due to their lack of respect for royalty.

“I haven’t seen the princes around the ship, though,” Endro said in an attempt to end the topic; it annoyed him every time someone discussed it.

“They’re staying in their suites,” Kalan said. “I think they have food and everything delivered to them directly.”

“Yeah,” Goten agreed with a snicker, “even potted plants.”

“What plants?”

“Oh, I don’t know, just some plants.” 

The Humans and the two second-classes gave Goten uncomprehending looks while Reyn glared at him. He knew perfectly well where the other third-class had seen those potted plants. Goten was an asshole.

“How about a spar in an hour or two?” Reyn suggested, suddenly overtaken by spite.

“Hmm… Yeah, sounds great,” Goten agreed, easily aware of Reyn’s anger. Feeling somewhat guilty, he pushed his empty plate away. “We haven’t sparred in awhile now, have we?”

“Need company?” Endro asked.

The offer sobered Reyn up and he thought for a moment. Basically, the second-classes were useless for a spar but to refuse their friendly offer would sound pretentious and unkind. Goten was still awful at measuring his ki but that kind of training would have to be postponed until later. Neither would be able to fight at their full potential.

“Yeah, sure,” the flight officer said finally. “Goten and I will just warm up first.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten and Reyn went to the training hall a little earlier than agreed. There were five Saiyans in it. From their earlier conversation with Endro and Kalan in the canteen, the third-classes knew that the Humans didn’t come to this training hall since it was too dangerous to use it with the Saiyans. One could get accidentally hit or blasted. Besides, Saiyans liked to increase the gravity, and Humans didn’t handle it well. The Humans had their own training hall just several meters away, with all the newest training equipment, weights, and dumbbells. The latter were often borrowed by the Saiyans when they worked out in increased gravity. The Humans would always get angry when they had to get them back.

The third-classes started their warm-up.

“Do we actually spar with them?” Goten wondered loudly, stretching, turning his torso this way and that. “I suppose there’s something to learn from every spar, but…”

Reyn shrugged. “Well, if they want to. Just keep your ki low and pretend you’re trying very hard.”

Goten snickered. “That’s how you used to do it on _Starcut_?”

“No, you’re getting cocky now. I’d beat the living crap out of them and they loved every minute of it. Especially Edesha.”

“Oh.” Goten could easily imagine the soldier coming back for a spar over and over as soon as his bruises healed. “But you had to hold back a lot, didn’t you?”

“Well, naturally. It was more fun when they’d gang up on me.” Reyn turned to the door when it hissed open. “They’re here.”

Endro and Kalan entered the training hall and headed to the third-classes to join in their warm-up.

“Do we spar in increased gravity?’ Kalan asked, stretching his legs.

Reyn looked round. “No,” he said, “it’s bothersome asking so many people if they agree.”

They finished stretching and, after a short discussion, broke into pairs: Reyn with Endro, Goten with Kalan. They were about to start when a loud voice startled the whole training hall.

“What’s this?”

Goten turned to see a royal guard standing behind him. He threw a questioning look to Reyn, but the flight officer answered with a shrug. Goten’s eyes set on the royal guard’s shoulders. He wasn’t knowledgeable about the ranks within the Royal Division but the elite was obviously high-ranked and outranked everyone in the hall.

“Are you serious?” the royal guard continued. “Elites against second-classes? How pathetic can you get?”

“Umm?” Goten wondered. Then it occurred to him that the royal guard must have either seen the two of them in the assembly hall back on Bruminan or the award ceremony, or maybe both. He had mistaken them for elites.

Kalan and Endro were giving Reyn and Goten astonished and confused looks. Goten’s completely brown tail twitched under the disbelieving stares in the hall. 

Kalan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Uh, sorry, Sirs,” he stammered, bewildered. “We didn’t know. Had we known, we’d have never offered to join you in a spar. But Sirs’ tails…”

“See?” the royal guard told the third-classes. “You’re confusing people. I understand that you’re already done with your mission and have been reassigned to the Royal Division. Remove that color immediately,” he finished demandingly.

Goten squirmed under the elite’s expectant stare while the tip of his tail continued to twitch nervously. The silence started to stretch while neither of them moved or said anything. Goten couldn’t believe they got into this kind of situation.

“It’s permanent, sir,” Reyn said finally. “It will just grow back with time.”

“Re-dye it immediately,” the royal guard demanded again.

“We don’t have any dye, sir,” the flight officer told him.

The elite glared at him. He obviously wanted to say something, but the fact was that they really didn’t have even a drop of any dye, be it white or pink.

“Wait here,” the elite ordered. He turned around and walked out of the training hall briskly, leaving quiet people in his wake.

“Ugh…” Goten grunted, lost. He felt like facepalming.

“Well, want a spar?” Reyn offered to Goten. Now, Kalan and Endro wouldn’t even dream of sparring with them. The second-classes had retreated to the other end of the hall and, very likely, now were of opinion that they had been made fun of.

“No,” Goten muttered, “not in the mood.” He had a feeling that this was exactly how it was going to be from now on – the second-classes would be avoiding them while the elites would just ignore them. “This sucks.”

“Yeah,” Reyn agreed. “Quite the misunderstanding here.”

About ten minutes later, the royal guard returned. He was carrying a can of white paint and an unused paint brush. 

Goten’s eyes widened. “You’ve gotta be kidding me…”

“He’s fucking nuts,” Reyn agreed at the sight of the familiar can.

The elite put the can and the brush in front of the third-classes. “Here,” he informed them proudly, “I was assured it sticks to anything.”

“Yes, sir,” Reyn agreed, a morose look on his face. “They use it to paint the exterior of spaceships. You can’t even get it off with sulphuric acid.”

“My point precisely,” the royal guard said. “Now dye it.”

“I would not want all the hair to fall out, sir,” Goten said, hoping the man would come to his senses. This was ridiculous.

“Just put over the very ends of the hairs,” the elite said, giving an expectant nod towards the can.

“No, sir,” Goten said firmly, “I won’t.”

Reyn could see how Goten’s plain refusal had astonished the elite; the whole hall was so quiet that one could hear what people were talking about behind the walls. Reyn had to stifle a chuckle. At least Goten was wearing his uniform with the flight officer’s stripes, otherwise, the elite would have probably punched him. Not that it would hurt Goten; the third-class could easily beat the crap out of his potential superior. That, however, would be a very rocky start to their careers in the Royal Division.

“Tell you what, sir,” Reyn said, not quite managing to hide his grin, “let’s have a spar. Me and you, sir. If you win, we’ll paint our tails. But if you lose, you’ll never mention our tails again. How is that?”

Everyone’s eyes were on him and the royal guard felt he couldn’t refuse the challenge. Naturally, they had to obey him without any excuses but conflicts like these were very common amongst elites no matter their rankings. He had seen what the two were capable of when they had fought off the Leiador in the assembly hall. That couldn’t have been a fluke. He was confident in his skill but fighting someone who had easily overcome a Leiador of that caliber was… Yet, he couldn’t refuse. On the other hand, not using their ki should make matters between them much more equal.

“Fine,” the royal guard said. “No powering up.”

“Alright, sir. You should take your armor off, too, though.”

The elite took a look at himself. “Oh, right.” He reached out to his shoulder and started undoing the clasps there.

“You’d better not screw this up,” Goten hissed at Reyn while watching the elite take his armor off and pile the pieces of it further away on the floor. “I don’t want that white paint going anywhere close to my tail. If need be, I’ll beat him unconscious.”

Reyn rolled his eyes and moved into his fighting stance. Realistically, they might really end up painting their tails white voluntarily. That would be much easier to deal with than the constant questions and mistrust in the Royal Palace. Goten would have to come to terms with that. The problem was that they were listed as second-classes. For now, at least. Stupid prince.

The fight started out slowly, but ended fast. Reyn and the guard rounded each other, lashing out a few times, gauging each other’s skill and strength. Then Reyn blocked the elite’s punch and kicked him in the stomach, sending him to the floor. The elite’s back hit the can of paint and he yelped painfully, powering up unconsciously. Amidst the pain that had shot up his back, the royal guard came to the conclusion that Reyn had done this intentionally. The elite got to his feet and powered down.

The second round didn’t go much better for the elite. They exchanged a few hits, all of which the flight officer had blocked, then Reyn ducked the last one, fell to the ground, and swept the elite’s feet from under him. While the elite lurched and staggered forward as he tried to keep his balance, Reyn was suddenly crashing into his back. They hit the ground with a thud, flight officer already trussing the elite’s arm behind his back. All of this had happened so fast that neither the elite nor the second-classes in the hall could quite grasp that it was already over.

“You win,” the elite gasped out, trying to inhale; the hard crash to the floor had forced his breath out of him. The pressure disappeared off his back, his arm free again. Slowly, he stood up and started dusting his uniform off. There was nothing more to be said and he cast a regretful look at the can of paint. It was a pity. He didn’t understand why the two would be so opposed to the idea. Wasn’t it natural to want to be recognized and treated as their true status required? The royal guard turned to Goten.

“Maybe you would care for a spar instead?” he asked the younger third-class, hopeful.

Reyn chuckled. “I’d not recommend that, sir, – he’s better than me. Especially when he’s annoyed.”

Goten turned to the flight officer to give him a skeptical look, but Reyn just grinned at him.

ooOoOoOoo

During the rest of the journey, no one bothered the third-classes. Just as Goten had thought, the second-classes now avoided them while the elites ignored them. Even the Humans they had talked to earlier pretended not to see them.

Neither Goten nor Reyn had time to get upset or annoyed about that since their stay on the Imperial Destroyer ended quickly and they soon found themselves leaving the ship. Keeping their distance, they watched the Vegetas step out of the ship and into the hangar while surrounded by the royal guards. The third-classes had figured that, in order to reach the Royal Palace, they’d simply follow the group.

“Ah, here you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Goten and Reyn turned to see Daimara, who was approaching them quickly.

“Yes? Why?” Goten wondered.

“What do you mean why?” the elite sputtered. “I’m supposed to deliver you two to the Royal Division.”

“Um. Can’t we just get there by following them?” Goten asked, motioning with his head after the briskly moving group. “They’ll take an aircraft to get to the palace, won’t they?”

Daimara gave him a long look. “Yes, but you can’t take the same aircraft.”

“Why not?” Reyn wondered. “Is it because we are too lowly to step onto the same plane with the royal family and full-fledged royal guards? But we’ve just flown on the same ship together. What kind of crap is this?” 

“Spare me your sarcasm or whatever it is you’re trying to pull,” the elite told him gruffly. “There aren’t enough seats on that aircraft.”

“Oh.”

“I bet that’s a lie,” Reyn said while glaring at Goten. He was certain that the only reason they were not allowed to use the same aircraft was that the youngest prince was afraid his daddy would figure it all out. This was stupid. It was not as if they would become invisible once they were in the Royal Palace.

ooOoOoOoo

It was a good thing that the exact reporting time hadn’t been given in the call-up papers, otherwise they would have definitely been late. As soon as they had risen into the air, the cat had become violently ill and kept vomiting until they had been forced to land. They had to the take the public transport. First, they had taken a bus, but, half an hour into the journey, they realized that they had been going in the wrong direction. Then they had returned and decided to switch to the metro. This time they had reached the destination successfully, but Goten had forgotten the box with the cat in the metro car. They had spent an hour chasing that particular metro car until, finally, Mr. Elite had been successfully retrieved. It took them two hours and a bit to return to the palace and then another half-hour was spent at the gate while trying to convince the security that they were really supposed to be there.

It was evening already when they finally set foot on the premises of the Royal Palace. The whole territory was surrounded by a protective ki-shield and Goten could see the dome shimmering lightly when birds and larger insects would hit it. Goten wondered if the shields were always up or were only raised in the evening.

The Royal Palace was a huge complex consisting of a palace with two wings stretching in two opposite directions. While the main building was three-stories high, the extensive wings consisted of two stories. The left wing, as Daimara explained, was mainly the living and operating quarters for the Royal Division and this was where Reyn and Goten were going to stay. The opposite wing was mainly used as a garage and training grounds.

There was a small round launch pad right in front of the palace. It was surrounded by a patch of grass, which then was encircled by a road that led directly to the gate. On both sides of the road, Goten could see lush greenery spreading almost as far as the eye could see. The left side boasted an enormous garden with trees and bushes and a large fountain in the middle, while the right side seemed to be more like a farmer’s dream: fields of potatoes, apple trees, carrots and other vegetables and fruit thrived in throngs. There was even a beehive visible further down. While passing the greenery, Goten wondered which Vegeta indulged in gardening. He found it hard to imagine the younger ones being interested in it.

The whole palace complex was, like most Saiyans preferred, in minimalistic style; efficient instead of beautiful. The main building was rectangular, the wings oblong. There were very few decorations, only the windows accentuated by white marble and the parapet on the flat roof made it seem a little more prominent than the rest of the buildings in the capital. There was also a flag with the royal symbol above the roof. A short flight of stairs led into the palace, where, on the main door, one more royal symbol could be seen.

Daimara took them to the living quarters in the Royal Division and, after asking around, the third-classes were shown to their room. It was a twin room with a big window, a large television set, a terminal, a fridge and a sink, and, most importantly, with two large and, seemingly, soft beds. Above the beds, on the wall, there was even a huge oil painting of a spaceship approaching Vegeta-sei. Out of the window, the mown lawn and a few trees could be seen. Goten had only seen so much greenery at once when he and his squad had been sent to Korama woods for the Capture the Flag game.

“Is this the room?”

The question was obviously addressed to Goten, but he gave Reyn an uncomprehending look. Then he understood. “Oh, you mean…” He shook his head. “No, it isn’t. A completely different one. That one is much fancier, too.” His chest tightened at the way relief flooded Reyn’s face. Turning away, Goten flicked the light switch on and the room lit up brightly. He lowered the box with the half-dead Mr. Elite to the floor that was covered with dark brown carpeting. The cat was worrying him but they had no time to spare.

“Where can we find this…?” Goten had to take a look at the call-up papers again to check the name. “Harada Lorimara?”

The elite rolled his eyes. “At this time of day? Most likely, he’s in his room already.”

“Care to show us there?”

“Right,” the royal guard said, already walking out the door. “Follow me. I must warn you, though, that he doesn’t like to be disturbed during his resting hours.”

“And who does?” Reyn muttered.

They walked down the long corridor, then rose to the second floor. The layout here was the same as on the first floor: there were rooms on each side of the corridor with an occasional arch and a window to let some light in. All rooms were divided into two blocks that shared a bathroom with a toilet and a shower. Daimara was quick to inform them that they didn’t need to worry about filth as they had cleaners. 

There were only two kitchens, one per floor. The elite, however, assured them that there was a canteen on the first floor and that no one ever cooked for themselves. The kitchens were mostly used as gathering places to play cards or gossip.

“Here it is,” Daimara said when they had reached the door that was marked with the number 215. There was also a very crude drawing of Vegeta-sei on it. “He’s self-taught,” the royal guard explained in a whisper. “A bit of a fanatic.” 

“Fanatic of what?” Goten wondered.

The elite shifted awkwardly and, instead of answering, knocked on the door.

“Who’s that?”

The tone of the voice made it clear that, depending on the answer, one may be let in or be told to go away. Somewhere far away, and for a few days or weeks at that.

“It’s Backeri, sir. I brought Dueri and Reyn here.”

“Send them the hell away. There’s plenty of time tomorrow.”

Goten wondered if he should correct the royal guard or not and whether that would make any difference. He was fine with going away but there was still tomorrow to face anyway. “It’s Bardock and Dueri,” he told the royal guard. He wanted to add an insult but, then, he wasn’t all that good with names himself.

“Sorry, sir,” Daimara spoke again, “Bardock and Dueri.”

For a few moments, it was silent behind the door. Then a confused voice floated from behind it again: “Bardock? Are you sure?”

“Yes, sir, he’s standing right next to me.”

“Oh.”

There was a sound of footsteps and the door opened. Goten and Reyn found themselves staring at a burly elite with short spiky hair. The Head of the Royal Division seemed to be thoroughly bewildered at the sight of them. His eyes set on their tails, then rose to the third-classes’ faces again. 

“Right,” the said after his dark eyes took them in fully, “and I thought it was a joke.”

“We’re very pleased to meet you, sir,” Goten said automatically; he was used to this kind of reaction. “I’m certain that we’ll be a great addition to the Royal Division.”

“I’m not so certain about that…” Harada drawled. He opened the door wider. “Well, come in.” He turned to Daimara. “You may go.”

The other elite saluted. “Yes, sir.”

Reyn and Goten entered the room. Since the elite had been so set against meeting them, they half-expected to find someone else there but there was no one. The room was much bigger than theirs and they hesitated, not sure whether to stay at the door or to go further. Easels, painting brushes and other painting tools were strewn over the desk and most of the floor. It smelled of paint and some kind of acid. A few more crude drawing were scattered around the walls inside: a constellation of stars, which Goten didn’t recognize; an exploding spaceship near some kind of a planet; a shower of meteors approaching the atmosphere of Vegeta-sei; two battleships engaged in a battle. Goten now had a pretty good idea what kind of fanaticism Daimara had meant.

Harada motioned at the sofa at the opposite wall. He took the armchair in front of it and, while Reyn and Goten were getting comfortable, studied them again. “It would be better if you two dyed your tails,” he said, then.

“I’m sure, sir,” Goten said, “that, if we tried, we could find a unanimous solution as to how we can avoid that.”

Reyn glanced at Goten. He seemed to be pretty sure of everything and, pretty much, was also pissed off about everything. It was a quite peculiar and amusing sight. Goten’s behavior, however, was definitely going to get them in trouble.

“I suppose we could,” the elite agreed unexpectedly easily. He obviously wanted to add something but never voiced it.

Goten beamed at him. “We are very grateful, sir.” 

Harada scratched the back of his head awkwardly; Goten’s behavior was baffling him. “Apparently you start tomorrow.”

“Already, sir?” Reyn wondered. “Don’t we need to get our qualifications first?”

“Do you have any experience? Dueri, was it?” the elite added as Goten shook his head. He hadn’t been asking the younger male, since it was clear to anyone that Goten pretty much didn’t have any experience in anything this kind of career required.

“No, sir. I’ve never taken any required training or courses. I’m a flight officer.”

“Yes, you two…”

“I’m not a flight officer, sir,” Goten said, pointing at his striped shoulders. “I’ve just borrowed his uniform.” 

The elite’s brow rose, then he coughed to hide his laughter. “Right. So anyway, you will need to get your qualifications, of course. Normally, that’s done before becoming a member of the Royal Division, as you understand.”

Goten nodded dutifully. “Oh yes, sir, we understand.”

“There’s, however,” Harada continued, ignoring Goten, “no problem in getting your qualifications while already performing your duties.”

Goten was about to offer some comment to express his amazement at such a convenient turn of events but Reyn elbowed him in the side quite painfully.

“How long will it last, sir?” Reyn asked.

“Depends. Usually, the training takes half a year. In your case, it might stretch to two or so since you’ll be attending to your duties as well.”

Goten glared at his knees while his lips twitched with the urgent need to spit out something sarcastic about doomsday or the Ice-jins. Reyn didn’t say anything at all, even though he shared a very similar urge to punch a certain purple-haired bastard in the face.

“You will start tomorrow at seven o’clock. Your commanding officer is Ealdira Fidan, the deputy commander. I think he should already be back from Earth. He usually stays in room 200. Find him now and he’ll tell you more details. You’ll also need to get your armor.” 

“Oh, him, sir?” Goten muttered; the universe appeared to be very small after all.

The elite gave Goten an interested look. “Do you know him?”

“No, sir. Just saw a few times from afar.”

Harada nodded, looked around, then stood up and went to retrieve a piece of paper and a pen from his desk. “Here,” he said, writing something down, “also go to this room and tell Berada I sent you and that you need to pass your qualifications tests. He will give you the required material.”

“Thank you, sir,” Reyn said, taking the slip. “And what duties will we be performing here actually?”

“You’ve been assigned to guard the royal garden.”

Goten pursed his lips. He could hardly stop himself from sniggering. “The royal garden, sir? Really? To guard it from what? Zombie squirrels? Mad rabbits?”

Harada chuckled. “You may never know.” In fact, even if he had believed the prince had made a joke about the new recruit, he had asked him the same question. The prince had mumbled something about the guards taking baths in the fountain during particularly hot days.

“With the recent events, we’ve increased security,” Harada said. “Just make sure everything’s in order and there’s no mess.”

“Right, sir,” Goten said enthusiastically, “we just count trees and bushes and make sure they understand they’ve got to be orderly and not to rustle their leaves so loudly at night.” 

Harada’s lips quirked up again. “Yeah, that will do. Also warn them that they shouldn’t cast such a big shadow over my window.”

“Will do, sir,” Goten promised. He stood up and headed for the door, then stopped. “Oh, right, sir. Where can we find a doctor?”

“Is there something wrong with you?” Harada asked.

The elite sounded worried and Goten gave him a surprised look. In turn, Harada seemed to be surprised, too. The elite’s behavior, to put it bluntly, was weird. Goten had a feeling that he was missing something, but couldn’t quite grasp what it was. Even if Harada knew that they were the prince’s protégés, there was still something off. 

“Umm, yes, sir, not feeling so great after the flight,” Goten said.

“The infirmary is on the first floor, at the far end of the living quarters, room marked as hundred eighty.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Could I actually ask why you are here?”

Harada was staring at Goten and the third-class gave him an uncertain look. He turned to Reyn, but it didn’t seem that the elite was interested in what the flight officer had to say.

“I think it would be a better idea to ask the prince, sir,” Goten muttered. 

The elite rolled his eyes. “I already have and he said you’d be looking after the garden.”

“There you go, then, sir. We’ll be looking after the garden.”

The elite rolled his eyes again. “Fine, go to the doctor now. Wouldn’t want anything happen to you.”

“Am I transparent, or what?” Reyn grunted after they had left the division head’s room. They were walking back to their room to collect Mr. Elite. “Seems like he’s specifically informed everyone which one of us is more important.”

Goten frowned at the corridor in general. “Any idea how much a cat’s treatment may cost us?” Medical treatment was free in all military facilities but Mr. Elite was just a useless animal that no one cared about.

“Are you sure they’ll agree to take a look at it at all?”

“The real question is whether we can afford it.”

TBC


	62. Part 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.  
>  **A/N 1:**  
>  Head of Royal Division - Harada Lorimara  
> Deputy Commander - Ealdira Fidan  
> Captain - Amren Komira

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 62

When Goten and Reyn entered the infirmary, they found the doctor slumbering in front of a television screen; a giant dissected leg of sorts was on the screen. The reception area was otherwise deserted, the room empty, both beds and a dozen chairs idle. There was another door leading further into the infirmary. A crude painting of an already familiar design of a spaceship entering hyperspace hung above the door.

Goten cleared his throat to get the doctor’s attention. The second-class jolted in his swivel chair, his eyes setting on them.

“Huh? Who are you?”

“We are new recruits, sir,” Goten said politely. “I’m Goten, and this is Reyn, sir.”

Reyn nodded. “Hello.”

“At this time of year?” the doctor wondered. “I’m Sorevala Ofura. What is it?”

Goten lifted the box with the cat higher for the doctor to see. “He isn’t feeling well. He has been vomiting and shitting the entire day. Now he just lies there and is about to die. Stinks horribly, too.”

The doctor left the chair and approached the box. “I don’t normally deal with animals. What kind of species is it? Where did you get it?”

“It’s a cat,” Goten said. “Originates from Earth apparently.”

“Hmm…” the doctor hummed softly. “Logan, hey, come here!” he said suddenly. “Do you know anything about cats?”

A soft grumble and a yawn were heard from the adjacent room and soon a shuffle of feet approached the door. A sleepy, disheveled figure appeared in the doorway. Goten was surprised to see that it was an elderly Human. 

“Cats?” the Human muttered, yawning again. “Yeah, I used to keep two of them. What about them?”

Goten showed the man the caged cat.

“Oh my, poor thing.” Logan gave the third-classes a look. “Where did you get it?”

“It’s not ours, we are just looking after it.”

“Not doing a very good job, are you?” Logan muttered. He peered at the cat closer. “You need a vet, but…” he trailed off with a sigh. Saiyans didn’t have veterinarians. The concept was unfamiliar to them since they almost never kept pets. If some sick animal was found, it was normally either cooked and eaten or just disposed off. In all other cases, they would just bring the animal to a doctor as the two Saiyans had done now. 

“Do we have…?” Logan started and trailed off again. “Of course we don’t,” he answered his own unfinished question. He turned to his Saiyan colleague. “I will download the necessary software. Turn the scanner and the printer on for me. Thanks.”

The Saiyan nodded and walked up to an apparatus deeper in the room. Soon, a soft buzz filled the reception area. The Human browsed on his terminal for about ten minutes, then finally found what he had been looking for and downloaded it. He cast one more look at the cat, then went to get his gloves and some cellophane.

Goten carried the cat to the apparatus. The apparatus consisted of a white tray-like bed and a detachable medical scanner. While the second-class doctor was tinkering with the scanner, Logan covered the bed with the cellophane. It was the first time Goten saw Mr. Elite make no attempt to bite or scratch the hands that picked him up. 

Once the cat was on the bed, Sorevala set up the scanner and held it above the cat, slowly moving it forward and backward. Once the scanning was done, the scanner beeped loudly. Both doctors leaned over the display screen to see the results.

“Has he been through a lot of gravity changes?” Logan asked while reading the data. “His ears have been damaged, and there’re multiple stress indicators here.”

“Will his ears be okay?”

Logan nodded. “Yeah, they should heal in a couple of weeks. Stop dragging him around, though. Cats like stability and need a place they consider safe. I’ll print out the recommendations for you to read later.”

Goten hummed softly. “Even if you say that…”

“Any medicine?” Reyn asked.

“Yeah, they list some recommendations. I will try diluting the medicine we have here. Let’s hope it will be effective.”

“How much will that cost us?” Goten asked. 

The doctors looked at each other, then the Human laughed. “It will cost you a huge amount of nothing.”

“A thanks will be sufficient,” his Saiyan colleague agreed. “It’s not like we can put your cat down on the list of patients anyway. Just don’t tell anyone.”

ooOoOoOoo

Goten gave the door in front of them a hesitant look. Number 200 already seemed to be scary enough on its own. The third-class wondered if the prince’s former mentor would remember him. It was best he didn’t. Goten inhaled sharply when Reyn knocked, and the sound echoed loudly down the corridor.

“Yes?”

“We are new recruits, sir. The head of the division told us to see you.”

“Come in.”

The room was almost as big as Harada’s but there was no sign of any paintings on the walls. There was an unpacked suitcase on the floor, indicating that Ealdira had, indeed, just returned from a trip. Just as Goten remembered, the prince’s former nanny was one of the tallest and largest elites he’d ever seen. Most people seemed petite next to him. Unbidden, the image of the average-sized prince and this mountain of a man together in bed appeared in Goten’s mind. The image, to put it mildly, was erotically disturbing, and Goten felt awkward and embarrassed.

The deputy commander motioned them further into the room. There was a bottle of beer in his hand. Goten’s eyes traveled to the television screen located above the desk on the wall. It was off now but he had heard someone talking just before they had entered.

Staring at the two men, Ealdira sipped his beer. He didn’t offer them a seat and the two younger males were just standing in the middle of the room awkwardly, waiting for him to speak up. Ealdira took another sip. There were no words to express how badly he regretted showing Trunks the footage from Bruminan Station. He was an idiot for doing that, but how could have he expected things to turn out like this? This average second-class kid was supposed to have been a simple crush. Who would have thought the prince would go as far as to accommodate him in the Royal Palace? Insane.

The hostility was pouring off the elite in waves and, without thinking, Reyn moved closer to Goten. The unconscious but very noticeable action made Ealdira snort in contempt. He sucked out the last drops from the bottle and put it noisily down onto the desk. It was obvious that the two were sleeping together. He would have never imagined that Trunks could be so disgraceful. At least he had had the decency not to forcefully split them up.

“So Harada sent you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Need the armor, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir. And…some instructions?”

Ealdira raised an eyebrow at the third-classes. “Instructions on what?”

“We are supposed to guard the garden, sir, so…”

Ealdira burst out laughing and flopped onto the sofa ungracefully. He was too old for this crap. “Fuck it,” he said. He got up and went to the fridge to get one more beer. “He wants you to pass the qualification tests, doesn’t he?” he muttered, opening the bottle.

“Yes, sir.”

Ealdira tossed the cap from the bottle across the room towards the bin. It hit the side and bounced off with a jingle, landing on top of the suitcase. “Fuck it,” the elite repeated. “You know, I had a newborn girl just a few months ago, and I seriously can’t be assed with this. It’s enough he’s dragged me back from Earth. Whatever you want, go to Harada and pester him. I am washing my hands of this.”

The third-classes gave each other awkward looks and shuffled out of the room. “That didn’t go so well,” Goten said softly.

“You can say that again,” Reyn muttered, following Goten towards room 226 – they had yet another person to visit. “You know him, don’t you?”

“Not exactly. I just saw him a few times from afar when he visited my officer training school.” Goten debated with himself for a short moment before decided to spill it all out: “He’s the prince’s former mentor, and rumor has it that they share a bed.”

Reyn gave the other third-class a skeptical look. “He and the prince? Doesn’t seem very likely. On the other hand, it would explain why he was so pissed off.”

“I think he’s pissed off for an entirely different reason,” Goten muttered. “He knows I’m a second-class. Well, supposed to be one at least.”

“Ah, so. Yeah, makes sense now.”

“Yeah, makes a very good candidate.”

Reyn glanced at the other third-class. He was thinking exactly the same. It was a pity that Goten couldn’t remember the faces of those who were supposed to kill him. Yet, Ealdira was openly hostile, which gave enough grounds to suspect him. On the other hand, usually it was those sneaky ones that had plans up their sleeves.

“Berada is another one I’ve met before,” Goten said, and Reyn gave him a disbelieving look.

“You know almost everyone here, don’t you?”

“Ugh, no,” Goten denied sheepishly. “I met Berada when we were on our way to Velora and the aircraft was attacked. Then he saw me to the National Air Force headquarters.”

“Really? The National Air Force?”

Goten nodded. “From there, I was sent to _Starcut_.”

“They don’t normally deal with space travelling. That’s under the Interstellar Division’s jurisdiction.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “And you’re telling me that?”

They approached the right door. The scouter showed almost ten in the evening, and Goten hesitated before knocking. They were really late.

“Yeah?”

“New recruits, sir. We were sent by the division’s head.”

“Harada, huh? Well, come in.”

The third-classes entered to find a messy room and the elite sprawled on the sofa with a bowl of something that smelled of meat. He was holding a chicken leg in his right hand while his left was changing the channels on the television set. He turned to the third-classes and his face froze.

“Huh, you’re that… Whatsname…?”

“Goten Bardock, sir,” Goten introduced himself.

“Yes, right! You know, after I saw you on TV, I somehow had a feeling you’d end up here.”

Not sure how to take it, Goten shifted awkwardly. “Uh.” He pointed at Reyn. “This is Reyn Dueri, sir. The division’s head said sir can help us with passing the qualifications tests.”

Berada nodded. He passed the bowl to Goten to hold onto, then looked around for something to wipe his greasy hands on. “You’re like half a year too late but, I suppose, you can sit at least a few tests together with the rest of the students. I’ll put your names down next to theirs. Shouldn’t cause any problems, but make sure you show up for examinations.”

The elite wiped his hands on a T-shirt he had picked up from the floor, tossed it back to the ground, and went to his desk. The terminal buzzed to life as soon as Berada touched it and, in no time, he was browsing through the list of available lectures. After opening and closing the drawers, he found a sheet of paper and a pen. He put down the names of three classes and added the examination date for each.

“Here,” he said giving the paper to Reyn. “You can pass these with the others. I’ll print out the rest of them tomorrow and we’ll see what can be done. Come about noon, I’ll also have the books ready.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The third-classes left the room and stopped in the corridor, not sure what to do. 

“Do we go back to Harada?” Goten wondered. “We do need to get that armor – without it, we’ll just be attracting attention to ourselves.”

Reyn rolled his eyes. With or without the armor, it probably made no difference anymore. Tomorrow, the Royal Palace was going to be buzzing with the news of their arrival.

“He seems familiar,” Goten muttered.

“Who?”

“Berada.”

“Huh? You’ve met him before, haven’t you?”

“Not that. I think I saw him in the dream. And to think he sounded quite friendly… Asshole.”

“Hmm… At the rate this is going, we’re going to get paranoid.”

Goten could only nod.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten rolled onto his left side and reached out for the scouter on the bedside cabinet. It was only three in the morning. He lowered the scouter and, with a soft sigh, rolled over onto his back. They went to bed at eleven, but he hadn’t caught a wink of sleep yet. The room stank of cat shit, and he was tired and apprehensive.

In the end, they hadn’t returned to Harada. Having decided to visit the head of the division in the morning, they had eaten, fed the cat, and gone to sleep. Mr. Elite had eaten a few small morsels of cooked meat and lapped up a whole bowl of water. He seemed to be much better already, but they had decided not to bother him with a bath yet.

Yawning, Goten turned to his right side and took a look at Reyn’s dark silhouette on the adjacent bed. The other third-class seemed to be peacefully asleep. They had turned down the TV’s sound but left it on to illuminate the room. That had been a stupid idea, since now the shadows created by the flickering light were dancing all across the room. This way, he’d never notice anyone trying to sneak into the room. 

Goten got up and went to turn the TV off. Once he did so, he became aware of a weak glow coming from behind the curtain. He went to the window and carefully glanced outside.

“Meow?”

“Shh…” Goten shushed the cat and continued to scan the garden through the gap between the curtains. The light was coming from several tall street lamps which were scattered throughout the garden. The garden seemed to be completely deserted but one could never be certain with the trees looming here and there. There actually had to be guards somewhere. Night duty wasn’t something Goten was looking forward to. On the other hand, night duty was not on his “Worried About” list. Goten turned away from the window and returned to his bed. 

They had pushed the two beds together, so now they had a king-sized bed. Truth be told, Goten felt much safer with Reyn sleeping at his side. Currently, the other third-class was oblivious to his surroundings, but for someone to try and smother Goten with a pillow right next to him was impossible. Unless they tried to smother both of them at once.

Goten’s leg snuck out from under the duvet and his foot kneaded the other man’s sleeping form none too gently. The flight officer shifted but didn’t seem to be waking up. Goten moved him again. This time, the other man’s eyes blinked open.

“Sorry, did I wake you up?”

“For fuck’s sake, Goten,” Reyn grunted, turning away from him and covering his head with the duvet. “I’m sure no one will try anything on the very first night.”

“They just might.”

Goten sounded upset and whiny, and Reyn sighed. He turned to face the younger male again. Goten was obviously just as tired and uneasy as he was. Usually sex was a good way to make the other man fall asleep, but they had to get up early and there was no guarantee that, after that, Goten wouldn’t feel even more wretched than he did now.

The flight officer draped his arm over Goten’s chest. “Once, when I was a kid, I ran away from home.”

“Huuh… Really?”

“Yeah. I can’t exactly remember why, but I got so angry with my father that I couldn’t stand it anymore.”

“And?”

“And nothing. I lasted whole three days and then returned since I was hungry as fuck.”

Goten grinned. “How old were you?”

“Hmm, not sure… Six? Seven?”

“Did you get a good beating once you returned?”

“Nah, I just ate everything in sight, went to my room, and we pretended it never happened.”

“Huh. My dad would’ve given me a good whipping.”

“Yeah, yours seems to be the type to address issues directly.”

Goten pouted. “You don’t have to be sarcastic. He’d just do it to make sure I didn’t wander off again and get myself hurt or killed.”

“I know that, and I’m not being sarcastic. I mean Kakarott’s straightforward: there is the action and the result, and it’s over. With me and my father it’s different – it just stays somewhere there, unaddressed, and we pretend everything’s fine. Then it bursts and we keep arguing for weeks. Pisses me off.”

“Oh, I see.” Goten waited for the continuation of the story but it never came, Reyn starting to drowse. “Umm… And? Was this just a bedtime story?”

“Hmmn?” Reyn hummed sleepily. “Not good enough?”

“It sucked.”

Reyn yawned. “Want to hear a story about a princess that everyone was in love with?”

“Sure.”

“Once, there was a third-class who lived on Vegeta-sei. He wasn’t anything special, he wasn’t even very bright to begin with, but everyone liked him. The third-class enjoyed the attention and, with every day, the number of admirers grew. They all wanted to marry him, but the third-class didn’t know which one to choose. And then they killed each other off, and the third-class lived happi...”

“I don’t like it. Besides, I thought it was supposed to be about a princess.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot that bit. Then let me tell you the story of a magic cat that kept traveling space until it died. Interested?”

“Not really.”

“Aw.”

“Somehow, all your stories have a tragic end. Can’t you te-?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, just fall asleep finally,” Reyn grunted, smacking Goten on the chest lightly.

Goten pursed his lips, pouting. “I’m trying to.” Sighing, he shifted closer to Reyn. “I’m sorry you’re stuck with me.”

Reyn snorted. “Don’t be stupid. And, in this kind of situation, you should thank me instead of apologizing.”

“I suppose. Still, I’m very so-”

“Just go to sleep finally.”

ooOoOoOoo

It was six in the morning and the third-classes were at Harada Lorimara’s door. Goten and Harada were staring at each other with bloodshot eyes. Harada was only in his underwear, scratching at his side where red bedding markings could be seen.

“He says what?” the Head of the Royal Division asked in disbelief.

“That he can’t be assed and washes his hands of it, sir,” Goten repeated patiently.

“Really? Ealdira said that?”

Reyn nodded. “Yes, he did, sir.”

The division head seemed to be impressed. “Strange. Well, I’ll have a talk with him.” The newcomers wanted their armor and uniforms. It was only right since they were supposed to stand guard in the garden in one hour. Harada took a look at himself and went to grab his uniform.

“Do we exchange watch, sir?” Goten wondered while the three of them were going to the armory. “Or do we patrol together? Where exactly do we patrol, sir? When do we finish?”

The head of the division didn’t look at Goten. Recently, the security had been drastically increased, but they didn’t need two more people. There were enough guards patrolling the garden as it was. The whole situation was ridiculous. It was no wonder Ealdira had washed his hands.

“How about you weed out the potatoes?”

Not sure whether the division head was joking or being serious, the third-classes gave him uncertain looks. Reyn thought that Harada wasn’t sure either. The man seemed to be at a loss.

“Potatoes, sir?” Goten muttered. Peeling at first, then cooking, now weeding, and probably digging up later. What was with him and potatoes?

“No, it was just a bad joke, sorry,” Harada said.

To get to the armory, they had to go all the way from the right wing to the left wing. They could have walked outside, gone past the main entrance and then into the left wing, but Harada was in no mood for detours and led them in a straight line. The guard, who was situated at the door that connected the right wing with the Royal Palace, took one look at the Royal Division Head’s face and, saluting, let them pass. Once they entered the Royal Palace, Goten expected to see a very big difference but, since the only thing he was able to see was corridors, the transition was hardly noticeable. They walked down the carpeted corridor, turned left, passed one more door, turned right into a corridor with different carpeting and several colorful paintings, walked straight for several minutes, and finally found themselves at the door leading to the left wing. They had to walk all the way to its end as, in case of an accident, the armory had been built as far away from the palace itself as possible. 

The guard at the armory saluted Harada. The division head beckoned with his hand and the armory keycard exchanged hands. If the guard was surprised to see Harada taking care of the newbies’ armor, he didn’t show it.

Once inside, Goten’s eyes set on rows and rows of armor, uniforms, and guns. Past the piled-up goods, he could see that the walls were lined with ki-absorbing material. It was more than likely that the armory walls were made of ki-resistant metal as well.

“Which size are you?” Harada asked, walking deeper into the armory. He turned to the men following him, his eyes taking their builds in. “This should do,” he said without waiting for an answer and reaching out to one of the shelves with a pile of uniforms on it. “You’re the same size, right?”

“Yes, sir,” Goten confirmed with a nod. He took four sets of uniforms from the elite and, with a towering pile in his hands, followed him to the section with the boots.

“They may smell stale, but the smell will disappear once you wash them,” Harada said, looking at Reyn’s feet. “Size?”

“Forty-seven, sir.”

“Forty-six here, sir,” Goten said. He watched the boots exchange hands, then followed the two men to the armor section. Never, not even in his wildest dreams, had he ever imagined he would end up wearing a royal guard’s armor. The bright royal symbol on it seemed to be the epitome of improbability. 

It was obvious that they didn’t have enough hands to carry all the separate pieces that made up two sets of armor and they quickly decided to get dressed then and there. While the freshly-baked royal guards were dressing, the head of the division went to take a look at ki-guns and scouters. He quickly picked four of them and returned to show the newbies how and where all the armor pieces and the clasps went. The ensemble was finished with the strapping of two ki-guns to their sides. Ki-guns were part of the curriculum in any officer school, but Harada doubted Goten knew how to use one. Amongst the general populace, ki-guns were frowned upon, but it was part of the royal armor and had proven to be useful many times.

“Wow,” Reyn said with an appreciative glance at Goten once they were dressed. “This actually does look good on you.”

“Indeed,” Harada agreed with Reyn. The usual blue and white colors went well with the young man’s complexion, the yellow straps making the ensemble livelier. The armor made Goten look more refined and masculine, the change both startling and amusing.

Uncertain, Goten glanced at the other two Saiyans, but it didn’t seem like they weren’t making fun of him. Goten wished there was a mirror in the armory. He lowered his head, trying to take himself in, but it wasn’t the same. The uniform itself was dark blue, which was uncommon, since blue was usually worn by the air force. Yet, Goten couldn’t imagine the usual brown colors going well with the blue and white armor. Besides, the Royal Division didn’t only perform their duties on the ground. The royal flame symbol on the breastplate was prominent and Goten traced it with his fingertips. It somehow made him proud.

Reyn watched the younger male’s unguarded expressions. Getting promoted to the Royal Division was nearly every Saiyan’s dream. They’d both achieved it without even trying. It would be amazing if only it weren’t for the fact that all of this was actually the result of the unfathomable mess their lives had become. This promotion was also, apparently, going to get Goten killed.

Snickering, Reyn turned away and headed out of the armory. They still had to return to their room to leave their clothes there, go to the canteen to have breakfast, and then report to the garden.

ooOoOoOoo

With a sigh, Goten sat down on the edge of the fountain. He looked at the sun above his head – it was a little past midday. It was quite hot and the spattering water felt good. He hooked his fingers under the ridge of the fountain, straightened his legs, and started rocking himself.

“You’re going to fall into it,” Reyn warned him. He was sitting under a tree, in the shade. With his arms resting on his bent knees, he watched Goten swinging himself back and forth. The fountain area was quite secluded, hidden amongst the trees and visible only from the main path that was mostly deserted. There were a few wooden benches near the fountain, but Reyn found it more pleasant to sit on the warm grass. It was not often that he had an opportunity to enjoy its touch and smell. He had not expected their guard duty to be so enjoyable and tranquil. They were supposed to be patrolling but, as Goten had accurately put it, they couldn’t be assed.

Perhaps they could bring Mr. Elite here once he got better. The cat would definitely like it here. They needed to get a leash for him, though. Reyn doubted that it would be easy to put it on the cat.

The flight officer grinned when he saw Goten’s fingers slip. The younger male’s feet and arms waggled about in the air for some purchase, found none, and then he plummeted into the fountain where he landed on his back with a loud splash. In a few seconds, only Goten’s raised legs and his arms, holding a scouter and a ki-gun, could be seen dangling from behind the fountain’s edge.

“Wow, you saved them,” Reyn said with a chuckle.

“Barely.”

“You know, they’re actually waterproof.”

“No shit?”

Reyn shrugged. “We’re going to the canteen soon,” he said when Goten didn’t show any intention of getting out of the fountain. “You’ll still be dripping wet by that time.”

“Ah, crap.” The sound of sloshing water could be heard, but Goten stayed in the fountain on his back. “Uh,” he muttered in a moment, “help? I kinda don’t wanna test to which level they’re waterproof.”

With a grunt, the flight officer got to his feet and went to the fountain to take the ki-gun and the scouter from Goten’s raised hands. The younger male pushed himself off the bottom of the fountain with his palms and swung himself out of it without getting his feet wet. His efforts had been for naught though, for as soon as he had landed on his feet, the water from his uniform and armor started running down into his boots. Grimacing, he took his ki-gun and scouter from Reyn.

“I think we should take our exam material and read it here,” Reyn said while Goten was reattaching his scouter.

“Hmn…” Goten hummed unclearly.

“Wow, looking good.”

The third-classes turned to Daimara Backeri, who was coming down the path leading from the main road. When he came closer, the elite’s eyebrows rose and he couldn’t help chuckling. “I had intended to ask you how it’s going but I see you’re adjusting just fine. Just don’t let Harada see you or he’ll rip your heads off.”

“Huh,” Goten wondered. Harada had actually struck him as quite lenient. On the other hand, it had to be as Daimara said, since he couldn’t imagine the head of the division instilling any order within the ranks with that kind of easygoing attitude. There was something off with the way Harada was acting towards them. It had to be the purple-haired nuisance’s fault.

Daimara turned in the direction of the palace and raised his hand to point at it. “The fountain can actually be seen from the third floor.”

Goten blanched. “Seriously?”

The elite nodded. “Seriously. Once, the youngest prince actually made a few displeased remarks concerning that.”

“Huh,” Goten muttered, “what a prick.”

The royal guard stared at Goten uncertainly. Just a few days ago, he’d have punched the youth for those words. He couldn’t understand the mystery of these two appearing in the Royal Division. People who had that kind of attitude towards the Royal Family weren’t supposed to work in the palace. Normally, for insulting a member of the Royal Family in public, they were supposed to be sentenced to death. The world was going mad. On the other hand, was it really ‘in public’ if it was just the three of them here?

“He spoke fondly of you, though,” Daimara said. “I mean, back then, when I received orders to see you here.”

It was true, too, and it was obvious that the elite wasn’t being sarcastic, he was being curious. Goten groaned mentally. None of the royal guards could understand what Reyn and he were doing here. And it was only natural, their curiosity.

“There’s a swimming pool inside,” Daimara added softly after a spell of silence. 

“Oh,” Goten said, trying to wrap his mind around the concept.

Daimara nodded. “Yeah, everyone can use it if they wish. But no pissing in the water.” He leaned closer to the third-classes to whisper conspiringly. “There’s some dye in it that makes the water go bright red when you do.”

“Ooohh… Thanks for the warning.”

Reyn watched the two conversing. It was obvious that the elite wasn’t certain how to treat them but was curious to no end. Maybe this was also his way of apologizing about their first unpleasant encounter. Goten seemed to be more approachable, and Daimara was mostly ignoring Reyn. 

At some point, Daimara stiffened, his head rising quickly and he turned in the direction of the main road. “I think I’ve just heard Harada’s voice,” he said. “Well, I’ll be off, then. Have fun.”

Indeed, almost as soon as Daimara had made his escape, the head of the division appeared. He was accompanied by the elite that Reyn had fought with on the Imperial Destroyer. Once the two of them came closer, the third-classes saluted smartly.

Harada gave them an awkward look. His eyes set on Goten’s dripping clothes, then the fountain, and then back on Goten. 

“Already fighting off those mad badgers and zombie squirrels?”

“Erm, those were mad rabbits, sir,” Goten corrected him, still saluting.

“Good job,” the division’s head complimented him. “At ease.” He turned to the elite next to him. “This is Captain Amren Komira,” he introduced, “your new commanding officer. From now on you’ll be coordinating your activities through him. I’ll leave you to discuss your further schedule.”

With a concluding nod, the head of the division departed. Amren gave his superior’s back an inquiring look but, in a few moments, it disappeared behind the bushes and trees. He concentrated back on the two young men at hand. It was incredible that the division’s head hadn’t admonished them for mucking around in the fountain. And their tails were still brown, not even a single white hair showing on the tip. Since the division’s head hadn’t said anything about that, Amren wondered whether he was supposed to ignore that as well or if Harada had left it up to him to deal with his subordinates.

“No swimming in the fountain,” Amren said.

Goten and Reyn saluted. “Yes, sir!” 

“You’ll be taking turns for lunch and dinner,” the elite said. “Your guard duty ends at seven in the evening and starts at seven in the morning.”

“How about nightshift, sir?” Goten wondered, and Reyn nearly kicked him in the ass.

Amren gave the youngster a look. “There’s no nightshift.” The captain looked as if he wanted to add something but, then, he just shook his head and continued: “You can have a day off of your choice once a week. Not both of you on the same day, of course. Clear so far?”

The third-classes nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“As of yesterday, both of you are registered in the Royal Division and you’ll receive the corresponding salary at the end of the month.”

“Wow,” Goten said dreamily.

“Don’t ask it,” Reyn warned Goten when the younger male’s mouth opened again with an obvious question.

“It’s five thousand credits,” Amren said. “If you rise in rank, you’ll get more.”

“I’ll be rich!” Goten muttered in disbelief.

“And dead,” Reyn reminded him, annoyed by the way the younger male always latched onto thoughts about money. Goten glared at him, and the flight officer answered with a mirthless grin.

“The code numbers of your scouters have been entered into the database,” Amren continued, ignoring them. “If you need to change your scouters, you inform me first. Any questions?”

“No, sir.”

“Good. Ask someone to teach you how to connect to and use the local database. Now dry yourself.”

Goten saluted. “Yes, sir.”

The energy swish that suddenly came from Goten nearly knocked Amren off his feet. The elite caught his balance and snorted. “I didn’t say right away!” he said, trying to silence his alarmingly beeping scouter.

“Yes, sir!” Goten said, powering down.

“Show-off,” Reyn muttered when Amren disappeared behind the bushes; in a few moments, they could hear his footsteps echoing down the main road.

Goten gave him an innocent look. “Me? Never!” He frowned. “Well, he’s kinda started pissing me off.” 

Reyn rolled his eyes. “He’s not too bad for an elite.”

“He tried to paint our tails white! And he’s not too bad only because he thinks we’re elites too. If he finds out, all shit’s gonna break loose. Mark my words, he’d be the first to turn his back on us.”

“He’s never turned his front to us either,” Reyn said. “What is it?” he asked when Goten’s face acquired a funny expression.

“My boots are still wet.”

“Serves you right.”

ooOoOoOoo

People still stared at him. They didn’t even bother pretending that they didn’t. Goten lowered his tray of food onto the table in the far corner of the canteen and sat down. He had hoped that most of them had already satisfied their curiosity during breakfast, but that had just been wishful thinking.

The third-class arranged his food in front of him and started eating. Meals were free, there was a large choice of dishes, and one could take as much as they wanted. Even with the free living space, the basic means of subsistence weren’t needed either. Add five thousand credits to that. Amazing.

There was a soft thump in front of the table, and Goten raised his eyes to see Berada getting comfortable at the other end of it. He had a large glass of some kind of juice in his hand. Goten wondered if he was supposed to salute. Unconsciously, he started raising the spoon to his temple. The elite gave him a look filled with amused wonderment.

“Are you trying to salute or are you trying to spoon-feed your ear?”

Blushing, Goten lowered the spoon. “Sir?”

“When will you come for your books?”

“We finish at seven, sir. Can we come then?”

Berada nodded. He indicated Goten’s full plate. “Eat up, don’t mind me.” In silence, he watched the younger male eating and sipped his juice from time to time. “I feel bad about last time,” he said finally.

Goten kept quiet, waiting.

“I mean, I had no idea you were a National Security agent undercover,” Berada continued. “I thought you were just some random second-class.”

“It’s fine, sir,” Goten said. “These kinds of misunderstandings happen much more often than you can imagine.”

Berada nodded and lifted the glass to his lips. He could actually imagine – the man looked incredibly young even with the royal guard’s attire, which was an incredible fact in itself; the armor could make any hick look tougher and more efficient, and commanded respect at once.

“Why did you actually come to the Royal Division?” Berada asked.

“We’re on a mission, sir,” Goten said.

“Well, yes, that’s obvious,” Berada said, “but everyone knows who you are, so your cover is blown. What kind of mi-?

“Sir, I’m afraid, I can’t tell you that.”

Berada nodded again. He had figured as much.

“Mind if I join you?”

Goten looked to his left, at Amren. The captain was carrying a tray of food and, without waiting for a positive answer, was already seating himself next to Berada. The third-class noted that Berada didn’t salute. Goten decided that the royal guards didn’t salute each other in the canteen. Made sense.

“Be my guest, sir.”

“Show him how to work his scouter with our database, Berada,” Amren said, arranging his plates. “He should at least know the basics.”

“Will do, sir.”

Goten wished he could kick his boots off. They were still unpleasantly damp even though he had allowed Reyn to have his lunch first and, while the flight officer had been eating, had taken his boots off to dry. 

“You know, I checked your profile,” Berada said casually, and Goten’s teeth bit down on the spoon, jarring. “It says there that you haven’t even finished your officer training school.”

Goten removed the spoon from his mouth to give the elites a blinding grin. “I bet it also says that I’m a third-class, sir.”

Berada and Amren frowned in distaste. Berada shook his head. “No, but it does say that you’re a second-class.”

“Awesome!” Goten laughed. “Congratulations, sir, you found the old file that was used for the undercover mission.”

“Well, I know that, but I am supposed to enlist you for the qualification tests. I can’t do that if it says you haven’t even finished your officer school.”

“Oh. That.” Goten licked at his spoon absentmindedly. “How about sir discusses this problem with Harada?”

“Harada?” Berada wondered. “What’s he got to do with this?”

“Oh, I don’t know, sir,” Goten hummed unclearly, “but I think he can make my real profile more accessible.”

Berada gave him an annoyed look. “I do realize that you’ve probably been removed from their database but can’t you just tell me which officer school you graduated from?”

Goten blinked at him; it seemed that they kept misunderstanding each other. “Oooh. Hataro Officer School, sir,” he said, and a wave of nostalgia washed over him.

While mixing his salad, Amren nodded approvingly. “That’s a nice school. I heard it was attacked by the Ice-jins, though.”

“Yes, sir,” Goten said, quietly. “Not much of it left now.”

TBC


	63. Part 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> **A/N 1:**  
>  Head of Royal Division - Harada Lorimara  
> Deputy Commander - Ealdira Fidan   
> Captain - Amren Komira

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 63

Goten was staring at the stack of books on the desk while Reyn was arranging them according to the material they had to memorize first. Goten started thinking about a nap. He had barely slept yesterday. In addition, after taking the books from Berada, they’d had dinner, and the full stomach was making Goten feel heavy and even sleepier.

“How about we go spar in an hour?” Reyn suggested without turning around. “I feel I’m getting rusty.”

“Same here,” Goten agreed. He flopped onto their large makeshift bed. “Wake me up in an hour, then.”

“Huh?” Reyn turned to look at him. “Aren’t you going to study?”

“Screw that,” Goten muttered. “The sooner they toss me out of here, the better.”

Reyn stared at him. Goten was right. But only now it had dawned on him that Goten had no plans of doing what was requested of him.

“You take everything too seriously,” Goten muttered after noticing the surprised look the other man was giving him. “I can’t say I hate that about you, but…really?”

“Umm… Well, I just thought that since we’re already here… Why not? Some service within the Royal Division would look nice on my profile.”

Goten rolled his eyes. Both he and Reyn were of a similar nature, with an instilled sense for order and, as long as it didn’t interfere with their lives too much, just went with the flow. In the end, it appeared that, of the two of them, the flight officer was much more practical.

“No surprises there,” Goten muttered softly, rolling onto his left side. He closed his eyes. The leaves of a book started rustling. He wondered whether Reyn was really more practical or if it was more a matter of obedience and duty. Probably all of that. No matter what Reyn thought of the youngest prince, he was still a member of the Royal Family, and Reyn was going to obey him, both because he had to and because he held the authority. The flight officer was pissed off of course, pissed beyond belief but there was no helping it. Goten, though, felt that, unlike Reyn, he had a choice. As long as he didn’t die first.

“I don’t think he would let go of you just because you didn’t pass the tests,” Reyn said wistfully after a long spell of silence. “I, on the other hand, would be easy to get rid of in that case.”

Goten hummed. “True. Good luck with your exams.”

“Asshole.”

Goten chuckled. He wondered how fast the prince would get rid of him if he started making serious trouble for him on purpose. Probably in a day or two. They had to talk. Hopefully, this time, he would manage to talk some sense into that purple-haired bastard.

ooOoOoOoo

It took them some time to find the training hall since it appeared to be located in the left wing of the palace, opposite the garages.

“Wow!” Goten exclaimed at the sheer size of it as soon as he entered. It was about the same size as the one back at Hataro Officer Training School.

“Indeed,” Reyn agreed with the younger man’s reaction, looking around. The hall was lined with ki-absorbing material that seemed to have a thicker texture than usual. Seven control panels hung on the walls, and Reyn went to inspect the closest one. The panel showed that it was possible to split the hall into six separate training chambers. The gravity could be adjusted in each of them independently as well. Reyn turned back to the hall. There was even a separate room for weights.

There were only two elites in the hall. Their faces were familiar but neither of the two third-classes was able to remember their names yet. After a short discussion, Reyn and Goten took their armor off. It was best not to crack it, since they presumed that the price was not something they could afford. The next fifteen minutes were spent stretching and warming up. Both of them hoped that they would be able to go back to their routine training and spars to maintain their skill and agility. 

Once they were done, Reyn went to examine one of the control panels again. “Can you move to the other end of the hall, please?” he asked the sparring elites. “I want to split the training hall in half.”

“Sure.”

The elites moved, and after storing their scouters in the room with the weights, the third-classes went to the opposite end of the hall. With Goten watching over his shoulder, Reyn tinkered with the control panel there. A loud warning sound echoed in the hall, then a beam of red laser light appeared to pinpoint the location of the forthcoming force-shield. Reyn pressed one more button to confirm and the red laser ray was replaced by a green force-field.

“How high do we power up?” Reyn asked.

“Um, how about twenty thousand?”

Reyn nodded. He watched Goten power up. As usual, the younger male was awful at measuring his ki. “That’s fifty thousand.” The flight officer gave him a puzzled look. “It’s more than twice what you were supposed to do. Can’t you tell the difference? And to think that you were already getting better at it…”

Trying to concentrate on the flow of his ki, Goten ignored the remark. He lowered his ki to what he thought was half. Reyn rolled his eyes and powered up another ten thousand to catch up with him. At least Goten was getting better at controlling the lower amounts of ki.

Goten flash-stepped away from a large ki-blast and appeared behind Reyn. The older male, though, had predicted this and swung himself sideways before Goten’s foot could connect with his side. Goten quickly shifted his weight and retracted his foot, but it wasn’t fast enough. The other third-class’s fist caught him on the side of the face, flinging him on his back. He went after Goten with the intention to pin him down, but Goten’s foot shot out like a spring. That fraction of time that Reyn used to avoid it gave Goten an opportunity to roll over and get to his feet. Leaning backwards, he nearly performed a bridge in order to evade Reyn’s incoming fist. He successfully blocked the next blow and punched the older man squarely in the face.

Reyn fell sideways with a grunt but, with his ki up, felt no pain and recovered his balance in no time. They exchanged a few blows again, then Goten retreated to bombard him with ki blasts. While Reyn was busy deflecting them, Goten flash-stepped in front of him. The older male was a fraction too late to block Goten’s punch.

There was something off with his timing, Reyn realized. Since they had powered up about the same, there shouldn’t be such a difference in their speed. Goten’s reaction time has always been shorter than his, but not to such an extent. Even though he managed to land a hit on the younger male, it seemed more like a fluke as it had only happened at the very start of their spar. 

The flight officer flash-stepped to him, and Goten immediately assumed a defensive stance. However, instead of meeting the blow directly, he managed to avoid Reyn by turning sideways, then slammed his shoulder into Reyn’s side, throwing him off balance. Reyn stumbled, rolled over and was back on his feet. They exchanged another series of blows and kicks, most of which they deflected.

Reyn swung his fist at him, Goten ducked, squatting down, his left foot shooting out at Reyn’s ankle. Still caught in momentum, the flight officer’s arm whooshed over the other man’s head. Reyn’s eyes started widening in alarm when he realized that he had time neither to change his stance, nor to flash-step away. His mind hadn’t caught up with the extent of the danger yet but he knew it was going to be bad. And then Goten’s sole hit Reyn’s ankle but, instead of hitting it with full strength, limited itself with a light tap.

“Crack!” Goten imitated the expected sound, grinning.

From above, the flight officer glared at the top of the younger male’s head; the bastard had time to play around. Reyn had the urge to yell at him to stop mucking around, but the problem was that if Goten did stop mucking around, he would really break something, be it an ankle or an arm. Reyn didn’t know how, but the younger man had obviously gotten much faster and more efficient during the past few weeks. And that was despite the fact that, except for powering up once or twice, they hadn’t even been sparring.

They retreated from each other and continued. Goten rushed him, and Reyn jumped up, turning in midair, his foot catching Goten on the back, sending him stumbling forward. Instead of falling, though, Goten glided through the air. The only part of his body that touched the ground was his right palm. He suddenly straightened like a spring, his legs shooting out from underneath him. To avoid the kick, Reyn threw himself sideways. Goten had gained momentum and nearly flopped onto the ground as he lost his target and, at the same time, his footing.

Reyn tried to ambush him while he was still off-balance, but it didn’t work. Goten avoided his kicks easily, flash-stepping out of the way. Then he counterattacked, and the two engaged in hand-to-hand combat again, neither wanting to give in, pushing each other for more and more. The spar lasted for about an hour until they couldn’t go on, and, after announcing a temporary truce, they collapsed onto the floor.

Panting, they lay on the ground, catching their breath. A few minutes later, Reyn got up and turned the force field off. His legs felt shaky after such a vigorous spar. He thought that, next time, they could spar in increased gravity. When he turned away from the control panel, he became aware of an audience. Besides the two aforementioned elites, now there were three other royal guards in the hall. All five of them had obviously been watching the third-classes spar.

Reyn’s silence roused Goten, and he sat up to look what was amiss. “Oh.”

“You’ve got some nice moves there,” one of the elites said, approaching.

Not certain if he meant one or both of them, the third-classes nodded in acknowledgment. The elite cast a look over Goten’s sitting form, but it didn’t seem that he was much interested in the younger third-class. Instead, his gaze traveled towards Reyn. 

“Care for a little bit more action?”

“Sure, just let me catch my breath.”

Goten wondered why it was Reyn the elite was particularly interested in. “I’m sorry,” Goten said, “but we aren’t familiar with everyone here yet. What’s your name?”

“Avyera Kesina.”

The other four elites introduced themselves as well, but their names were lost to Goten’s mind almost as soon as they had been uttered. He watched Avyera taking his royal armor off. It seemed that the armor really was a pain in the ass while sparring.

When Reyn recovered his strength, Goten, together with the rest of the onlookers, moved to the side and leaned against the wall. The red warning lights appeared and then the force-field was back on, enclosing Reyn and the elite in the same part of the hall where the flight officer and Goten had just sparred. The two of them powered up to twenty thousand.

Reyn wasn’t surprised when Avyera went at him with a flurry of attacks at once. The elite was good and, if it weren’t for Reyn’s enhanced speed, they would have been more or less equal. As it was now, Reyn had an obvious advantage and the fight was going in his favor.

The third-class sprang sideways to avoid the elite’s fist and had enough time to retaliate with a kick of his own. Avyera was thrown sideways but managed to turn over and land on his feet. He scowled at the throb in his right side. He charged at Reyn again but that resulted in a painful blow to the face. He whirled around and, suddenly powering up, punched the third-class. Reyn’s back hit the force-field with a loud, painful thud.

To indicate a sudden, high increase in power levels, Goten’s scouter beeped belatedly, and he rolled his eyes. “That’s not exactly what I call fair,” he muttered. That had probably been the elite’s goal all along. This was some kind of planned bullying or maybe Avyera was an incredible asshole in general.

Even while being momentarily stunned and dazed, Reyn powered up immediately. He was not a moment too soon since the elite was already on him, punching him. The abrupt increase in Reyn’s ki had created a buffer that absorbed most of the hit, Avyera’s fist tapping lightly against the third-class’s face.

Reyn’s ki surged up even higher in response, and one of the observing elites started making his way towards the nearest control panel on the wall. He stopped in his tracks when Goten’s fingers wrapped around the back of his collar. The guard hadn’t even felt Goten move, and the amount of ki the youngster was currently emitting made his scouter beep hysterically in alarm.

“I’d appreciate it if you let them sort it out on their own,” Goten said softly but firmly, tugging the elite away from the wall. He let go and turned to the other three elite guards, but he needn’t have bothered – the men were just standing, motionless. Goten offered them a mirthless smile and an approving nod. His smile slipped when Avyera’s body was suddenly flung into the force-field, passed it, and hit the wall at the opposite end of the hall.

Reyn whooshed by the force-field after Avyera, but the elite was stuck halfway in the wall and was unconscious. The third-class turned around. 

“Anyone else?”

Goten waved at him a bit uncertainly. Reyn really looked as if he was ready to pick a fight with all the guards. “It’s alright, enough,” Goten said. “You’ve passed their little test of courage.”

For a few moments, Reyn stared at the younger male, then shook off the violent feeling directed towards Goten. He grunted unpleasantly. “But those idiots haven’t passed mine yet.”

“What’s going on here?”

His mind already coming up with dozens of possible excuses, Goten turned around and saluted Trunks Vegeta. Then a sudden rush of anger engulfed Goten, and his mind gave up. 

“We’re settling in, Your Highness,” Goten spat, feeling more and more pissed off by every passing second. He would have added a few more sentences but didn’t dare argue with his former shaii in front of an audience.

Reyn didn’t answer anything. He just stood saluting and staring somewhere behind the prince. Furious beyond belief, didn’t trust himself to speak. 

“Are you?” the prince drawled indifferently. “Well, continue, then. Don’t let me detain you.” 

Trying not to show how much self-control it cost him not to power up in response to the third-classes’ abnormal ki, the prince’s eyes slid over the elite still stuck in the wall. The man was bleeding and, presuming from the unnatural position a few of his limbs were arranged in, was broken in general. The prince turned back to the third-classes. Did Goten even realize that, currently, his power level was close to three hundred thousand? With that amount of ki he could easily level the palace to the ground. His boyfriend’s was close to a hundred, but that, according to the data he had studied previously, was normal. 

He motioned at one of the four elites. “Kailan, get the doctors here.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the guard said, rushing to the door.

With one last glance at the third-classes, the prince turned to go. “I’d like to have a word with you two. After you’re done settling in, that is. We wouldn’t want to interrupt this essential procedure after all, would we?”

The prince left the hall, and Goten with Reyn glanced at each other. The adrenaline rush was still coursing through their bodies, and their minds were chaotic. Yet, they realized one thing – they had finally gotten an opportunity to talk to the prince. At once, Goten was skeptical about the outcome, but they had to try.

The third-classes powered down and started donning their armor. They helped each other with the clasps, Reyn put his scouter back on, and they left the training hall. Once outside, the third-classes realized that they didn’t know where they were meant to find the prince. Did he have some kind of an office or was it his chambers they were supposed to go to? Finally, they decided to ask the captain. Amren was surprised by their request, and that was clearly visible on his face. He asked them straight away why they needed to see the prince but, since Goten said that it had been an order, couldn’t interfere no matter what kind of stupidity he thought Reyn and Goten had gotten themselves into. No sooner than the third-classes had left, Amren was informed about one of the royal guard’s injuries.

The third-classes went to the main building and, after a short discussion with one of the guards stationed there, were shown to the prince’s chambers. This time they had more time to look around but, worried about the upcoming conversation, they were hardly aware of their surroundings. They followed the guard to the chambers without really taking in the furniture or carpeting or anything else for that matter.

Goten knocked and, after receiving permission to enter, opened the door. His eyes fell on the prince in the middle of the room at once. The second heir to the throne was engaged, making or receiving a call via his scouter, talking rapidly. Busily, he waved something unclear to the third-classes, and, without a clue what he meant, they stayed standing at the door.

Listening in to the call, Goten looked around. His former shaii was giving orders concerning some kind of shipment and a carrier. The room they had entered wasn’t as lavish as he had expected. With relief, Goten realized that this was not the room he could remember himself dying in. 

The prince’s room was spacious, but there weren’t many things in it. There was a large TV screen on the opposite wall from the door. In the middle of the room, there was a couch with a glass coffee table in front of it. A cupboard next to the window held varicolored bottles of liquor, as well as a bunch of glasses and, on the lower shelves, a few rows of books.

There was one more door leading to, most likely, the bedroom. On the right side of the door, one of Harada’s numerous paintings hung. This time it was a squadron of Saiyan spaceships engaging an enemy close to Earth, defending it. It had clearly been Harada’s cheesy but genial gift to the prince.

There were two potted plants: a cactus on the desk and some kind of a large-leafed palm sitting in the corner by the window, next to the cupboard with liquor. It was bearing some yellowish fruit. Goten wondered if it was edible. It certainly looked tasty.

“As soon as you’re done with your inspection…” the prince said to Goten, waiting, an amused smile on his face.

“Oh,” Goten said, his eyes leaving the palm with the fruit. Embarrassed, he saluted. He hadn’t even heard when the prince had finished his call.

The prince motioned the third-classes to the couch. While the men were getting comfortable or, in this case, even more stressed, he went to the cupboard to get a bottle of white wine and glasses. In silence, where awkward shifting of bodies and the squeaking of leather was heard, the prince carried everything to the table and started filling the glasses.

Reyn took his when offered, but Goten shook his head. “Thank You, Your Highness, but I don’t drink on duty.”

Reyn gave his glass a suspicious look while the prince scowled at Goten. The prince felt shocked and, most of all, hurt. He knew that, mainly, Goten had refused the wine because he was angry and wanted to make a point, and yet, no matter how much he had deserved it, it hurt.

“Don’t insult me,” the prince said. “Your work hours are over. Do you think I poisoned the wine just like in your dream?” Again, he waited for Goten to take his glass, but Goten didn’t.

“Oh, no, Your Highness, not poison,” Goten said, waving his hands in front of him, giving the most innocent smile he was able to muster. “Not me at least,” he said with a meaningful look at Reyn, who now had no intention of drinking his wine either. “But I would not be surprised if, after drinking, I were to wake up someplace else.”

The prince rolled his eyes. “Now you aren’t being fair.” Since it didn’t seem like there was even a tiny chance that Goten would take his glass, the prince set it onto the table. 

“If we talk about being fair, Your Highness,” Goten drawled, taking malicious pleasure at the obvious signs that the prince felt awkward and uncomfortable, “it was You who brought us to this palace and threw us together with a ton of elites who hate our guts.”

The prince waved this off dismissively. He took a chair from the nearby desk and sat down in front of the third-classes. “After today’s demonstration, they’ll be kissing your asses. By the way, you fooled me nicely back on the base.”

Goten gave him a confused and annoyed look. “Huh? The hell Your Highness is talking about?”

Goten’s sarcastic and mocking way of talking was grating on the prince’s nerves but he chose to ignore it for now; it was his own fault after all. “Back then, when you pretended it was impossible for your ki to reach three hundred thousand.”

Goten’s face became even more confused look, then he shrugged. “I don’t get it.”

The prince rolled his eyes. “Well, of course.” He took Goten’s discarded glass and sipped from it. “So any progress concerning those dreams?”

“Oh, yes, Your Highness. A very triumphant progress - at the rate things are going, soon half of the palace will be inclined to play out that particular dream. Could I humbly suggest Your Highness to let us go before everyone here unites their powers in realization of those dreams?”

“Don’t you think their intentions will just follow you to wherever you go?”

“And whose fault is that, Your Highness?” Reyn said, not managing to ignore the conversation anymore. There was just something absurd in the situation. The way Goten and the prince were spitting at each other like Mr. Elite at a mirror was ridiculous, and yet, he could not help but add to the general feeling of irritated discontentment.

The prince turned to Reyn. “I didn’t give you permission to speak,” he said curtly.

Goten’s eyes narrowed in disdain; the prince was being downright unfair and insulting to Reyn. “If he is not allowed to speak, then I’ve got nothing to say either.” He stood up abruptly, turned around, and started walking towards the door.

“Where are you going?” the prince grunted in disbelief. “I didn’t give you permission to leave. Wait!”

Goten flipped him off.

Wide-eyed, the prince stared at the door that had just closed behind Goten. In a few seconds, he became aware of Reyn trying to hold in his laughter. The third-class was obviously uncomfortable and apprehensive and yet, he could not help feeling amused. The prince glared at him.

“Your Highness,” Reyn said softly, ignoring the icy blue in those eyes, “I hope that, at this point, You will forgive my insolence and will share Your insight with me.”

To hide his embarrassment, the prince sipped his wine. “You mean it will be you sharing your insight, right?”

Reyn nodded. “Your Highness, I won’t repeat all the thoughts which, I’m certain, You keep recycling to Yourself. Let me ask one question instead. What can You promise him?”

The prince’s lips pressed into a tiny dash. Despite Reyn stating that he wouldn’t repeat the thoughts that kept continuously whirling in his head, he still mentioned one. What kind of future did he and Goten have? This question had been a constant in his mind. He couldn’t promise anything to Goten; they had no future. It wasn’t possible, and yet he kept entertaining the potential solutions over and over. More than anything, he wanted them to come true.

Wistfully, Reyn watched the prince. Just as he had thought, the prince had myriads of doubts about his and Goten’s improbable relationship. Even through his cold exterior Reyn could see how much he liked Goten and how much he was hurt every time Goten discarded his words and intentions.

“Promises…” the prince snorted with contempt. “With the way the things are going, we’ll be lucky if we last one more month. I can’t promise him anything, but neither can you.”

Reyn stared at him in shock. “That bad?” he muttered, forgetting all about honorifics.

The prince nodded. “That bad,” he repeated. “That abominable dream or not, there’s not much to expect. It’s very likely that most of us will be dead pretty soon anyway.” 

Reyn watched him quietly. That was obviously the main reason why the prince had chosen to ignore Goten’s dream and his attempts to distance himself. A few weeks or days here or there…they were still doomed. And yet, who was he to decide when and how? Ah, yes, he was their prince.

“All the more, Your Highness,” Reyn said suddenly. “You can’t make this work anyway. Trying to fence him in, forcing him into guilty pleasure? Surely, You are above that. Do You want him to spend his last days in limbo? Let him go and bring some kind of conclusion to this.”

“I refuse.”

Reyn felt like punching him. They stared at each other, hating each other, wishing the other would give in.

“Everything you say is true,” the prince said finally. “However, at this point I’m not strong enough to let him go.”

Reyn pursed his lips in disgust. No, the prince was strong enough, he was just too selfish and desperate. How in the universe did Goten manage to addle his brain so much? This had to be a special talent.

“Is that all?” the prince said.

‘You tell me,’ Reyn said in his head. “Your Highness was the one to tell us to come,” he pointed out loudly.

“Ah, yes, I wanted to tell you not to power up so high. Pass it to Goten as well, will you? There’s no need to send men to the sickbay.”

Reyn saluted. “Understood, Your Highness. I’m sorry for causing trouble.”

When Reyn left, the prince finished his glass of wine in one gulp and fell into the couch with a sigh. He felt annoyed, hurt, and ashamed of himself all at once. He had to commend Goten on choosing his men. He rather liked Reyn and, were they not rivals, would probably like him even more. Reyn was not going to give up without a fight. The prince could understand why. Besides the fact that he obviously liked Goten, Goten was his equal. Goten was just like him, a third-class, but was just as or even more powerful. Reyn was going to fight tooth and nail for him. The problem was that Goten’s stance was very similar. They had a mutual understanding and looked out for each other. That was most annoying. 

Despite the age gap between them, they had good chemistry, and it made the prince feel even guiltier for interfering. Reyn, naturally, was of the opinion that him chasing Goten was unfair and arrogant. He could have anyone of similar abilities to his own, elite, class. And here he was trying to take Goten away from Reyn. Of course the man would be possessive and hostile.

ooOoOoOoo

When he saw Reyn leave the prince’s chambers, Goten pushed himself off the wall and gave Reyn an amused look. He had waited for about fifteen minutes.

“So you two had a chat?” he wondered. “This kinda completely nullifies my attempt to make a point, not to mention makes me feel stupid for walking out like that.”

Reyn rolled his eyes. He started walking down the corridor, and Goten joined him. “He got your point no problem. He even got my point no problem. The trouble is that he doesn’t care.”

Goten nodded. He had expected nothing different.

“And I do get the feeling that you don’t particularly want him to care either.”

Goten turned to him abruptly, his eyes flashing. “Now, wait a moment, how did you come to this concl-” 

The older man patted Goten on the head comfortingly, and, not finishing the sentence, Goten gave Reyn an annoyed look.

“It’s fine, really. I know you’re stupidly in love with him. As long as you don’t become as blind and desperate as he has become… I’m proud of your loyalty as it is.”

Goten didn’t have anything to say to that. Awkwardly, he traipsed behind the older male, then just followed him quietly. Making excuses or trying to explain wasn’t going to work since Reyn was telling the truth. It didn’t sit well with Goten, but there was nothing he could do.

It was late when they returned to their room. Both of them were tired. Reyn fed the cat, and Goten washed him and his box. The cat didn’t even seem to protest as much anymore. Goten hoped that there wouldn’t be a problem with the other residents about the cat in the bathroom. On the other hand, as long as Mr. Elite didn’t stink, he doubted anyone would care.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten woke up just before his alarm clock went off. Yawning, he groped around on the bedside cabinet for his scouter and turned the alarm off. Next to him, Reyn rolled on his back with a short dissatisfied groan.

Yesterday events came back with a rush, and Goten covered his face with his hands. He had no words to name yesterday’s encounter with the prince. Instead of discussing it calmly and laying out all the facts… True, they had been tired and lost but… The hell had it been about?

“Feeling bad about yesterday?”

Goten nodded and, through the grating of his fingers, looked at Reyn. “I think I was hysterical.”

Reyn chuckled. “All of us were.”

“Oh, gods, so embarrassing.”

Reyn laughed again. His laughter stopped abruptly, though. “Never mind that. He told us that we can hold out for no more than for a month.”

“Uh? What…?”

“Against the Ice-jins.”

Goten moved his hands away from his face and stared at him wide-eyed. “What? Seriously?”

Reyn nodded, and, thinking, Goten turned his head to stare at the ceiling. They had known it was bad, but not this bad. He had been so lost in his own little drama that he had forgotten to look at the bigger picture. “A month, huh?” he repeated.

“At best.”

And then all of them were going to die. There wasn’t even a question about that. Vegeta House wasn’t going to run. It was every Saiyan’s duty to defend its members, the core of Saiyan society. They were going to die performing their duty.

“Well, I do hope I die in battle instead of in a bed,” Goten concluded.

“I hope we don’t die, but yeah, if it comes to that…”

“Aren’t we going to be late?” Goten wondered, not showing any intention of getting up.

Reyn sniggered. “Yes, the fountain might have sprouted legs and run away.”

“Meow!”

The third-classes fell silent.

“Meoooooow! Meeeeoooow!”

“Is that coming from the bathroom?” Goten wondered quietly.

“Did you forget to let him out?”

“Uh. Could be?” Goten said, getting up. He rushed toward the bathroom to let Mr. Elite out before the cat could wake the whole palace and came face to face with his neighbor. 

“What the hell is that noise?” the elite demanded, looking around. Like Goten, he was only in his underwear.

“Ugh, that’s our pet. Sorry,” Goten said, opening the bathroom door a fraction. Two yellow eyes appeared in the crack.

“What the hell is this?” the elite wondered, the sight of the glowing eyes making him lean away from the door. “Is it dangerous?”

“It’s just a cat. No danger whatsoever.”

“What does it do?”

“Err… Nothing.”

The elite contemplated this for a few seconds. “Why do you keep it, then?”

“It’s like a potted plant, but better,” Goten explained. “It can walk.”

“…And shit, and make horrendous noise, and scratch, and stink, and eat a ton,” Reyn added, appearing in the doorway. “Hurry up, will you? At this rate, the fountain really will sprout legs.”

“If you want my advice,” the elite started, pointing at Mr. Elite through the crack in the door, “you’d…”

“No we don’t,” Reyn cut him off. “But thank you nonetheless. We apologize for the noise.” He opened the door to their room as wide as it went. “Well?”

Carefully, Goten opened the bathroom door. Mr. Elite hesitated for a moment, snuck out into the corridor, sniffed the air carefully, turned around, and returned into the bathroom.

“Can I kick him?” Goten asked hopefully.

“Sure.”

“That’s one stupid pet,” their elite neighbor concluded before returning to his own room.

ooOoOoOoo

In the shade, Goten exhaled blissfully and turned onto his side, the grass making a pleasant crispy sound. He yawned – he lacked sleep again. The weather was fantastic – it was somewhat cooler than yesterday but just as sunny. It probably couldn’t get any better than this. There were even some kinds of little birds flitting from one branch to another, singing their throats out. Pure idyllic bliss.

Next to him, Reyn turned a page over and continued reading. He was already half-way through his course book.

“I think I’ll go to take a look at that swimming pool in the evening,” Goten ventured. “I really want to see what it’s like. Do you want to come with me?”

Reyn’s eyes left the page to give Goten’s relaxed posture a reproachful look. 

“We are supposed to meet the lecturer in Royal Law.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “Pah. What’s there to learn about it? They order, we obey.”

“Don’t be an ass.”

“You’re surprisingly okay with all this,” Goten accused him. He rolled over on his stomach. “You…”

“Shut your fucking mouth!” Reyn snapped at him. “You know perfectly well how ‘okay’ I am with all this! I’ve been putting up with your bullshit all this time. Don’t you dare say a word to me!”

For a few moments, Goten stared at him then rolled on his back again. It was best to keep quiet for now. With time, this was going to get only worse. Reyn was frustrated with his inability to do anything about the situation. It was only natural when faced with a rival he wasn’t able to deal with on equal terms. The prince had driven them into a corner, they were running out of time, and Reyn was taking his frustrations out on the closest person available.

“And if you’re having second thoughts about all this, you’d better tell me now.”

“Stop exaggerating. The only thing I said was that you’re eager to undergo this damn training.”

“I know perfectly well what you said!”

“Fine.”

“It’s not fine!”

“Ugh. Well, what do you want me to do?”

Reyn was quiet for some time. “I’ve got no idea, but it pisses me off! How about you punch him?”

Goten rolled his eyes at the sky. “I’ve done that already. It seems to have had the opposite effect.”

“Huh?” Reyn grunted after a pause. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, I don’t remember why I punched him, though.”

“You punched one of the Vegetas, and you can’t remember why?”

“Um, I think he did something stupid or insulted me.”

Reyn chuckled. “Same thing.” His eyes were drawn to his book where a wet spot spread on the page. “Hmm?” he hummed, raising his head to the sky. It was still sunny, but a few darker clouds were edging their way over the sky. “Is it about to rain?” A few more tiny droplets fell onto the book, and he raised his ki-shield to protect himself and the book from the rain.

Goten rubbed at his left eye, where a raindrop fell in. “Why don’t they keep the shield up?”

“I suppose they have to water that myriad of plants somehow,” Reyn muttered. “Stupid fucks.”

“Yep, now we need an invasion,” Goten agreed with him, raising his ki-shield as well. “You know, you can spar with him. His defense is lacking, and, if you agree on a certain amount of ki, you’d surely total him. That should make you feel a bit better.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Reyn grunted. “He won’t agree to these terms.”

“Oh, he will.”

“He does know about the project, doesn’t he? He was the one to tell you, right?”

“Yeah, but he won’t refuse.” Goten felt he was grinning. “I can promise you that.”

Reyn closed the book. This talk was annoying him more and more. He knew Goten meant well, but, instead, he was making him jealous. He was becoming increasingly aware of how much the two knew about each other and to which extent their feelings corresponded. And he could not forbid them to see each other. He could not even tell Goten to end it because there was nothing he could end. And yet, there was an obvious and huge something. 

The rain was increasing, and the third-classes got to their feet, thickening their shields. Absently, Goten watched water hitting Reyn’s shield and cascading down to the ground over the invisible walls. The smell coming from the wet ground and grass was most alluring. The rain continued belting their ki-shields for about half an hour then started lessening, and the sky became clear again.

TBC


	64. Part 64

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> **A/N 1:**  
>  Head of Royal Division - Harada Lorimara  
> Deputy Commander - Ealdira Fidan   
> Captain - Amren Komira

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 64

The lecturer in Royal Law was about thirty. He was lanky for a Saiyan, with long spiky hair that went all the way down his back and seemed to be trying to break his thin neck with its weight. He talked in a quick, excited manner.

From his seat at the window, Goten watched him and Reyn converse about the examination that was going to take place in five days. They were sitting at the desk, their heads bent over the course book, eyes studying its index. Reyn and the lecturer were close in age, and this made Goten wonder whether Reyn had already turned twenty-nine or was still twenty-eight. The flight officer seemed like the type to downplay birthdays.

The lecturer turned to Goten. The younger male was watching them with an apathetic look, and it didn’t seem that he was interested in anything they were discussing. “You sure you’ll pass the test?”

Goten waved it off with a confident smile. “Of course, sir. There’s no need to worry. I’ve studied day and night for it.”

The lecturer turned away and concentrated back on the book. He knew that the two had joined the Royal Division just a few days ago and had received the books even later. If the nitwit believed that he was going to pass the exam so easily, he was in for a surprise.

ooOoOoOoo

The next few days passed by calmly with the third-classes bothering nobody and nobody bothering them. Goten spent most of his time lounging about in the garden and spying on all the visitors to the Royal Palace from behind the trees and bushes. Meanwhile, Reyn was submerged in books, getting ready for the exams. The only disturbance was the aircrafts coming and going overhead– from high above, the third-classes’ activities could be easily seen, and they had to maintain the required orderly image.

“You think we were told to guard the garden in order to give us enough time to study?” Goten pondered.

Reyn raised his eyes off the book he was currently reading. The younger male was lying on the grass, close to the fountain, soaking in the last sun rays of the day. He was lying on his stomach, knees bent, his feet kicking behind him merrily. He seemed to be so comfortable that Reyn was torn between launching his book at him and joining him. 

“No. I think they told us to guard the garden because we’ve had no training. We gotta do something, anything, as it’d look stupid and suspicious if we didn’t do anything at all.”

That was exactly what Goten thought, but he was bored and just wanted to talk. “Hmm… I still want to go to the swimming pool.”

“I’ve got no time for that.”

“I can go alone.”

“No, you can’t.”

With a sigh, Goten lowered his head back to the ground. Absently, he started plucking at the grass next to his face. Made alert by that prophetic dream, Reyn didn’t let him out of sight. Not that he wanted Reyn to let him out of sight. He felt more secure with the flight officer watching over him – he wanted to live, after all. It had never crossed his mind to feel embarrassed about Reyn’s care – he would do the same for Reyn. 

“Ugh!” Goten jolted with a start when his scouter beeped. It was a soft sound, yet it was unexpected in this tranquil silence. He sat up and took the call. “Yes?”

“Yes, Goten Bardock,” he confirmed when the caller inquired.

“Who?”

“Really?”

“Um, yes. Right now?” Goten asked, standing up. He started dusting his trousers off. “Erm…Alright, it will take me about fifteen minutes.”

“Well?” Reyn asked as soon as Goten ended the call.

The younger male turned to him with a huge grin on his face. “You won’t believe this. Our trouble is over!”

“Huh? The prince died? Finally. When do we get back to _Starcut_?”

Goten rolled his eyes. “No, not that trouble. Besides, be more careful, someone might be listening.”

“Yeah, right. So what is it?”

“Monteira sent one of his sons to pick up the cat. He’s right here, at the gate, waiting for me to bring Mr. Elite to him.”

“I’ll be damned!” Reyn exclaimed in surprise. “Finally! What are you standing around for? Go get it!”

“I didn’t know he had children.”

“I think he has four or five of them. You’d better hurry up. We’d not want him to change his mind and leave, would we?”

“No,” Goten agreed with him, “we really wouldn’t.” He rushed off to the barracks to get Mr. Elite. Monteira must have seen the interview right after the attack on Bruminan, during which he had apologized for accidentally taking the cat with them. 

The third-class jogged up the stairs and then barged down the corridors. He found Mr. Elite slumbering on their makeshift bed. The cat’s eyes opened at the sound of him entering the room, then closed again. Goten grabbed the cage and, after some struggle with the peevish cat, locked him inside it.

“You’re going home!” Goten told him. “Home, you hear me?”

The cat’s tail batted at the walls of the container angrily. Goten was about to leave the room, then returned to the cupboard to grab the medicine for Mr. Elite’s ears. Then he opened the fridge and fed the cat one last time. Just in case.

It took Goten more than fifteen minutes to get to the gate. When he did, the only people he could see were two royal guards, and he thought that Monteira’s son had left. The guards, though, quickly spotted the man further away. He had apparently wandered off while trying to see more of the palace through the dense bushes.

If Goten hadn’t known that the two were related, he’d have never suspected the connection. They didn’t look alike at all. The man saluted.

“Sir.”

“There’s no need to salute me,” Goten said. “And drop the ‘sir’.” He held out the box with the cat for the man to take. “Here it is.”

“Thank you,” the man said, taking the cat.

“This is his medicine,” Goten said, holding out the small bottle for him. “Two drops in the morning and two in the evening.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

Goten scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “It seems he doesn’t handle gravity changes so well, and we’ve been traveling a lot. The doctor said he should be completely fine in a week or so.”

“Oh, I see.”

“I apologize for taking him again,” Goten said. “Monteira must have been going nuts all this time.”

The man chuckled. “Yeah, he’s very fond of this stupid animal.”

“Will he be staying with you until Monteira picks him up?”

“Yeah, probably. If he ever returns.”

Goten was about to open his mouth, then just nodded. They shared a knowing look, then nodded at each other and went in opposite directions.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten was taking a long, thorough shower. Not because he felt dirty, but because he didn’t have anything better to do. Reyn was in the room, studying, and he could not go out alone. Goten was starting to feel confined, to the point that he had started thinking about joining Reyn in his studies just to keep his mind occupied.

The sound of running water felt soothing, and the warmth was relaxing his muscles. He upturned his face to the water spray. He was wasting water, which was something every Saiyan was taught not to do, and yet he felt apathetic.

“You alright there?”

“Yeah,” Goten shouted back. “I’m just…”

“…jerking off?”

Goten rolled his eyes and turned the water off. “I’m not,” he answered, even though he didn’t know why he bothered. Reyn wasn’t going to believe him, neither did he care what he was really doing. As long as he hadn’t died in the bathroom or hurt himself.

Goten grabbed a towel from the rack and, after a few swipes over his chest and back, flung it over his shoulder. He slipped into the underwear he had prepared in advance, grabbed the old pair off the floor where he had kicked it off, and left the bathroom. Whirling his dirty underwear on his index finger like some kind of a windmill, he walked into the room, increased speed, and then launched the underwear into the corner next to the door. It flopped to lie there listlessly in a heap of blue and grey.

“Bull’s-eye!”

Reyn didn’t commend his great aim, and Goten turned to the other male. He was sitting on their makeshift bed, a laptop in front of him.

“Mmm?” Goten inquired.

The flight officer had to be watching something intense since he barely glanced at him. Nearly pouting, Goten ignored him too and went to the wardrobe to take a change of clothes. On his way, his attention was drawn to the laptop on the bed. Soft grunts were leaving it, and Goten went to see what it was.

Reyn was watching porn. That was quite unusual. Leaning in closer to see the screen better, Goten brushed over his wet hair with the towel, then draped it over the bedside cabinet to dry. There were two Saiyan males having sex in the video. Their body sizes were quite different, the lighter one getting fucked within an inch of his life. They were on a bed, facing away from the camera. The smaller one was down on all fours, with his back and ass arched to give better access to his partner. He was taking the large long cock all the way without as much as shifting, his partner holding him down. His partner was quite brutal, thoroughly pounding the presented ass, filling it with long full thrusts. After a few seconds, he pulled out to show the gaping hole for the camera, then pushed right back in without any resistance. He continued to thoroughly pound the guy. He wasn’t wearing a condom. Goten couldn’t see much lubricant either.

“How old is he?” Goten asked, sitting down on the bed next to Reyn. There was something about the video that made him react instantly, but there was something disturbing about it as well.

“Nah, he’s not as young as he seems. Wait, they’ll show his face soon.”

“He’s going to be freaking sore,” Goten muttered, watching. Now the smaller one was turned to his side, the large cock moving in and out of him relentlessly. He still was barely making any sound. Then Goten heard him say something, and the larger guy slowed a bit down. He soon returned to his previous rhythm, though.

“Yeah, he won’t be walking for a few days.”

Without raising his eyes off the screen, Goten turned his head slightly, wondering.

“I’ve seen it already,” Reyn explained. “They go on for another fifteen minutes.”

Goten shook his head in disbelief and sympathy. He shifted on the bed to adjust himself in his underwear. Soon the camera changed position and now was showing the smaller one sucking the cock that had just been pounding his ass. Goten could see his face now, and he appeared to be much older than he had presumed.

“Oh, he’s at least thirty,” he said, feeling relieved.

“Yeah, a bit misleading, that body of his.”

“Forward it a bit.”

Chuckling, Reyn reached out for the laptop to forward the video to where the smaller one straddled his partner backwards and let the large cock enter him again. Goten’s pupils dilated watching him move up and down, taking it all in. Goten was uncomfortably hard, his underwear tented. He glanced over at Reyn’s lap, and saw that the older male was just as turned on, if not more. Reyn caught his stealthy glance, their eyes held for a few seconds, then Goten’s hand dove in between Reyn’s legs. His eyes returned to the screen as he palmed the flight officer through his trousers.

The guy was still riding the cock. Goten already half-expected blood to appear on that brutally relentless cock going in and out of him. It didn’t, but the thought was as exciting as it was disturbing. Goten stroked Reyn in time with the guy’s up and down movements. He was so turned on that he nearly gasped when he felt the flight officer’s hand on the back of his head.

Reyn’s hand slid over his nape, massaging at first, then tugged him forward to draw their mouths closer. Goten wound his arms around the other man’s shoulders. The kiss was messy, wet, and soon broke altogether when Reyn’s hand dove into Goten’s underwear. Goten’s mouth fell open to let out a soft shuddery gasp. He felt himself being pushed down on the bed. He was already breathless, not able to keep his hands off Reyn, unbuttoning Reyn’s shirt, getting frustrated at the way the buttons resisted.

“There’s something about the way that guy submits…” Reyn drawled, pulling Goten out of his underwear, and pushing them slightly down his hips. He gave Goten several long strokes.

“Oh,” Goten exhaled in realization. Only now it had become clear to him what exactly had turned him on about the video so much. “Should I…?”

Reyn’s laughter was husky both with amusement and arousal. “No, I wouldn’t do that to you. Besides, I don’t think that would work very well with us.”

“Probably not,” Goten muttered. Through the gap between their chests he caught a glimpse of the screen. The smaller guy had changed positions again. Now he was on all fours, while he let the larger male push in and out of him. Goten’s hips moved on their own mimicking them, and he wasn’t certain whether he was the one fucking the smaller one or was the one getting fucked.

Reyn followed Goten’s gaze to the screen. He’d have to thank the neighbour after all – he hadn’t actually expected Goten to react to the video like this. Goten was about to come while they had barely done anything. He could feel pheromones oozing out of the younger male in waves. His hips were moving in tune with the video and he wondered if he should just watch Goten come like this.

“Want to fuck me?”

Goten averted his eyes from the screen to look at Reyn. He wasn’t certain. He looked back at the screen again. “No, I…” He had to swallow to wet his throat since his voice was so hoarse he could barely hear himself. “No, I…” He closed his eyes and his back arched when Reyn rubbed over the head of his cock. He was leaking already.

It was clear what the other third-class wanted, and Reyn started pulling Goten’s underwear off without waiting for him to continue. “It’s your turn, you know. Feeling generous?”

Goten let out a shuddery gasp and shook his head. “Just feeling like it.” 

Reyn pushed his trousers and underwear down out of his way and lifted Goten’s hips, hooking his left leg over his shoulder. Goten’s mouth fell open when he felt him pushing inside. Then something short-circuited in his brain and he was gone.

From above, Reyn was giving a dazed Goten a curious look. The younger male had come from as much as being penetrated. He saw awareness appear on Goten’s face, and the next second the younger man flushed red.

“Umm…” Goten hummed, feeling quite awkward. He was still dazed, his heartbeat loud in his ears. Reyn was leaning above him, still hot and hard inside him. The video was still playing in the background, the smaller one still getting the pounding of his life.

“Up for the next round?” Reyn asked, trying to move his hips tentatively. Goten was too tight, though, and he only made the younger male squirm in discomfort. “Sorry.”

Goten turned his head to the video again. It was nearly over. “Sure, just give me a minute.”

“Want to watch it again?”

“Yeah.”

Without pulling out of him, Reyn reached for the laptop to replay the video. He could already feel Goten’s muscles relaxing around him.

“I can’t really imagine him getting much pleasure from this, though,” Goten said when video restarted and both males appeared on the screen again with their backs to him. “They don’t even show his front. He must be completely soft.”

“Well, I’d say he does get some kicks out of it,” Reyn said uncertainly. “But I doubt it’s worth the pain afterwards.” He looked at Goten. “Imagine yourself meeting him,” he said curiously. “What would you do?”

Goten’s eyes met Reyn’s awkwardly. “Uh. Nothing?” He chuckled. “Probably going red in the face would be the only thing I’d do.”

“It would really be interesting to watch you two converse,” Reyn agreed. “Especially, knowing that you’d be trying very hard not to remember this…” He accentuated his words by thrusting into Goten.

Goten hummed deep in his throat, his face reddening slightly when his mind acted out the exact scene Reyn was talking about. He closed his eyes to focus on the friction inside him then opened them again and concentrated back on the screen. He was just in time to see the smaller man’s gaping asshole that his partner was so demonstratively proud of.

“Oh, gods,” Goten grunted, throwing his arm over his face, “delete it afterwards.”

Reyn chuckled. “No way.” Timing his thrusts, he pushed in and out Goten together with the man on screen. The younger third-class was hardening again. To hasten the process, Reyn let go of his thigh and leaned forward to brush his palm over Goten’s stomach to smear it with the younger male’s seed. He wrapped his fingers around his cock and stroked him. Goten hummed contently, but, several moments later, the flight officer let go of him. Missing the stimulation, Goten palmed himself and continued stroking.

“I got the video from our neighbor,” Reyn said.

Goten moved his arm away from his eyes. “Uh, what? How?” His gaze strayed back to the screen and realized that Reyn was fucking him in exactly the same rhythm. “Shit,” he cursed softly, as, in reaction to that, a burst of pleasure shot up his spine. “What the hell is wrong with me?”

“Want me to present you with an extensive list?”

Goten chuckled. He stroked himself in tune with the thrusts. His mind was becoming cloudy again, his wish for any type of conversation disappearing quickly. The cock in the video was becoming more and more unyielding, and Reyn’s rhythm was now in discord with theirs. He turned away and stared up at Reyn vigorously fucking him. He raised himself lightly to watch where their bodies joined. For a few moments, he was transfixed by the sight of the slick, glossy cock disappearing into and appearing from him. Then, with a soft moan slipped from his mouth, he lowered his head back onto the bed.

Goten wished that the two on the video were more vocal. Reyn wasn’t vocal as a rule and it took a lot to make the older man moan.

The head of Goten’s cock was dark red, his chest and face flushed as well. Soft grunts were leaving his mouth with every thrust. His fingers were yanking at his cock in rapid, desperate jerks.

“I’m a-about to c-come,” he gasped out in a few moments.

“Yeah,” Reyn grunted. “Come.” He had to slow down as Goten’s insides clutched at him, the younger male’s cock spurting again. Then the passage became impossibly tight, and, carefully, Reyn pulled out of the younger man. Dazed, Goten was staring up at him, without any conscious thought. A few more seconds and he would have come inside of Goten as well. A pity. He liked marking his territory, and Goten wasn’t against it either. It seemed to even turn him on. 

Reyn palmed himself and stroked his throbbing cock. He came in a few seconds, his seed splashing against Goten’s stomach and chest to add to the mess there. Panting, he stared down at Goten. Reyn wiped the sweat that had beaded on his forehead. Goten looked sated, his body blissfully relaxed. Just for the hell of it, Reyn reached out to the slop on Goten’s stomach and smeared his index and forefingers in it. Then he pushed them up Goten’s ass. The younger third-class’s brow rose at him.

“Now, what’s that?”

“Don’t know, just thought I’d do it.”

Goten let out an amused grunt. Reyn settled next to him and yawned loudly.

“Now I need to shower again,” Goten muttered later. He was too lazy to move though, and just lay on the bed sprawled contently. “Where did you say you got the video?”

“From the neighbors. The two of them were getting it on yesterday and it was too noisy so I went to tell them to keep it down. Then they shared this gem with me.”

“Huuuhh…” Goten hummed. “And where was I? I don’t remember hearing any noise.”

“You were asleep.”

“Really? Through all that loud sex noise?”

“Yeah, incredible, isn’t it?”

“Boredom might be affecting me even more than I thought,” Goten said ponderously. Normally, he’d have definitely gotten interested in any kinds of suspicious noise. Especially the kind of noise they were talking about.

ooOoOoOoo

At the sound of someone approaching, Reyn stood up and shoved the course book under one of the bushes. Goten didn’t trouble himself standing up, he just pretended to be interested in something on the ground. The footsteps got louder on the crunchy garden path, and soon several people appeared.

At the sight of them, Goten’s back straightened with an audible crack, the heels of Reyn’s boot clicked together. They saluted.

The king.

This was the first time the third-classes saw him in person. Despite their stay in the same building, they hadn’t had the opportunity yet to see either him or Prince Vegeta. 

“At ease,” the king said softly, walking over to the bench. He sat down, leaning into the backrest. His eyes set on the merrily chattering fountain, and King Vegeta exhaled loudly. Two royal guards that came with him retreated further away and, soundlessly, stood behind the bench.

Goten had to agree that King Vegeta and Prince Vegeta looked very similar, just like himself and his father. Probably the biggest difference between the two Vegetas was their height and the king’s facial hair. Otherwise, their facial features were nearly identical: the same prominent widow peak, thick eyebrows, a small mouth, a pointy nose and hard eyes. Even the youngest prince shared many of these features. Given his father’s good height, it was strange that Prince Vegeta was unusually short. Goten had seen a photograph or two of the late queen, and she hadn’t struck him as short either.

In silence, the third-classes shared an uncertain look, then looked at the royal guards, and one of them indicated for them to leave. Goten thought of asking for permission to depart, but didn’t want to disturb the king’s rest. Quietly, he turned into the side path.

“Can you pick me up a few apples and pears?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

One of the bodyguards moved, but the king stopped him with an abrupt motion of his hand. “Let those two youngsters get them.”

The third-classes rushed off to the other side of the road, to where the fruit trees grew. They found a few pears on the ground, but the seemingly most beautiful apples were still latched on one of the apple trees, and Goten powered up to pluck them off.

“I think they are tastier off the ground,” Reyn told him. “They fall off when they’re ripe.”

“But these look nicer,” Goten protested, landing back to the ground. 

The flight officer had to agree with that. He shook his head. “We can’t even pick the damn apples without clear instructions.”

“Well, that’s not my fault! I’ve never done any gardening.”

Reyn quickly picked a few more random apples off the ground and they rushed back.

“With the time it took you I thought you’d have pressed juice,” the king commented when the third-classes returned with the fruits.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” Goten apologized, walking to the fountain. He wished to explain the reason why they had taken their time, but he doubted the king would be interested in his excuses. 

The third-classes washed the fruits in the fountain. Goten wasn’t certain whether they had become cleaner or filthier, but presenting them unwashed was unthinkable. He took the rest of the fruits from Reyn and carried them to the king. Seemingly at random, the king picked a pear and an apple from his hands, then motioned at the rest of them in Goten’s arms.

“Help yourselves.”

Goten felt silly for having worried about the fruit. He distributed the apples and pears amongst those present. For the next five or so minutes only the sounds of lazily working mouths and teeth could be heard. The fruits were delicious.

Chewing, Goten threw a glance at the king. It was obvious that the most important man in Saiyan Society had come to relax here. It was no wonder – with the recent events, the garden was probably the only place where he could find solace and refuge. A lesser man would have already crumbled under the pressure.

The launch pad in the middle of the main road was always busy as planes and helicopters kept coming and going. It was located not far away from the fountain, and, bored, Goten would go to take a peek at them from behind the trees. Familiar faces streamed up and down the path, distinguished officers, politicians. King Vegeta’s days were filled with debates, discussions and negotiations. The stream of visitors hardly ever lessened in the evening either.

The king was one of the very few Saiyans that Goten had seen wear a beard and moustache. Facial hair started growing quite late into a Saiyan’s life, usually at about a hundred years old. More often than not, Saiyans didn’t survive for so long due to their violent way of life. That made Goten wonder about the king’s age. He couldn’t exactly remember, but was it a hundred and fifty-something? The third-class could vaguely remember a similar number from some kind of a course book. 

A hundred and fifty. Why in the world didn’t the man breed more? There was so much potential in the Vegeta bloodline, and meanwhile they had only two successors to the throne. The last of them wasn’t even a purebred Saiyan. Pathetic.

Goten found himself hoping that when Bulma Briefs Vegeta passed away, Prince Vegeta would take a new female. A Saiyan one this time. Goten, however, had very strong doubts about any of them still being alive for that.

“The fruits were very tasty,” Goten said. “Thank You, Your Majesty.” He wasn’t certain he should have spoken without permission but it was only common courtesy, wasn’t it?

The king’s eyes concentrated on the third-class. He nodded, accepting the compliment, and, to Goten’s mind, the king even looked somewhat pleased by it. That made Goten brighten up.

Reyn nearly rolled his eyes at the exchange. It didn’t take much to please Goten, and he already looked as if he had forgotten that one of the Vegetas had tried to poison him in a dream. Or maybe it was both of them. Reyn had also noticed that the king hadn’t started eating his pear before he had seen the others sink their teeth into them. He had also picked random fruits. That, however, meant nothing since they had really taken too long in the garden picking them up, and the king had his own food testers in case someone tried to poison him. This time, it was he and Goten who had served that purpose instead.

Despite Reyn’s former conviction that it was essential everywhere and at any time, the king wasn’t wearing his famous red and black cape. The flight officer didn’t know why but he was a little let down by its absence. King Vegeta, however, did wear the Royal Medallion – the sign of supreme power. It hung on his chest, close to the Royal Crest on his left breastplate. His armor was different than the one that was commonly worn in the Royal Division. First of all, it had no blue color. Instead, it was white and dark red with large, extended shoulder pads. The shoulder pads had two round yellow clasps meant, Reyn guessed, to attach the missing cape. Second, the boots were also red. Underneath the armor, the king wore black clothes made of a similar material to the royal guards’ uniforms. There was also the famous golden band around his arm that he wore in memoriam of the long-deceased queen.

After having spent about twenty minutes at the fountain, King Vegeta and his bodyguards headed back for the palace, leaving Goten and Reyn to pick up apple and pear cores after them. The third-classes had been worried about him inquiring about their white-less tails but he never had. He either hadn’t noticed or didn’t care.

ooOoOoOoo

Since Reyn had kept refusing to go with him, Goten went to the swimming pool alone. It was late at night, and the swimming pool room was empty. Goten was surprised as he had believed the pool to be much more popular. At least he had been incredibly eager to see and try it.

It was warm and damp inside the room. Absolutely quiet too. The lights were dim, and he reached out for the switch to lighten the room. He took his boots off at the wall lined with benches and then walked over to the enormous pool. Fascinated, he cast a look over the blue water. It was still, only an occasional ripple appearing on the surface caused by the undercurrent streams. Goten walked to the edge of the pool to try and gauge its depth; the last thing he needed was to stupidly drown himself. 

After having satisfied his curiosity in the pool itself, he raised his head to look around. The room was spacious with six thick and intricate pillars supporting the domed roof. Nearly everything in the pool was made of some whitish stone that was smooth and opaque. Goten suspected that it was marble, but he had never seen it before, so he couldn’t tell for certain. 

Goten returned to the bench where he had left his boots. He took the rest of his clothes off and, a little uncertain, approached the side of the pool with the gradually deepening end. Tentatively, so as not to slip, he stepped in. The water, to his opinion, was just the right temperature. He whirled around when someone cleared their throat behind him.

“Ermm... You’re not supposed to go in naked. Well, unless you want to.”

“Uh. No?” Goten gave the youngest prince a confused look. “How, then?”

The prince laughed softly. “Swimming trunks. Well, in your case, underwear will do.”

“Oh.”

“I’d prefer you naked, though.”

“Sure you would.”

Amused, the prince watched Goten leave the pool and go pick up his clothes. “Have you swum before?” he asked.

“Umm…no?” Goten put his underwear on and went back to the pool. “By the way, this is too much of a coincidence already. Did you follow me?”

“Yes, I did. I saw you going towards the pool, and you’re not supposed to wander alone.”

Goten didn’t offer any answer to this reproach. The prince was standing at the pool, watching him, probably waiting for some kind of a reaction. The prince was wearing a grey sweatsuit, and Goten presumed that he had been either going to or returning from the training hall. Quietly, Goten stepped into the water.

The prince watched the third-class reach the end of the steps, and now he was neck-deep in the water. Trunks didn’t know how it was possible, but the back of Goten’s head looked slightly panicky. He waved his arms around tentatively, pushed himself off the bottom to get himself horizontal and tried to swim. There was a lot of splashing around, but little progress.

“You have swum before,” the prince concluded loudly when it became obvious that even though there was little progress in the swimming itself, Goten was able to keep himself above water.

“In one of those dreams,” Goten agreed, a little breathless. “I’m not sure that counts.” He was a little overwhelmed by such a large amount of water surrounding him, not to mention the prince’s stare was unnerving him.

“Seems like it does.”

“Well, will you just stare or will you get in as well?”

The prince’s lavender eyebrows shot up in surprise. Was this blatant flirting or did Goten mean nothing by it? The third-class could be clueless at times. It didn’t really matter though. The prince’s fingers started working on his jacket, the zipper coming undone quickly. In a few moments, he was already kicking his trainers off, leaving them next to the pool. He tossed his trousers aside and, wearing only his underwear just like Goten, jumped right in with his legs drawn up. He disappeared under the surface, the water whooshing up with a splash and rolling against the walls of the pool.

After a few moments, the prince’s head appeared above the surface. “Ugh, I thought it would be warmer,” he said, rubbing at his face. His wet hair had become a few shades darker. He pushed it off his face and smoothed it back.

Since Goten had no clue what temperature the water was supposed to be, he stayed silent. The prince had gotten rid of the water in his eyes and looked up at him. It had been a mistake to open his mouth, but Goten couldn’t retract his words now. What in the universe had made him spur the prince on?

“Why are you alone?” the prince asked. He started swimming towards the third-class.

“Mmm?” Goten hummed, not certain whether to stay in place or to try and swim away from the approaching prince. “He’s studying.” Goten doubted that his lousy swimming skills could get him anywhere.

Trunks was displeased with both third-classes. Goten should not be allowed to walk the palace alone. “And you? You used to be a model student. Well, apart from all those times when your friends would lead you astray.”

“Which happened quite often, I suppose,” Goten agreed with him. “I’m hoping to be kicked from the Royal Division. I just wonder how annoying I should become for you to get rid of me as soon as possible.”

The prince chuckled. “So that’s your secret plan?”

“Erm… Not so secret anymore, I suppose.”

They were standing in front of each other, separated only by a thin strip of water. Their proximity allowed Goten to become aware of the scent typical of the prince that reminded him of tranquil boredom. The likeable scent suddenly brought Goten’s memory back to that deafening hangar where he and the prince had shared their first and only kiss. The kiss that had left him both frustrated and incredibly satisfied. He could still remember that possessive embrace and the other man’s bold hand on his ass, his madly beating heart and his own jittery legs. He had nearly died of bliss. He probably would have if he’d had the time for it, and hadn’t needed to rush to _Starcut_.

He hadn’t even known how to kiss properly back then. Since then he’d tried many things. The thought made Goten feel slightly embarrassed. He didn’t even try to understand why. He was, however, getting aroused by this particular memory and the prince’s current proximity. That he could understand easily.

“I doubt you would really do it,” the prince said softly.

“Mm? Oh, the expulsion. Yes,” Goten agreed, shifting gears and returning to the topic at hand, “getting on one’s nerves is more within your expertise.”

“And yet it usually excites you.”

Goten didn’t even try to hide his grin at the other man’s playful yet challenging tone; the prince was very close to the truth, but Goten had no plans on ever admitting that. “I think you’re talking about yourself now,” Goten said. 

The prince’s eyebrows rose a little. “Could be,” he agreed. “And what excites you, then?”

“Flirting.”

Startled, both males whipped around at the sound of the echoing voice. Reyn was quickly approaching the pool. The look on the other third-class’s face made Goten shrink away from the prince.

“Flirting, Your Highness,” the flight officer repeated. “This idiot flirts with everyone and everybody all the time.” With mad satisfaction, Reyn saw Goten’s face flush red. “Out of the pool,” he ordered. “Gods damn you, I can’t even trust to leave you alone for a few minutes!”

The prince turned to Goten, whose face now showed nothing but panic and embarrassment, and it made the prince’s hands itch with the wish to punch Goten. What exactly for, he couldn’t tell. Probably for everything that was wrong with this universe.

Waiting for Goten to leave the pool, Reyn saluted and went to gather his clothes. In ringing silence, Goten dressed, they left the pool and walked all the way to their room. Once inside, Goten looked for an underwear change since his had soaked all the way through his trousers. He was afraid to open his mouth, so he stayed quiet even when Reyn walked out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. He heard the keycard beep softly.

TBC


	65. Part 65

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.  
> Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.   
> **A/N 1:**   
>  Head of Royal Division - Harada Lorimara  
> Deputy Commander - Ealdira Fidan   
> Captain - Amren Komira

**Barracks**

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom

Part 65

Goten ran over the five questions he had randomly drawn again. It was official now – he was going to screw up his Royal Law exam. Not that it was a surprise. The third-class shuffled the question cards, but that didn’t make them any more comprehensible. He could speculate on one but what was the point?

The third-class leaned back in his chair and observed the examination hall. The lecturer was sitting at a desk in the front of the hall from where he could perfectly see all the candidates preparing for the oral examination. To take the exam, Goten and Reyn had to go to the city and join the other candidates. There were twelve examinees, him and Reyn included. All of them were older than him and Reyn, and all of them were elites. 

The examinees were hastily scribbling down the regurgitated information, drawing outlines for their speeches. Goten lowered his eyes to the blank piece of paper in front of him. Ten more minutes and they would be called up to the lecturer’s desk one by one.

Goten started drawing a cactus. A large one, with thick needles.

After that incident with the prince in the swimming pool, Reyn had left Goten alone in their room and returned only two hours later. Quite inebriated at that. However, instead of picking a quarrel with Goten as expected, the flight officer had ignored him and gone to sleep. The next day had been spent in loaded silence, where Goten had no idea how to make it all better, and where Reyn didn’t feel like looking at him at all.

Apologizing wasn’t going to work. Probably nothing was going to work.

Goten felt that someone was looking at him and raised his eyes off the paper. The lecturer was giving him an inquisitive stare. He was obviously of the opinion that Goten had reached the well-deserved end of his career. Goten shared the lecturer’s viewpoint completely and felt like saluting the man with his pen. Instead, though, he returned to working on his cactus. More shoots sprouted.

Finally, time was up, and the lecturer told everyone to put their pens down. Inevitably, his gaze went to Goten. The third-class offered him a bright smile. The lecturer responded with an apathetic look. 

“Come here, you…”

“Can I go first, sir?” Reyn interrupted him, raising his hand. “I think I’ve got diarrhea. Can I go first, sir?” he repeated, shifting in his seat restlessly. “I think it’s the nerves – I want this job so much! Please? Sir? Before I…”

The lecturer in Royal Law rolled his eyes at the obvious acting. Yet, he liked Reyn about the same amount as he disliked Goten. “Fine, come here.” It was not like the youngster could be saved by those few minutes anyway.

Reyn made a show of cautiously walking to the lecturer’s desk. He lowered his question cards onto the lecturer’s desk, the man picked one, and Reyn started answering in a quiet, monotone voice.

Goten wasn’t certain why Reyn was trying to prolong the inevitable. Was this out of kindness or just to make him squirm with nervous anticipation for longer? The thought made Goten add two hands to one of the cactuses. After further contemplation, he added legs and a head.

Reyn’s examination ended in a crystal-clear success as the lecturer’s happy face was beaming, and he even shook the flight officer’s hand before letting him go. Once the door closed behind Reyn’s back, the lecturer’s attention returned to Goten’s hunched form. Wordlessly, he beckoned for Goten to come to his desk. Goten gathered his papers and marched off to brave the unfavorable odds.

Just as Goten reached the lecturer’s desk, the door to the examination hall opened. Trunks Vegeta walked in, and Goten wasn’t even surprised. Because…why not? They had already met under much stranger circumstances.

The surprised ones were the lecturer and the other examinees. They watched the prince cross the distance between the door and the lecturer’s desk. Then, suddenly, everyone remembered to salute and rose to their feet. Goten saluted as well.

The prince reached the desk, setting down the papers and a box he was carrying onto the desk. He greeted the lecturer with a nod then turned to face the examinees.

“At ease. You may sit down.”

Everyone eased back into their seats while Goten remained standing in front of the lecturer’s desk. The prince went to the first row of the desks and took Reyn’s empty chair. He dragged it to the lecturer’s desk and made himself comfortable next to him.

“Right,” the prince said, opening the box that appeared to be filled with delicious smelling pralines; before hurrying off to the city, he had grabbed them off the table in his room as an afterthought – it was a gift from his mother. He pushed the box towards the lecturer. “Help yourself. So how is it going?”

“Uh,” the lecturer said uncertainly. Hesitant, he reached out and took one chocolate candy. “What exactly, Your Highness?”

The prince motioned at Goten. “Him, for example. How is he doing?”

“Oh, him!” The lecturer waved off. “He knows nothing, Your Highness.” He popped the praline into his mouth and closed his eyes in delight.

The prince gave Goten a look. Just as suspected, the third-class hadn’t lied when he had shared his plans about failing. With his head, the prince motioned in the general direction of the other side of the hall. “Bring your chair here,” he told Goten.

The lecturer grinned, showing his chocolate-covered teeth. Goten rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The third-class went to his desk, pulled his chair through the rows and set it in front of the lecturer’s desk.

“Not there,” the prince said before Goten could sit down. “Here,” he said, motioning next to him, at the corner of the desk.

“Huh?” went both the lecturer and Goten.

“He has already taken and passed this exam,” the prince explained to the lecturer while pushing a few documents towards him. “Since he’s so knowledgeable about the subject, he will help us examine the rest of the candidates.”

While the lecturer was skimming through the documents proving this lie, Goten took a seat at the corner of the desk. The prince pushed the box of pralines closer to the third-class and told him to help himself. Goten didn’t refuse and, unwittingly, let go of his drawing in the process. The prince quickly plucked the page off the desk. 

“That’s supposed to be me apparently,” he said while inspecting the drawing of a man seated on a cactus. 

Goten turned his head to see the misfortune that had befallen his artistic expression. “Uh… Your Highness has always had a good eye,” Goten complimented the prince. He reached out for more pralines. 

“Well, it does bear quite a resemblance,” the prince said. “Especially the facial expression. Spot-on! I think this is exactly what I’d look like if someone stuck a cactus up my ass.”

“Quite possibly, Your Highness,” Goten agreed.

“You seem to be fond of cactuses,” the prince said. “I remember seeing a similar one before, on the base.”

“They’re easy to draw, Your Highness.”

“I see.” The prince pulled the drawing away from himself to stare at it from a distance. “Marvellous. I will frame it and put it up next to Harada’s painting.”

“I’m honored, Your Highness.”

At that point, the lecturer decided that there was absolutely no use in asking for explanations or trying to protest. He pushed the fake documents aside and called for the next candidate on the list. He saw Goten give him a look filled with betrayal. 

“Do something!” Goten hissed at him softly. “Make me fail!”

“Shut up,” the prince told the third-class. “You’ve already passed.”

ooOoOoOoo

After the examination, it took Goten an hour or so to return to the palace. He and the prince had split up half-way through the trip, the prince informing Goten about some business he had to attend to in the city. That was just as well since the prince’s bodyguards were giving Goten the evil eye.

The capital had changed since Goten saw it last. There wasn’t as much racial diversity as there used to be. People, who had been able to, had fled the planet. Those who hadn’t been able to had fled the capital. The streets were mostly deserted except for Saiyans, Leiadors and a few other representatives of the allied nations appearing here or there.

Musing over the changes, Goten climbed up the stairs and entered the barracks’ wing. He’d gotten half a day off for the exam, so he had two more hours left to himself. It would be a good idea to have lunch, then maybe a spar. Depended on whether Reyn would be interested.

Goten frowned at the floor. He didn’t know how to make it better between them. He felt like a failure. He knew he had behaved like an idiot. The problem was that knowing that didn’t help. His head was filled with the purple-haired bastard, and he wasn’t able to predict his own actions. There were times when he had caught himself contemplating that an Ice-jin invasion would solve all his worries forever. He kept scolding himself for this cowardly thought. He had to find a way and make up with Reyn. He wished Reyn would just beat the crap out of him and they would just forget that incident. There was no way that was going to work, though.

The third-class was so deep in thought that he nearly ran into someone when he turned one of the corners. He didn’t even look at the person’s face, apologized for barring the way, and continued walking.

“You? What are you doing here?”

Since there was no one else in the corridor, the words had been meant for him, and Goten turned around to see who was asking. Straightening, he saluted at once.

“Your Highness.”

Prince Vegeta answered the salute with a nod. “At ease.” He waited for the answer but it never came. “I asked you a question,” he prompted.

“Huh? A question?” Goten mumbled, trying to chase away the sheepishness that he felt. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, I… Could You repeat it?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m on guard duty, Your Highness.” Goten shifted uncomfortably. “Um, currently on a break. I mean I’m returning from the examination in Royal Law.”

Prince Vegeta was giving him a strange look, which seemed to border between bewilderment and irritation, and, hoping that it was alright, Goten gave him a reassuring smile in return. The prince’s eyebrows rose. He motioned for the third-class to follow him.

“Let’s walk.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Goten obeyed, going after him. He wondered what Prince Vegeta was doing in the barracks wing, but then came to the conclusion that he was probably visiting one of the officers. Or maybe he was just taking a leisurely stroll through his domain. It was more likely, though, that he was checking up on something.

“I can’t talk to you when you’re walking behind me,” the prince noted a few moments later.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” Goten said, falling into step beside him.

“So why are you here?” the prince asked again.

“Erm… I’m on guard duty, Your Highness,” Goten repeated.

“Stop that. Why are you in the palace?”

Goten suddenly felt cold and hot at the same time. “Uh,” he mumbled, “I was ordered to come here, Your Highness.”

There was a short pause, then the prince asked, “Ordered by whom?”

“Um, by the prince, Your Highness.” 

Prince Vegeta stopped and turned to Goten. “Trunks? He told you to come here?”

Goten wished the floor would swallow him. He could feel that his voice sounded fake and was strangely tense. “Yes, Your Highness,” he confirmed. Prince Vegeta was giving him a confused look. 

“Why?”

This was the question Goten had no idea how to answer. His mind was in total chaos while he tried to think of what to say. “Errm… It’s best to ask him, Your Highness. It was an order, Your Highness. He ordered, and I am here.”

The prince stared at him. This conversation wasn’t making any sense. None whatsoever. He moved forward again, proceeding down the corridor, towards his chambers. 

“Anyway, why would Trunks…?” Suspicious, the prince looked at the third-class again. Goten seemed panicky and wouldn’t look at him, obviously very interested in the carpeting under their feet. There was something about the youth’s discomfort that made the prince suddenly realize what this was all about. He grunted in disbelief. Hearing the sound that very clearly conveyed Vegeta’s understanding, Goten flushed red. In a few seconds he turned white, then red again. His steps became shaky, and the prince wondered if the younger man would faint. He stopped.

“Contact your father and tell him what happened,” Prince Vegeta told Goten. “Then leave the palace as soon as possible.”

Nervously, Goten’s hands pressed into fists. His palms were sweating, and he wiped them on his trousers. “But Trunks Vegeta…”

“I will deal with him.”

“Yes, Your Highness. How about Reyn Dueri?”

“Who? Ah, the third-class who was with you on Bruminan. Is he here as well?”

Goten nodded.

“He can either stay or leave with you, it doesn’t matter,” the prince said. Showing that the conversation was over, he motioned at the opposite side of the corridor. “You can go.”

Goten saluted again. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Prince Vegeta watched him disappear around the corner then tapped the side of his scouter. “Harada and Ealdira to my office this instant,” he growled. “Now!”

ooOoOoOoo

“As soon as possible?” Reyn drawled when Goten finished relating to him his conversation with Prince Vegeta. “That’s when? What kind of order is this?”

Perplexed, Goten threw his hands up. “Beats me.” He started pacing the room in agitation. From the door to the window and then back again.

“And what’s your father got to do with this?”

Goten grunted, “Beats me again. And he knows that we are third-classes.”

“Oh great. Why didn’t he just kill you on the spot?”

“The fuck if I know! Maybe he doesn’t want to get into a spat with his son, or maybe he feels that he owes me for Bruminan, or maybe he just didn’t want to ruin the damn carpet!”

Reyn leaned into the chair with a sigh. “So it’s going to be him, huh? How about we clear out of here this instant?”

“I’m all for it. But how about the order to contact Kakarott first?”

“Forget the order, he’s going to kill you. It may just be the means to keep you here longer.”

“Ohmyfuckinggod!” Goten yelled suddenly. “I can’t fucking believe this! We’re about to lose this fucking war, and here I’m stuck in this fucking circus with this fucking royalty!”

“And that’s your own fucking fault!” Reyn spat.

Goten stopped pacing the room and turned to him, glaring. “How is it my fucking fault?! I didn’t ask to be transferred here!”

“You didn’t even have to! And all this while you know how your brother ended up!”

“Don’t you drag Gohan into this!”

“You’re a fucking moron!”

“Stop patronizing me, you self-righteous asshole!”

Reyn snarled at him. “What are you being so defensive for?”

“I’m not being defensive! Leave me the fuck alone!”

The other third-class laughed in outright disbelief. “Are you fucking stupid or what?”

“Stop repeating that!”

“Then stop talking shit!”

“No, you stop talking shit!”

Goten didn’t know how it happened, but, a couple of minutes later, the two of them were in their makeshift bed, fucking like mad. Just before he fell asleep, he wondered if this meant that he and Reyn had made up.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten awoke to the sound of soft continuous beeps. Disoriented, he stared at the ceiling for a few moments, then his brain caught up and identified the cacophony as two separate calls. Goten started looking around for the scouters, and soon discovered that one of them was on the bedside cabinet while the other lay discarded on the floor. He took the nearest first, but the identification number was Reyn’s. He nudged the flight officer in the side.

“You’ve got a call.”

“Uh,” Reyn grunted, opening his eyes. “A call? What call? What time is it?”

Goten dropped the scouter next to Reyn and went to get his own. By the time he had it in his hands, the call had ended. He checked the time. It was five in the evening. 

“You think they noticed that we were absent from duty?” Reyn wondered, blankly staring at his scouter.

“Doubt it,” Goten said, fitting his scouter over his eye. No one ever checked on them unless it was out of curiosity. 

Reyn rolled on his back and rubbed at his face. He yawned sleepily. It didn’t even matter – they had been given a green light to leave this place. Of course, it was probably going to be impossible. Reyn blinked at two simultaneous beeps that came from both scouters indicating an incoming message.

Goten read his and gave Reyn a look. They were to come to the headquarters in three minutes. Confirming that they’d both received the orders, they dressed and rushed off. They reached the headquarters at the same time as Kailan. Without as much as a glance at each other, the three of them filed into the office. There were only two officers inside: the head of the division and Amren. Amren was standing in front of the desk while Harada was typing away at the terminal.

“We’ve received a request for back-up from the city’s armed forces,” Amren started as soon as they entered. “There’s been a prison outbreak in Yagdan.” He looked over Harada’s shoulders. “The coordinates are being transferred to you as we speak. They’ve managed to isolate most of the mutineers, but the problem is six Ice-jins that have raised their ki-shields and barricaded themselves in the kitchens. The electricity has also been cut off. Your task is to restore order.”

“It seems like we are supposed to capture them alive, sir,” Reyn said at once. “Why?”

“They’re valuable sources of information,” Amren said. “You’re allowed to maim but not to kill.”

“How many of us are going, sir?” Reyn asked. Six Ice-jins that the local armed forces weren’t able to deal with had to be considerably powerful. This was a dangerous mission.

“The three of you,” Amren said. “Kailan is your squad leader.” 

“Huh?” Goten muttered, giving a questioning look to the back of Harada’s head. Only the three of them and they weren’t supposed to kill the targets either? He turned to Reyn and their eyes met.

“Done,” Harada said once the transfer of the files had been started. “Move out.”

“Yes, sir!”

Several moments after the newly assembled squad had left, it was absolutely quiet in the office, then Harada rose from his seat and left the office.

ooOoOoOoo

When the royal guards approached Yagdan Prison, a big part of it was already missing, smoke rising in thick belches from the destroyed parts. Floating above the prison, Goten took a good look at it. The prison was a complex structure of adjacent buildings and towers surrounded by a force-shield. If not for the force-shield, the Ice-jins would have already broken through to the city.

Goten could see people moving here and there, some gathered into small groups. 

“C’mon, let’s land,” Reyn said, pointing at a group of officers urgently waving at them from the ground. 

“They’ll have to turn off the shield for a few seconds to let us in,” Kailan said.

Goten and Reyn shared a look but said nothing. They landed next to the shield, and the prison wardens rushed to them. The force shields, in general, isolated sound pretty well. Goten held out his hand and started tracing his scouter number into the air so the officers could contact him. He lowered his hand when Kailan’s scouter beeped. Figures. The Royal Division had sent the squad leader’s number.

“They’ll let us enter in ten seconds,” Kailan said, after having taken the call. “We’ll have three seconds or so to make it in.”

They turned to one of the officers who raised his hands and started bending his fingers, counting. At the last finger bent, the force shield rippled and disappeared. The royal guards rushed forward, and, in a couple of seconds, the shield was back up.

“Sirs,” the officer who had been counting down greeted politely. 

He was respectful just as the rest of the wardens that met them, but Goten could easily read the pending question in their eyes. ‘That’s it? That’s all of you?’ – that was what they wanted to ask. Even though Goten and Reyn were wearing the royal guards’ armour, they could not be identified as elites due to their brown tails. Goten could see how much that fact baffled the men.

“What’s the situation now?” Kailan asked.

Further ahead, from amongst the smoking buildings, a ki-ball suddenly shot up. It bounced off the force-shield and whooshed down, back onto the ones who had released it. An explosion shook the ground.

“If we are in luck,” Goten said joyfully, “those idiots might just kill themselves.”

“Don’t count on it,” Reyn said. “A few more seconds, and they’ll be heading to the control room to lower the shield.” He turned to the prison wardens. “Why haven’t they done that yet?”

“They have already tried that, sir, but the control center has its own security system and is protected by another force shield. They damaged the electric cords and retreated.”

Goten looked around. The force shield around the prison was maintained by a number of small towers that were facing the outside. He remembered that it had been the opposite arrangement at his officer school – they had been facing the inside to protect the base from outside attacks. The prison, on the other hand, had to make certain there were no outbreaks.

“So they are stuck,” Kailan concluded.

“And we are stuck with them, sirs,” one of the wardens said.

“No,” Reyn said, “it’s they who are stuck with us.”

Goten rolled his eyes. “How can you even say shit like that with a straight face?”

Reyn grinned at him. “Experience.”

“Have they made any demands?” Kailan asked.

“No, sir.”

That was just as well. Saiyans didn’t negotiate in situations like these. There was no use in taking hostages either. If Saiyans wanted to hear someone’s demands, it was just for the sake of knowing how to aggravate them more.

“How about those armed city forces we’ve heard about?” Kailan asked.

The wardens gave each other uncertain looks. It was obvious that no one had heard about these forces.

“Well, they have two options,” Goten said. “To wait until the generator in the control room stops working and the shield goes down, or to wait until the generator stops working and, meanwhile, kill everyone in sight.”

“The shield works on batteries, sir,” the warden corrected Goten. “They will last five more hours.”

“Are there any more Ice-jins in here?” Kailan asked. “I mean more than those six who have escaped; they might attempt to free the rest.”

“No, sir, we had only six of them.”

“Aren’t the rest of prisoners trying to escape?” Kailan asked.

Goten gave him a look. “Those are Ice-jins. Were it me, I’d try to dig myself into the ground and not even think of showing my face to them.”

The warden nodded, confirming. “It’s just as sir says. A few tried, but we subdued them easily. Others are sitting tightly, waiting to see how this ends.”

“Right,” Reyn said. “So I suppose, we should start doing something about those Ice-jins.”

“Any ideas?” Goten asked him. “Or do we just go in and kill them?”

Kailan grunted. “How do you imagine we’ll kill them? And we’re supposed to capture them alive,” he said, but without any conviction on his face.

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Goten told him. “I see you’re certain that it’ll work out just fine.”

“Listen, I’ve got no idea why there are only three of us either,” Kailan told him, “but you could stop shooting your mouth off and listen for once.”

“Don’t you start bickering, you two, or I’ll throw you back behind that damn shield,” Reyn said, pointing at the force field with his thumb behind him. “We give them the option of surrendering. If they don’t want to, we kill them.”

Goten was suddenly reminded that, of the three of them, it was probably Reyn who was most experienced in leading a squad. Besides, Kailan had no idea what was going on.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Kailan grunted as if confirming Goten’s thoughts. “We kill them? We can’t even get close to them! We need…”

“I’ve seriously had enough of this,” Goten said, walking towards the area he’d seen the the ki-ball appear. He started powering up.

Reyn followed him, summoning his ki as well. As he was walking behind Goten, the flight officer’s scouter started recording the younger male’s power level and beeped warningly. Reyn reached out to his scouter to turn off the sound, then his hand froze without touching its side.

“Do you know that you’re at…?”

He never finished his question because Goten had suddenly shot forward and, like a bolt of lightning, smashed into the Ice-jins’ ki-shield. Reyn grunted both in disbelief and amusement. The younger male had probably been uncertain whether that would work. The speed hadn’t been necessary, though. It would have worked anyway.

Goten whooshed into the middle of the ki-shield and stopped abruptly. He was surprised it had worked out so nicely. Four Ice-jins had no scouters, the other two must have taken them from the wardens. For a split second, all seven of them stared at each other.

“Uh, how about you surrender?” Goten suggested. “I’m serious. Anyone want to surrender?”

Four of the Ice-jins flew at the third-class. The other two, who wore scouters, fled. 

There wasn’t much of a fight. Goten launched a ki-blast at the backs of the escaping Ice-jins, then blocked a fist that had been aimed for his head. He stepped back in surprise when the offensive arm exploded, spraying him and the ground with blood. The Ice-jin folded into the asphalt, grabbed at what was left of his arm and started rolling around in pain. 

A ki-ball flew at Goten, and he responded with two of his own. They swallowed the Ice-jin and went through him to explode against the wall behind him. The third Ice-jin tried to kick Goten in the stomach but he was so slow that the third-class simply stepped away and kicked him in the nuts. The fourth Ice-jin took no chances and fled after the others.

Reyn intercepted him in midair and sent him flying back into the ground where he hit the asphalt with his back. He tried to get up but Reyn was already above him and punched him in the face. The Ice-jin’s body went slack.

“Is that all of them?” Goten asked, walking to Reyn. His eyes narrowed when the flight officer turned to him. Reyn had that particular half-mad look about him. Goten started powering down. While doing so, he realized that he wasn’t bothered by Reyn’s power level at all. Neither had he been the previous time. It seemed that, lately, it was only Reyn who reacted to it.

“Where’s Kailan?” Goten asked.

Reyn blinked at him slowly then seemed to shake off the violent urge to kill him. He pointed somewhere behind him. “He’s out cold.”

“Shit.”

Goten walked over to where the royal guard lay. Two prison wardens were already fussing about him, checking his vital signs and touching his bleeding nose.

“Anything serious?” Goten asked.

“We don’t know yet, sir.”

Goten saw them looking at him, waiting for orders. “You do have a medical facility here, don’t you? Just take him there and do all the needed procedures. We’ll help to rein in the rest of the prisoners if needed.”

“Understood, sir. That would be a lot of help, thank you.”

Goten wanted to tell him to investigate how the Ice-jins had managed to free themselves from ki-cuffs, but it was a waste of time and a danger to this man’s life. In the end, Goten just nodded and turned to Reyn who was already up in the air, scanning the grounds, waiting for the other prisoners’ reaction. Goten powered up lightly and rose to join him. This way they would not only be able to see better but would also be visible to others. A warning not to try anything funny.

“Why didn’t you protect him?” Goten asked reproachfully.

“I did. He’d be dead if I didn’t. But I didn’t think he’d attack one of them headfirst.”

“Huh, he did? Did he seriously think he stood a chance? Did you see their power level? About a hundred thousand each.”

Reyn shrugged. “I think he freaked out when he saw you go in.” He twirled a finger near his temple. “Lost his marbles or something.”

Goten snorted. “No wonder. It’s an obvious suicide mission.”

Reyn was silent for a few moments. “I think what they really expected was for us to kill each other. Same as on Starcut. One would think that they’d have figured out by this time that it doesn’t work.”

Goten gave him an uncertain look. It was probably true. By this time, everyone concerned had to know already that a couple of Ice-jins didn’t scare them.

“Your power level is about three hundred thousand now,” Reyn told him quietly. “That’s somewhat abnormal.”

Goten’s forehead furrowed as he stared at Reyn, thinking about what he said. “Three hundred thousand? Really?”

“Yes.”

“Ohhh… So that’s what he meant.”

“Huh?”

“Um, never mind. It’s just about fifty thousand more than yours anyway.” Goten turned back to the smoking prison walls. It was best not to mention the prince to Reyn. However, now he understood what the prince had meant when he’d accused him fooling him on the base. It also explained why the Ice-jin’s arm had exploded just from him having touched it.

“Yes, but it requires much more effort for me to keep the flow of ki stable,” Reyn continued. “You didn’t seem to have any problems with that.”

Goten shrugged. He tried to remember how it had felt to summon so much ki, but could not remember anything out of the ordinary. It had felt the same as always. In addition, he knew that if he had tried harder, he would have been able to summon more ki. That, however, would have been dangerous.

The prison was calm. No one tried anything funny. The peace had mostly to do with the Royal Division armour that Reyn and Goten were wearing. They were floating above the prison, two clear warning signs. Meanwhile, the prison wardens were ki-cuffing the Ice-jins and dragging them towards the buildings. There was a charred pile further ahead that used to be an Ice-jin. The second crispy pile was at the opposite side of the room. Goten had been very accurate with his ki-blasts.

“We were supposed to take them alive,” Reyn said with a sigh. 

“Well, fucking whoops,” Goten spat. “They can fire me.”

Reyn chuckled.

ooOoOoOoo

Goten reached out to touch the yellowish fruit on the big-leaved palm. Round and smooth. Lightly, he squeezed the skin with his fingers. Soft. Wasn’t it ready to be eaten?

The third-class let go of the fruit and gave the prince’s chambers another evaluating look. Nothing had changed since the time he was here last. Big and spacious, with little furniture. There was a faint presence of that particular tranquil scent typical of the prince. It was strangely comforting. 

Goten’s eyes set on the wall and he chuckled at the sight of his silly cactus drawing having found a place next to Harada’s painting of a battle above Earth. The prince hadn’t had enough time to frame it yet. Not that Goten believed that he’d do that.

The third-class walked to the couch and sat down. He had been waiting for about ten minutes and the prince had yet to show up. Goten was puzzled as to what the man needed. Soon after he and Reyn had left the prison and returned back to the palace, Goten had received a call informing him that the prince wanted to see him at once. Since both third-classes were almost certain that it was a trap, Reyn had followed him and was now waiting behind the door in the corridor.

Goten tapped his fingers on the glass coffee table in front of the couch. His fingers left black and greasy stains on the smooth surface and, embarrassed, Goten retracted his hand. He hadn’t had any time to take a shower yet – he came here as soon as he was summoned, and was covered in sooth, dust, blood and chunks of meat and skin.

“Uh,” Goten muttered, standing up. He checked the couch and saw his own sooty outline on its fine leather. He cast a look at the palm in the corner and, true enough, the yellowish fruit had also been marked off with dirty fingerprints. “Damn it.”

The third-class looked around for some kind of a rag but there were none to be seen. Awkwardly, Goten traipsed around, then went to the door leading to the prince’s bedroom. Curious, he stuck his head in the gap between the door and the wall to check it out. His feet went numb.

It was the same room he had seen himself die in. He pushed the door open all the way and stared at the bed. Same bed, same pillows, even the same scenery behind the window. He suddenly felt like laughing. Were they going to kill him before or after he slept with the prince?

With a start, Goten realized that someone was opening the door behind him. He quickly retreated from the bedroom. Prince Vegeta walked in. The sight of Goten seemed to surprise him and he froze for a moment. Then he closed the door and walked towards the third-class.

“Your Highness,” Goten saluted.

“At ease.”

“I was about to leave, Your Highness,” Goten said, inching closer to the door.

“No, you weren’t,” Prince Vegeta said. He took a good look at Goten, then motioned to the couch. “Take a seat.” He went to the cupboard next to the window and opened it. Glasses and bottles started rattling. “Should I invite the one at the door?”

He obviously meant Reyn, and Goten shook his head vehemently. There was nothing Reyn could do in this situation anyway. He’d rather keep the flight officer out of harm’s way.

“Have you been sparring with Trunks?” Prince Vegeta asked, carrying two glasses and a bottle to the glass table. “You smell of blood.”

Unconsciously, Goten lowered his head to look at his armor. He didn’t see anything new – black and dirty, speckled with blood. “Eh, no, Your Highness, we just returned from a mission.”

The prince sat down a bit further away from the third-class. He uncorked the bottle and started pouring the liquor. Goten didn’t know what kind of liquor it was but the strong smell of alcohol hit his nostrils at once.

“I gather it was a success.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Prince Vegeta pushed a glass towards Goten. “Or will you refuse again?”

Goten took the glass quietly. Did he have a choice? He waited for Prince Vegeta to take his. The prince lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip. He frowned.

“I don’t understand why he likes these Terran brands so much.”

Without drinking, Goten lowered his glass back to the table. His caution felt somewhat silly since the prince had tasted his.

“Did you contact Kakarott?”

Again, Goten was taken aback a little at how easily his father’s name left the prince’s mouth. “No, not yet, Your Highness. Actually, I’m not even certain where he is at the moment.”

“I see. I think I can help you with that.”

“Oh?”

Goten didn’t have time to ask anything else because the door opened again and, this time, the youngest prince appeared. He wasn’t able to see well from behind the couch, but his eyes had identified his father’s and Goten’s heads at once even before they turned to him. His face acquired a little bit of a wild expression.

“Uh,” he stammered.

“Well, what are you standing there for?” Prince Vegeta told him. “Close the door and come sit with us. We are having a blast here, aren’t we, Goten?”

Goten gave the younger prince an awkward look. The two of them were aware of Prince Vegeta’s interesting choice of words. 

“There was something I wanted to discuss with Goten,” the prince told his father. “Can you leave us?”

Prince Vegeta’s eyebrows rose. He took another sip from his glass and frowned again. “Well, I’m certain Goten has something to tell you as well, don’t you, Goten?”

“Um, yes, I certainly do, Your Highness.”

Prince Vegeta rose to his feet. Slowly, almost demonstratively, he walked to the door. He left the room without looking back at them.

Once his father had left, the prince went to the coffee table and grabbed Goten’s glass. He swallowed the alcohol in two large gulps, then took his father’s and drank that one as well. He set the glasses back onto the table and dropped onto the sofa next to Goten.

“So what did he tell you?”

TBC


End file.
